Indie Artist Station:


Maya: Describe your specific style of music?

Susan: New wave 80's influenced modern Pop & Disco Rock.

Maya: Are there consistent themes in all your songs?

Susan: Feminism, sex, disappointment and conflict all sung around bouncy happy quirky music with dark grooves and attitude.

Maya: So who decides what gets on the album?

Susan: Geoff and I are the main members of Stimulator but we play our songs to our friends & see which ones get the best feedback. It's a totally democratic decision based on the popular vote.

Maya: Has your decision to stay independent, at least thus far, been more a product of not receiving the major label deal that you'd like or is it your preference?

Susan: You can't beat artistic independence but we do need the funds for promotion from a big mean corporation. As much as we thought we were doing pop music, it still wasn't cheesy enough for the fearful executives to take as chance. It saddens me but challenges me at the same time… If we weren't doing music we loved we would be bummed.

Maya: How do you approach advertising a new release? What's worked best for you?

Susan: The internet is the best way. Have a killer website and the WARPED Tour was excellent for us as well.

Maya: What promotion gimmicks have just been a waste of time and money for you?

Susan: The number one biggest waste of time was hiring a large PR firm to do press. We did a much better job ourselves. We lost almost $9,000 and had to take over the job anyway. To all young bands...stay away from the PR firms and do it yourself.

Maya: Where do you primarily play or tour at?

Susan: We play locally around California, but we did the West Coast leg of the WARPED Tour , CMJFestival and we will be doing SXSW (South by Southwest music and failm festival in Austin, TX).

Maya: Where is your favorite place to play at?

Susan: Any large venue opening up for an act I love. We opened for "Berlin" (Label: Geffen Records) and "Missing Persons" (Label: Capitol Records) in Los Angeles and that was a dream come true..

Maya: Management? Do you need it? Who is it?

Susan: Yes you do need management. I've had all kinds of managers from the biggest ones to the smallest. I have been greatly disappointed in all of them.

Maya: Booking agents, do you need it? Who is it?

Susan: Yes booking agents are very important! We have been speaking to Lucia at ICM (International Creative Management). I found it easier to get a meeting with the CEO at a label than book a gig at a dive.

Maya: If someone wants to start a label, what do you think the bare minimum is they need in regards to staff?

Susan: It's very important to have a label partner if you decide to start a record label. I started Not Your Common Records in the UK with another American partner. You can do it with 2 people if you are both extremely hard working and knowledgeable. You would need to hire a radio plugger and one of you would have to do the PR and call retail stores for distribution. It's very possible, but it is a financial responsibility. My business partner and I both had to get bank loans to make it happen. We did get my band Pillbox all over the radio in the UK, press, tours and festivals.

Maya: Where did you grow up? Does that have any influence in your music?

Susan: I was born in Seattle and lived in the UK and Los Angeles for a long time. I think that does influence my music a lot. Nirvana, KROQ 80s and British punk rock are my faves. I live for nostalgia.

Maya: When did music begin to become important to you? Did this come from your parents or did you find this music on your own?

Susan: Music was important to me from the moment I heard it. When I was 10 years old I knew it was my calling. I begged for piano lessons and a guitar and that was it. I never fit in at schools. I was always the outcast and I thought everyone was a dud without a soul. I was too emotional and writing songs was my therapy.

Maya: If you could meet anyone in the music industry, who would be your top 3 list be? Why?

Susan: Prince, Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails), and Richard Branson (the bearded guy behind Virgin.com) because they are all geniuses. They all excel in their chosen fields.

Maya: What album can be found playing on your cd/mp3 player right now?

Susan: I always have Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails... but now I have the Scissor Sisters.

Maya: What music magazines do you subscribe to or read often?

Susan: Rolling Stone. I live for Billboard, CMJ Monthly (New Music First), NME (UK), Kerrang (rock)- I have to keep up with my British news since I was a resident there for 10 years.

Maya: What's your favorite song in your current album?

Susan: My favorite song is "My Beautiful Muse." I wrote that with our old keyboard player - Mike Oristian. I came in with the skeleton of the song after I found out that my boyfriend got married behind my back when Itook a trip to London. I was in so much pain and I knew Mike could really bring my music to justice... and take it to another level. I wanted a kind of Radiohead, crooning vibe and I sang with a glass of champagne in my hand as I laid down on the floor.

Maya: Has your music been featured in movies or television? What steps did you take to make it happen?

Susan: Yes, our cover of Olivia Newton John's "Magic" was featured in the Disney Miramax film "Ella Enchanted" and on the Hollywood Records soundtrack. I have a great film agent named Julie D'Angelo from "Music for the Masses." She has placed my songs on The Apprentice, Fear Factor, Dawson's Creek, Lovely and Amazing (Movie Genre: Comedy/Drama). Getting music in film and tv is the way to go. That is how I have supported myself in the past 5 years.

Maya: Have you shot a video for any of your songs?

Susan: Yes, we have shot 2 videos for our album. The first video we did was with Actor / Director - Evan Richards in the UK. We filmed in Super 16 for a budget of $5,000 for our song, "On Top of the World," which won Best Rock Song in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. We had loads of fun, but because of the budget restrictions... we could only use one location. Evan was brilliant and the concept was about a singer who kept trying to audition for a male chauvinist band who were rejecting her and in the end she turned them into new wave robots who then called the shots. The second video was for "Magic" - our single which was released in Australia on December 18 with London Rd / MGM Records.

Maya: What advice would you give other fresh musicians wanting to get into this music business?

Susan: Unless you are 100% passionate about being a musician for all the right reasons and you are willing to be humiliated, broke and work your ass off - do something else. There are no guarantees here based on talent and perseverance. Being a musician is only based on love of your craft.