I’ve listened to A LOT of indie artists in many genres talk about the music business, and how mostly major record labels are out to, well to put it bluntly, fuck you. You have to apparently watch your back and have a good lawyer as well as diversify or “sell out” in order to make any money off your music @TLTYR25
Live Interview
Episode #402 http://tobtr.com/9661099
GETTING TO KNOW NELSON JANCATERINO OF “THE LAST THING YOU REMEMBER”
by Jacqueline Jax host of A.V.A Live Radio
I’ve listened to A LOT of indie artists in many genres talk about the music business,
and how mostly major record labels are out to, well to put it bluntly, fuck you. You have to apparently watch your back and have a good lawyer as well as diversify or “sell out” in order to make any money off your music. It’s almost like they own you and you’re in debt to them until you’re either dead or finally popular enough to do it on your own. This is why I would be perfectly happy signing to an indie label and living in “Indievile” as I’ve heard it been called. I have no aspirations or wealth or fame or whatever. I do want people to hear what I have to say and to make them think about themselves and the society we live in. I feel the pros are that, if done right, you can still keep your sound and have yourself heard the way you want it to be. There are some good people out there who don’t want to fuck you and actually help you get out there, like you all. The cons are that I’ve found it’s almost less about talent and more about who you know. Obviously social media is bridging the gap but there are still so many more artists that are amazingly gifted that sadly will never be heard.
Phil Ochs hands down. He’s dead so it’s impossible
but I had the chance I would love to ask him everything. I’d ask for his advice, how he was able to write such great songs critiquing the 1950’s and 60’s all while never changing who he was. I admire him because of those things. He was an amazing song writer and activist that was taken from us way before his time.
I feel like Nelson Jancaterino is a mouth full,
and there are already too many “Nelson’s” in the industry anyway. Willie Nelson, Ricky Nelson, and his sons who formed the band “Nelson.” It would be too confusing for people I feel. I got the idea for going by what would normally be a band name from “Never Shout Never” and “Front Porch Step.” Figured if they could do it, then I could as well.
I Don’t Wanna Say Goodbye
The song that I decided to send is different than what I would normally use.
I got into music mostly wanting to do protest folk songs like Bob Dylan or Phil Ochs, but I am going to share one that is a lot more personal. “I Don’t Wanna Say Goodbye” is really a song to my younger self. Back then I was teased relentlessly by kids in middle school. I would come home crying almost every day, and I would eat to calm myself down and I guess find comfort. This just added to the problem of my obesity and more teasing and bullying followed. I remember one day crying to my mom about how horrible school was and how I hated it and myself and that all I wanted was to be skinny. Luckily I have a wonderful mother who took time off work to come with me to a weight loss camp, yes a “fat camp” like in the movies. There I met a guy named Carl, who would go one to change my life. He was my first counselor, and I believe it was his first year as a counselor, so we had that in common. I was 12 and he towered over us well over 6 feet and he was a big dude as well. His motivation and just fun loving attitude made camp great, and I had the time of my life there. I ended up going back two more times as a camper and 6 more as a counselor to help kids who went through the same things I went through. Carl and I reconnected, in person, this past year and he continues to be a great force in my life. The other inspiration I got for the song also goes back to Carl. He help runs a mental health nonprofit called “Hope For the Day” which I reference in the song. The beginning of the song references depression and social anxiety and how those feel to someone in a real world situation. “The words are like bullets, the scares never heal, they peel back the layers, they tell you how to feel” is about the experience of bullying. The words to make an impact on you, and the mental and physical scars from it may never heal. You can go to a doctor and tell them your problems, and they can tell you why you feel the way you do and for a lot of people that helps them. “You can be alone, as the room grows a crowd saying why is this me why can’t I make a sound?” is about social anxiety and feeling alone even though all these people are around you, and literally asking why does this happen to me!? “The pain builds up inside until you let out a cry, I promise I hear you, I’ve felt this way too.” It’s just like it sounds. Your pain builds up until you hit a breaking point and break down into tears, but this is where I starts to turn into myself now talking to my younger self. The rest of the song is me today telling my younger self that it does get better and that if you just see this through that life is worth living and don’t give up. I believe at the end of the day though, you have to come to terms with what has happened and find a way to cope. For me that was and I music which I why I love “Hope for the Day” so much because they use music to help people, and that I exactly what I want to do with this song.
I am currently recording my EP, which should be out by the end of December.
Trying to juggle two jobs and record music isn’t an easy thing to do. You can expect to hear catchy radio friendly tunes like Would You Notice Me which is about having a crush on a girl who has had tons of guys try the same old tricks to get her, asking her if this were different about you then would she see you, and trying to convince her you’re different than others. Ave Maria (Send Me to Heaven) is about a friend of mine who helped me through a very difficult time in my life. She made me feel important again and basically got me out of a massive rut I was in and needed help getting out of. Hey Mr. Officer is a song about police brutality seen through the eyes of three victims of it. The lyrics are written through the eyes of Levar Jones, Jonathan Ferrell, and Tamir Rice and I basically is asking the officers who shot them “did you really have to shoot me?” Good Morning Mayor Emanuel is a song to the mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel. Basically asking him does he realize half his city is a war zone while the other half of his city is well off? I hope to make people understand that the state of the world in which we live in is very troubled, and if we don’t find ways to fix it, then we are in for some very rough times ahead.
I was born, raised, and live in Montgomery Alabama and let me tell you,
it’s just as bad as it sounds. The music scene is really just open mics for country artists and country bar bands. Our indie scene died a long time ago and due to local and state restrictions on bars and music venues, it’s unlikely to come back. I have found a few underground places to play but the shows are small and mostly gears to poets and spoken word artists. Birmingham, Alabama has a decent indie scene and I’m trying to make some waves up there. Columbus, Georgia has a growing indie scene and I’ve made some fans out that way, but my largest access to people is social media by far! I would like to travel literally everywhere! I love touring, road trips, flying, and going to new places and meeting new people. Van’s Warped Tour is a dream of mine since I was a teenager and maybe one day I’ll get to play it. Fingers crossed!
I’ve listened to A LOT of indie artists in many genres talk about the music business,
and how mostly major record labels are out to, well to put it bluntly, fuck you. You have to apparently watch your back and have a good lawyer as well as diversify or “sell out” in order to make any money off your music. It’s almost like they own you and you’re in debt to them until you’re either dead or finally popular enough to do it on your own. This is why I would be perfectly happy signing to an indie label and living in “Indievile” as I’ve heard it been called. I have no aspirations or wealth or fame or whatever. I do want people to hear what I have to say and to make them think about themselves and the society we live in. I feel the pros are that, if done right, you can still keep your sound and have yourself heard the way you want it to be. There are some good people out there who don’t want to fuck you and actually help you get out there, like you all. The cons are that I’ve found it’s almost less about talent and more about who you know. Obviously social media is bridging the gap but there are still so many more artists that are amazingly gifted that sadly will never be heard.
Phil Ochs hands down. He’s dead so it’s impossible
but I had the chance I would love to ask him everything. I’d ask for his advice, how he was able to write such great songs critiquing the 1950’s and 60’s all while never changing who he was. I admire him because of those things. He was an amazing song writer and activist that was taken from us way before his time.
Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TLTYR
Reverbnation: https://www.reverbnation.com/thelastthingyouremember
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/the-last-thing-you-remember-530098862
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TLTYR25
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwbgGJjTvc_vjlmCf3B0-jQ