I regularly write commissioned biographies for musicians, the following are three of my favorites:
Ben Phipps is hard at work expanding his creative universe to produce, as he calls it, “better everything,” from his adopted NYC home. With a combination of business acumen and musical hunger, Ben is quickly carving out a name for himself – his hit single ‘I Don’t Think So’ garnering over 20 million streams on Spotify alone.
Originally an entrepreneur by trade, Ben built a successful, multi-business career for himself in his native Sweden before selling up and shipping out to NYC to pursue his passion for music. A few years – and more than a few trashed productions – later, Ben released his first original song, ‘Fireproof’. In true business-minded Phipps-fashion, he handcrafted burnt letters to send out with the song to everybody he could think of, scoring himself airplay on Sweden’s biggest radio station – and it’s been a steep curve upward from there. After ‘Fireproof’ kicked it off, he’s had more and more success, most recently culminating in ‘I Don’t Think So’. But don’t let the music fool you; he’s as much of a businessman as he is a musician, as evidenced by his success to date without the input of any major labels. In fact, he recently turned down more than one 6-figure major label record deal and releases his music through his own label: 14 & 9 Records (with support from Kobalt Label Services and AWAL).
By focusing on lyrics of substance and quality and blending them with his trademark productions (think bouncing bass lines at around 110bpm mixed with smooth melodic vocals and a marimba here and there), Ben has created his own sound and the world is starting to take notice; he is currently signed with industry powerhouse CAA. At the time of writing, Ben has accumulated over 40 million streams on Spotify and has charted on iTunes in more than 30 countries. He has also had TV placements on Netflix’s ‘You’ and primetime giant ‘Pretty Little Liars,’ as well as on MTV and various commercials (including one for Google).
Last fall Ben embarked on a North American tour, notably playing New York, LA (with Autograf), Washington DC, and somewhere in the Pacific Ocean between San Diego and Cabo aboard Groove Cruise. Although he writes, “maybe when we’re older, we’ll get our shit together,” it sure seems like he already has his. Straddling genres from indie dance to pop and deep house, with national US airplay on SiriusXM and the likes of Kygo, Bakermat, and Kungs playing his music, we’re just waiting to see, hear and feel what’s coming next.
See it published here.
Jerrod ‘J-rod’ Sullivan is a musical machine in every aspect – an unquestionably talented drummer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and programmer. He knows that “music is universal,” and he’s continuing to take his music to and share his passion with more and more people every day.
J-rod isn’t your typical product of a family of musicians; rather, he grew up in a family who loved listening to music and exposed him to Gospel and R&B. By the time he was two years old, he was drumming along to music on kitchen pots and pans, prompting his grandmother to buy him his very first drum kit. Through church and school, he worked on his music – participating in bands and teaching himself bass guitar and music production. He really made music a priority, practicing for hours every day after school and on weekends. By 2006 he was posting drum cover videos to YouTube, the start of his ever-growing social media following (currently totaling 50,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram), now with 20,000 subscribers. And that’s only as a solo act…
After graduating from the Atlanta Institute of Music (studying music performance), J-rod joined The 4 Korners on drums in 2013. Since then, the band has been signed to Ropeadope Records and released two albums and one single (‘The 4 Korners’, ‘Portal of Gold’, and ‘Phraseology’ respectively), with Portal of Gold reaching #5 on the iTunes jazz charts. As well at The 4 Korners, J-rod also drums for Byron Cage and Alex Bugnon. And, besides being a full-time performing musician, he continues to program live shows and produce for different artists under his business name: J-rod Sullivan Productions, LLC. In his spare time (yes, really) he also teaches drums online. J-rod has worked with the likes of Jidenna, Bebe Winans & Everette Harp, and appeared in films such as BET’s ‘Being Mary Jane’, VH1s ‘Single Ladies’ & Oprah’s ‘Greenleaf’.
Spurred on by his success so far, J-rod’s chasing even more dreams. He’s working hard at mastering his craft, both mentally and physically, and wants to bring The 4 Korners worldwide in the coming years (and pick up a Grammy or two along the way). But when he plays a show, event, or even recording session, his greatest goal is to share his energy and inspire others: “if only one person tells me they were inspired, I’ll be satisfied.” A professional and extremely passionate performer, J-rod “plays every show like it’s my last.” His drumming is electric and brings a whole new flavor to the songs he covers (like ‘Ain’t It Fun’ by Paramore, with a cool 100,000+ views). Fans are responding, not only through social media but also personally: after a drum clinic tour in Brazil in June 2017 a fan told J-rod, “you have marked my life forever.” His proudest moment thus far, experiences like these motivate him to keep on doing what he’s doing.
Performing, producing, programming… J-rod does it all, and then some. He’s currently gearing up for a 4 Korners single release in 2018, as well as playing lots of shows and honing his craft, as ever. Keep your ears out; he’s one to listen for.
See it published here.
Jamie Sloan is a phenomenal Irish singer-songwriter, crafting original music that’s atmospheric, catchy, and from the heart. Eschewing one genre, Jamie’s music draws influence from soul, hiphop, and blues, fused together with a pop feel. Somehow both soft and gravelly at the same time, Jamie’s vocals perfectly convey his lyrics – which are full of emotion, telling stories of “the trials and tribulations we face as humans.”
Growing up in Northern Ireland, Jamie had a passion for music but never a desire to make his own. Music was something that he just “kind of fell into” when he picked up guitar at age 16, teaching himself from YouTube and old chord books. After joining a local community music project, Jamie was told that he could sing and found himself in a makeshift band for a live performance, after which he says it “became clear what I wanted to do with my life.” He subsequently began writing his own songs, drawing inspiration from the likes of Otis Redding, John Mayer, and Ben Howard.
After falling into and out of bands, Jamie began his solo career by playing “every gig I could and to anyone who would listen.” His persistence and grit have driven him to where he is today: after releasing his second EP ‘KT’ in 2014, Jamie’s music has been played all over the world, he’s achieved nearly 5 million streams, and been signed to a record label (with which he recently parted ways). Having said that, Jamie makes music fundamentally to connect with people; he writes songs “in hope that one of them will touch someone’s life” – and people around the world have responded, reaching out to say that his music has helped them in some way. For Jamie, “nothing tops that.”
Leading by example, Jamie is living proof that it’s possible to “overcome any odds and live your dreams as long as you have the courage to never give in.” Chasing his own dreams, Jamie’s about to release his new EP ‘No Fairytail Stories’ in September 2018 – check it out, it’s well worth a listen.
See it published here.
