Gastonia, NC: Bobby Ray Bittle was born the son of a preacher man in Black Mountain, NC. He learned early on to appreciate music. It was a part of his recovery and total healing from Cancer at nine months old. He was writing his first songs by age four.
San Francisco, CA: To describe Volary's music is to describe a world full of light and darkness. Most of Samantha's songs delve into the darker side of the human psyche, but as in a chiaroscuro, there is always light again. This dichotomy, yet juxtaposition of elements is an apt parallel to the name Volary; an obscure English term defined as a flight or flock of birds, or the cage you keep them in.
Ninety Six, SC: Serving up a roots country sound tinged with a hint of southern rock, JTodd brings a mix of humor and reality to country songs that tell the stories of real life.
Las Vegas, NV: Singer, songwriter, guitar, piano. I'm still floating on a cloud. Two years ago I decided to go public with my songs, and knowing the odds were against me, all I wanted was for one person that wasn't family to say they liked it. That happened immediately - and from that point forward, I've done everything I use to fantasize about as a teenager - and stuff I never even imagined. I'm humbled with a Capital H.
Round Rock, TX: Rachel released her first EP of original music on her 16th birthday. Her debut album - NATURAL - shows the diversity of Rachel's style, her incredible vocals, and the youthful innocence of her lyrics that listeners of all ages will enjoy. Her sound is unique, yet her themes are familiar to many, paving the way for a long and successful career doing what she loves to do.
Seal Beach, CA: Compared to Natalie Merchant and Kelly Clarkson by Music Connection Magazine, Tiana Star is a singer/songwriter on the rise. With a recent Showcase at Sundance Film Festival 2011, scored soundtracks and writing songs for upcoming feature and short films, four of her songs placed on NBC's Morning Show, radio airplay worldwide, and tours around the country, Tiana Star is a star not to be missed!
London, UK: Singer/songwriter and producer Tai Andrews writes simple songs about complex things: love, family, home and life. Although music is a theme that runs in Tai Andrews family he did not learn to play piano and write songs until he stumbled upon the music room at school at the age of 14. Since then he has written songs which reflect his feelings, experiences and desires.
The Shade Tree Shelter Mission
To provide safe shelter to homeless and abused women and children in crisis and to offer life-changing services promoting stability, dignity, and self-reliance.
The Shade Tree Vision...
Self-reliance for every woman and child.
At The Shade Tree, we believe...
That no one should ever have to endure a state of homelessness, existing in fear for personal safety and without the means to meet even the most basic of human needs - food and shelter.
That every human being, regardless of social status, has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
That all homeless children are victims because they lack choice and mobility.
That homelessness is a community problem that impacts everyone. That everyone can be a part of the solution.
Artist Contributions
The Country for a Cause project is the end result of three months of work and effort by very talented and caring artists who have donated their time and talents to a cause. Our sincere appreciation to everyone involved.
Butterflies Radio
I met just about every artist involved in the project at a really cool radio station, Butterflies Radio - All Indie, All the Time.
If you like the artists featured here, this is just a sample of just their Country genre artists. They also feature rock, soul and other genres. Had I called this project Indie for a Cause instead of Country for a Cause, you'd be hearing great talent like @KristenRau, @tgic (The Glass Identity Crisis), @KenniDeNile, @spaceshipdays and many other artists that would simply blow you away!
The DJs - Mark and Carol - have a knack for finding some of the best music out there. I have never (really/never) had the chance to change the station when they play a clunker (like I do in my car), because they have never played a bad song.
Hec! I can't even keep the station on as "background music" while I work. The songs they play are so good, I have to listen!
On Tuesdays, they host a program called Twitter Tuesday Live. If you've ever wanted to hear your name on the radio, just Tweet something to them and they'll repeat it on the air and mention you!
They always have great guest hosts, and a lot of us also show up and fans can reach out to their favorite artist live on the air. Very cool concept.
Mark made a wonderful bumper (a radio promo) for Country for a Cause.
The Nashville Universe
The Nashville Universe
Brett Tadlock from Nashville isn't a Country Musician... he's a web wiz who, as a fan of Country music, used his web talents to make a website for us Country musicians to hang out at, to bond, to run ideas off each other, do some co-writing - out of the public eye.
Then some fans asked if they could "come in and learn the secret handshake", and Brett obliged.
So if you want to hear the mistakes and out-takes from our recording sessions, or be there when we get the idea for a new song, or just hang in the music lounge in a virtual Lazy Boy(r), The Nashville Universe is the place to be.
Las Vegas, Nevada October 21, 2011
Palmetto Tree Music
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Billy Kay
email: billy at billykaymusic dot com
"COUNTRY FOR A CAUSE" ALBUM RELEASED TO BENEFIT THE SHADE TREE SHELTER
Local Musician Organizes a Who's Who of World-Wide Indie Songwriters for Las Vegas Charity
The cost of living is rising, gasoline is over three dollars a gallon, unemployment is at an all time high… and country music artists are giving away the proceeds from their CD sales. Surprising? Not for a group of eleven independent country music artists who are just trying to make a difference. October 21st marked the release of their CD, "Country for a Cause", the proceeds from which are being donated to The Shade Tree, a shelter for abused women and children in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Billy Kay, an independent country artist who added his single "Ready…Set…Gone" as the first track on the CD, is the mastermind and organizer of the project. While taking a tour of the shelter one day, he took special notice of the one outdated computer and scarcity of other resources. The kicker for him, though, was the kids. "We each consider our own childhood to be the definition of normal", Billy says, "I didn't want these kids to think the kid's room with a donated TV and some donated board games was normal." Realizing that there was only so much he could do alone, he reached out for help.
"I got a surprise email from Billy one day asking if I would like to be involved," said C Bret Campbell of the group Stephenson Rd, who added their single "Simple Life" to the project. Citing hard times throughout his own life, Campbell was immediately attracted to the project. "That's no way for women and children to have to live," he says.
JTodd Burroughs received a similar e-mail. "I didn't really even have to think about it," he said. "He (Billy Kay) said he'd like 'A Little More With A Little Less' for the CD, so I told him 'You've got it." That was even before he saw the list of artists who agreed to provide singles for the CD. "It's a tremendous group of artists on the CD - like a Who's Who of independent country artists." Kay said he decided to reach out to some of the artists he'd met over the last couple of years. "I fully expected to be rejected," he related, "but each and every one opened their hearts and donated a track to the project."
The artists chose their songs with the project in mind, as well. With respect to his song "Simple Life", Bret Campbell stated "I hope the song adds a note of hope to the record." Kay's song "Ready... Set... Gone!" is about the courage it takes to leave an abusive relationship. Aoede chose her ballad "I Lost, You Win" because she wanted to "contribute a song that pulls at your heart strings."
Artists weren't the only ones to jump on board for the project. The Nashville Universe, Team Loxly, and Butterflies Radio, signed on immediately. "Butterflies Radio set their homepage to open to a full page banner of the project as well as putting links on their main page. They're great," says Burroughs. "They play our songs, record and broadcast bumpers for the CD, update all of their social media sites - it would really have cost us a fortune to try to buy that kind of advertising, and they've done it for free!"
During a time when it seems the news is bad and times are hard, this CD represents what is good and right. Eleven artists - eleven songs - the only obvious connection being a love for country music - come together with a common purpose to try and make a difference. They write songs that tell stories about life, and they have created a CD that is "Country for a Cause".
Available on iTunes and Amazon.com. One hundred percent of proceeds to benefit The Shade Tree Shelter, who's mission is to provide safe shelter to homeless and abused women and children in crisis and to offer life-changing services promoting stability, dignity, and self-reliance.
