I am so overjoyed! Three of my songs from my new record, Astronaut, have been chosen as finalists in the 2011 SongDoor Songwriting Competition!
One Of Those Days, City Man, and Here With Me have all been chosen and we'll find out if they win in their categories on the 22nd of February!
Thank you all for the amazing support you've given me over the days and months leading up to the release of Astronaut; it's been a truly amazing journey.
SongDoor Finalist!
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If You Missed The Show
My Boston show on October 20th was a blast.
blast
Verb:
- Blow up or break apart (something solid) with explosives: "solid rock had to be blasted away".
Noun:
- A destructive wave of highly compressed air spreading outward from an explosion
No, that's a distinct understatement. And a misuse of nouns and verbs. My show was mind-blowing.
mind-blow·ing
Adjective:
- Overwhelmingly impressive: "for a kid, Chicago was really mind-blowing".
- (of a drug) Inducing hallucinations.
For those of you who missed what could be described as an hallucinogenic experience, I've compiled videos and reviews of the show for you! Thank you so much to Anne Armacast, Brian Forbes, and Lisa Occhino for making this possible!
You Are Who You Are (Filmed by Brian Forbes)
"Scottish singer/songwriter and Berklee grad Robert Gillies puts on a humorous and entertaining show at Cafe 939."
Show review by Lisa Occhino
Vegan Zombies (Filmed by Anne Armacost)
Verb:
- Blow up or break apart (something solid) with explosives: "solid rock had to be blasted away".
Noun:
- A destructive wave of highly compressed air spreading outward from an explosion
No, that's a distinct understatement. And a misuse of nouns and verbs. My show was mind-blowing.
Adjective:
- Overwhelmingly impressive: "for a kid, Chicago was really mind-blowing".
- (of a drug) Inducing hallucinations.
For those of you who missed what could be described as an hallucinogenic experience, I've compiled videos and reviews of the show for you! Thank you so much to Anne Armacast, Brian Forbes, and Lisa Occhino for making this possible!
Show review by Lisa Occhino
My Friends Are Blowing Up
No, my friends are not incendiary devices. No, I am not lighting fuses under them in the hopes that they will be launched into orbit via spontaneous human combustion. But they are fireworks, and like a beautiful display they are all taking off in concert.
What I'm referring to is the blessing I have of being able to observe many of my friends and acquaintances take flight in life, pursuing what they love in the largest possible ways.
Derek Song is the first of many. Derek and I, though not close friends, are what I'd call close acquaintances. He's always got a smile on his face, always on his way somewhere important, and always on a mission to make your day a little brighter. Derek's band, Pinn Panelle, is something else. I'm honored to know their bassist in passing, Nathan Navarro, and the quality of their musicianship is astounding. They recently covered an already awesome track by Skrillex ("Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites"), and did it so well that they broke the viral boundaries. Dubstep lover or not, you can't but appreciate their musicianship as they translate electronic dubstep into live sound.
Next up is a very close friend of mine, and one whom, if you follow my Twitter feed, I mention a great deal. His name is Charlie Puth, and he, with my new friend Emily Luther, have had an amazing journey over the past 10 days.
Emily caught wind of a cover competition created by blogger and TV personality Perez Hilton. The idea was to cover "Someone Like You" by Adele and post a video cover of it to YouTube, with the winner receiving full coverage by Perez. Emily turned to Charlie to make this all happen and, naturally, they needed someone to create the video. I was honored to have Charlie call me up and ask me to direct/film the video which he would edit. Being on such a tight schedule (we had 3 hours to film!) my vision was limited but it worked out.
Before the results were even in, Charlie and Emily received a call from the producers at the Ellen Degeneres show. By this time the video was close to the 1 million view mark and had broken viral barriers at supersonic speeds. The cover won the Perez Hilton contest and sent both Emily and Charlie to LA to sign a record contract with Interscope Records and ElevenEleven records.
My friends are blowing up and they're lighting up the skies.
What I'm referring to is the blessing I have of being able to observe many of my friends and acquaintances take flight in life, pursuing what they love in the largest possible ways.
Derek Song is the first of many. Derek and I, though not close friends, are what I'd call close acquaintances. He's always got a smile on his face, always on his way somewhere important, and always on a mission to make your day a little brighter. Derek's band, Pinn Panelle, is something else. I'm honored to know their bassist in passing, Nathan Navarro, and the quality of their musicianship is astounding. They recently covered an already awesome track by Skrillex ("Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites"), and did it so well that they broke the viral boundaries. Dubstep lover or not, you can't but appreciate their musicianship as they translate electronic dubstep into live sound.
Next up is a very close friend of mine, and one whom, if you follow my Twitter feed, I mention a great deal. His name is Charlie Puth, and he, with my new friend Emily Luther, have had an amazing journey over the past 10 days.
Emily caught wind of a cover competition created by blogger and TV personality Perez Hilton. The idea was to cover "Someone Like You" by Adele and post a video cover of it to YouTube, with the winner receiving full coverage by Perez. Emily turned to Charlie to make this all happen and, naturally, they needed someone to create the video. I was honored to have Charlie call me up and ask me to direct/film the video which he would edit. Being on such a tight schedule (we had 3 hours to film!) my vision was limited but it worked out.
Before the results were even in, Charlie and Emily received a call from the producers at the Ellen Degeneres show. By this time the video was close to the 1 million view mark and had broken viral barriers at supersonic speeds. The cover won the Perez Hilton contest and sent both Emily and Charlie to LA to sign a record contract with Interscope Records and ElevenEleven records.
My friends are blowing up and they're lighting up the skies.
Back From Tour
I am a happy, happy guy. As many of you know I just came back from touring the Northeastern States with singer-songwriter and friend, Mike Squillante, and we had an amazing time.
What many of you may not know is that before my life as a full-time musician I spent several years in dance, touring across Canada and traveling to distant lands, from Guyana to Japan.
Yup, that's me on your left!
Those tours often lasted for months, involving journeys that often exceeded 12 hours in length and many, many cross-Province van rides. Once I decided to take a musical path and pursue it with a passion I wondered where all of that past experience was going to come in handy. Once Mike and I hit the road it suddenly dawned on me that all of this had prepared me for the inevitable tours and long-distance travels that being a touring musician brings with it. For starters, Mike, Owen, Miles, and I really didn't have much breathing room in the tourmobile (or Eastern Beast as we liked to call it).
Oh, how I miss that seat!
But the one thing I realised that I'd missed from those past experiences was the camaraderie that comes with touring and the bonds you form with people. The feeling of waiting for my return train to NYC and Boston was so deflating, mainly because I'd grown so close to the rest of the group that leaving was like leaving a little piece of home behind.
Fortunately Mike and I filmed a great deal of the tour. Here's a preview of what's to come.
The touring life certainly isn't glamorous, but it makes for wonderful memories and stronger friendships along the way. Thank you so much to the following people for making our tour possible and, most importantly, unforgettable:
The Squillante, Beauchner, Deckard families for giving us places to stay; the students of Conn Coll for making us feel so welcomed and at home; Sarah Donner for setting up the Indie Music Night at the Griggstown Pavilion in Princeton, NJ; the bookers at Think Tank, Coffee Grounds, Burlap and Bean, Fuel House, Indie Music Night, and The Bitter End.
What many of you may not know is that before my life as a full-time musician I spent several years in dance, touring across Canada and traveling to distant lands, from Guyana to Japan.
Yup, that's me on your left!
Those tours often lasted for months, involving journeys that often exceeded 12 hours in length and many, many cross-Province van rides. Once I decided to take a musical path and pursue it with a passion I wondered where all of that past experience was going to come in handy. Once Mike and I hit the road it suddenly dawned on me that all of this had prepared me for the inevitable tours and long-distance travels that being a touring musician brings with it. For starters, Mike, Owen, Miles, and I really didn't have much breathing room in the tourmobile (or Eastern Beast as we liked to call it).
Oh, how I miss that seat!
But the one thing I realised that I'd missed from those past experiences was the camaraderie that comes with touring and the bonds you form with people. The feeling of waiting for my return train to NYC and Boston was so deflating, mainly because I'd grown so close to the rest of the group that leaving was like leaving a little piece of home behind.
Fortunately Mike and I filmed a great deal of the tour. Here's a preview of what's to come.
The touring life certainly isn't glamorous, but it makes for wonderful memories and stronger friendships along the way. Thank you so much to the following people for making our tour possible and, most importantly, unforgettable:
The Squillante, Beauchner, Deckard families for giving us places to stay; the students of Conn Coll for making us feel so welcomed and at home; Sarah Donner for setting up the Indie Music Night at the Griggstown Pavilion in Princeton, NJ; the bookers at Think Tank, Coffee Grounds, Burlap and Bean, Fuel House, Indie Music Night, and The Bitter End.
Apartments, Tours, and Other Pursuits
Ah, the difference a change of view can make. I recently moved into a new apartment and have been settling in over the past week, realizing anew that a change of location and a fresh perspective can sometimes make all the difference.
The most interesting part for me, though, is figuring out how I'm going to create a space which can be used well for filming (I'm a YouTube geek), recording, being-my-own-manager, and getting away from the world when I need a place to relax. It can take a little time to figure it all out, especially when you're accommodating all the equipment involved!
There are three super-exciting things happening in the next week that I'd like to fill you in on before I disappear for the evening:
1) I'm performing with Rhythm of the Universe in a 9/11 memorial concert this Sunday at the Hatch Shell in Boston (details here). It's going to be a beautiful concert.
2) The photo shoot for the record is set for Monday!
3) My East Coast tour with Mike Squillante starts this Tuesday in Camrbridge, MA! Check out this link for more details on the tour and where it'll be taking us!
The most interesting part for me, though, is figuring out how I'm going to create a space which can be used well for filming (I'm a YouTube geek), recording, being-my-own-manager, and getting away from the world when I need a place to relax. It can take a little time to figure it all out, especially when you're accommodating all the equipment involved!
There are three super-exciting things happening in the next week that I'd like to fill you in on before I disappear for the evening:
1) I'm performing with Rhythm of the Universe in a 9/11 memorial concert this Sunday at the Hatch Shell in Boston (details here). It's going to be a beautiful concert.
2) The photo shoot for the record is set for Monday!
3) My East Coast tour with Mike Squillante starts this Tuesday in Camrbridge, MA! Check out this link for more details on the tour and where it'll be taking us!
