FEATURED MODEL OF THE MONTH TALKS “BRIGHT LIGHTS” SOLO DEBUT ALBUM ELOHO GREAT HOLIDAY TIPS PAUL MCDONALD ELOHO PAUL MCDONALD SINGING WHILE HER GIFTING FOLLOWS.... RASMIYYAH SAHIRAH OVER A DECADES WORTH OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE DECEMBER 2014 - HOLIDAY EDITION #1 Variety Magazine - A Worldwide Publication DECEMBER 2014 - HOLIDAY EDITION
Paul McDonald placed 8th place on the FOX television show American Idol and toured worldwide on large scale performing in arenas and late night shows from Jay Leno to Good Morning America, Regis & Kelly, Craig Ferguson etc. In 2011 he started a band with his wife at the time Nikki Reed. They toured around the world and released an EP that landed on Billboard charts. A song from that album was released as a single for the Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 Soundtrack called...[12]
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featured model of
the month
talks “Bright lights”
solo deBut alBum
Rasmiyyah sahiRah
ELOHO
GREAT HOLIDAY TIps
pauLmcdOnaLd
ELOHO
pauLmcdOnaLd
singing while her
gifting follows....
Rasmiyyah sahiRah
OVER a dEcadEs wORtH Of ExpERiEncE and knOwLEdgE
DECEMBER 2014 - HOLIDAY EDITION#1 Variety Magazine - A Worldwide Publication DECEMBER 2014 - HOLIDAY EDITION
2 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com
features
04 Rasmiyyah sahirahFeatured Model Of The Month
06 michael xFocused On Fulfilling His Purpose
10 JJ grey & mofro Release Of “OL’Glory” & Upcoming Tour
18 mernaVocalist’s Album News And Video Release
21 doreen taylorIt’s All About That “Magic”
22 paul mcdonaldSolo Debut Album Release And Plans For 2015
CoVer storY
12 ElohoLove, Passion For Singing While Her Gifting Follows
lifestYle
08 travel tips for the HolidaysA Few Tips To Make Your Holiday Easier
09 Holiday Energy Saving Tips7 Tips To Lower Energy Costs This Holiday Season
16 10 tips for surviving christmasKeeping Your Sanity In Check
health
14 5 tips for Eating “Holiday” HealthyWhen Temptations Run High
entertainment
7 Buffalo Bites (monthly feature) The Creative Audio And Music Production World
19 all Hands On deck (DJ Spotlight)Dr. Noreen Khan-Mayberry aka “The Tox Doc”
26 Bwd Radio & ms. V (Indie Advocate) Ms V’s Becoming Well-Known As The Go-To Girl!
In a world where a swipe across the virtual shelf has supplanted the casual stroll down the aisle, content driven media has become the golden chalice of promotion; fresh content delivered with the minimum of fuss constantly throughout the day has become the key to ensnaring the public interest, of reaching the plateau of fame and recognition you deserve to be standing upon.
Without an audience to listen no-one can hear you talk. Without a pair of eyes to observe no-one notices when you achieve great-ness and without a market waiting on pins to learn which direc-tion their latest fascination will be coming from no-one will be holding the banners of congratulations when you finally step up to the limelight.
With an empire of insiders working tirelessly away to bring you the biggest, best, and breaking news across the entire landscape of the media BWD Magazine has built a reputation as being one of the leading names in the industry.
When we speak, others listen.
With a worldwide audience of subscribers downloading and learn-ing which name to look out for, which band they should be follow-ing, who the next Big Thing is going to be, BWD Magazine speaks to millions of awaiting ears each and every month.
With the world as an audience BWD Magazine puts you firmly in the spotlight.
BWD Magazine- ‘Leading Whilst Others Follow’
from the editor
4 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com
APetite Model, Trained Dancer,
and aspiring Actress; known
as Rasmiyyah Sahirah, is
from a small beach island
resort in Ocean City, New
Jersey; also known as, The Garden State.
Being raised in a city with an average popu-
lation of seven thousand; African Americans
comprise only 2 percent of the population.
This alone has been an enlightening experi-
ence of growth for Rasmiyyah.
One of Rasmiyyah’s hardest struggles; while
growing up in a small town, was understand-
ing the best way to adapt within such a
racially split population.
Rasmiyyah came from a family of drug addic-
tion and very small career earnings. Whereas,
there hasn’t been a single entertainer thats
accomplished any success. A daily work life
is all we would see; upon every visit.
Rasmiyyah has successfully worked as an
optician in her city, where she is the only
African American providing optical services
to patients ranging from age 30-92.
In addition, Rasmiyyah is a Jazz/Ballet teach-
er. “Who says you can’t beat the odds, overcome
adversity, and represent a strong intellectual
African American Woman.” says Rasmiyyah.
Rasmiyyah is beating the odds and is con-
fident that she will achieve greatness in
her entertainment life and success in her
teachings.
Rasmiyyah is a dancer, instructor, and trained
performer of dance; in her local area. She has
learned, “You must risk it all, strive to be a suc-
Photo Credits: Andre Mc Neil, Thomas Woods & Jamil B Studio
All Rights Reserved
6 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com
ichael X Vincent is a music artist with a mission.
He is dedicated to empowering listeners with a
message of hope, change, and revolution.
Michael was raised between Los Angeles,
Cincinnati, and Atlanta. At only fifteen years old, Michael knew that
Hip Hop was one of his passions.
As a Muslim follower of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan,
Michael’s focus is on fulfilling his purpose and using his talents to
aid in his spiritual leader’s efforts.
“Minister Louis Farrakhan loves the Hip Hop generation and wants to
see us step into our great roles,” says Michael. “He has asked the cul-
tural community to stand up and put a revolutionary thinking into the
minds of the people.”
Musically, what sets Michael X apart is his ability to incorporate posi-
tive messages without coming off preachy; in the way many “con-
scious” artists tend to do. Although he doesn’t use foul language,
this skilled lyricist can go as hard as the next rapper.
Inspired by artists such as Bone Thugs ’n’ Harmony, Jay-Z, T.I., Kendrick
Lamar, Talib Kweli, and Michael Jackson, he desires to make feel-good
music that brings awareness of our society’s issues.
One of the ways this emerging artist fullfills his mission is by
promoting Muhammad’s Economic Blueprint with his latest song,
appropriately titled, “Economic Blueprint”. The initiative calls for
Black people to unite their dollars to produce their own jobs, food,
clothing, and shelter.
“I know that once we get land, which is the main idea of the program,
it will not only benefit agriculture and engineering, but literally every
field of endeavor our people are involved in,” says Michael.
Michael X also has a school tour in the works, during which he will
share his latest video release titled “New Rulers” - an inspirational
song featuring 4th, 5th, and 6th grade boys.
Keep up with Michael X!
Music: mikex.bandcamp.com
Twitter: @Michael6X
Facebook: /micheal.x.vincent
Instagram: Michael6X
Photo Credits - KaM Multimedia & Publishing - All Rights Reserved
mmiChael XmiChael X
I don’t know how these weeks roll on by quicker and quicker but they do!
I’m sitting in the studio during a brief silent moment, there’s a band here
tonight for a session but they’re shooting video not recording sound, it
appears we’ve built an aesthetically pleasant place here at Crown Works
Studio (CWS).
Last weekend saw a local photographer bring in a few ‘Girls Who Rock’ for
a (tasteful and fully clothed) photo shoot for an upcoming calendar, and
in a couple of weeks there’s a booking for another video shoot so we’ve
definitely nailed the looks! Still, this is a brand new studio I’m working from
now and as with anything it’s going to take time to build up the reputation
that will hopefully attract serious artists. So, with this in mind we thought
we should get a decent band in to help us fully sus-out the place from a
sound/workflow perspective. It’s all very well building a great looking cre-
ative environment but if it sounds like a sack of spanners and takes ages to
do the most mundane of studio tasks it’s not doing what it should be doing.
I’ve been lucky enough to work in and visit (however briefly) a variety of
the UK’s top studios including Mark ‘Spike’ Stent’s room in Olympic Studios
before it was turned into a cinema(!) and Moloko in what was then Ben
Hillier’s room. I took what I could from the designs of these rooms and
a couple of other studios and incorporated what we could into CWS.
Eventually it became time to test all of this with our first full band session.
I called upon the talents of Eskers, a young and capable Birmingham band
I’ve previously taken to Foel studio in Wales to record three tracks in two
days, this time however we were tracking one song in two days meaning we
could think about the sounds a little more. The drum kit sounded fantastic
in the room and was mic’d up in such a way to capture this, as well as close
mic’s to pick up the detail of the individual parts. A pair of ribbon mic’s at
the far end of the live room deliver a real ‘When the Levee breaks’ ambient
sound if needed but for this one we had them in the centre of the room as
the track wasn’t shouting for giant drums.
We DI’d the bass guitar and then re-amped it out through one of our guitar
amps to add a little ‘air’ to the dry bass. Guitars were played through a real
amplifier though, changing speaker cabinet and microphones to get alter-
native tones for double tracking the chorus and riff guitars, we also threw
into the mix Ross’s Fender Telecaster with juicy P90 pickup to add some
character to the double.
Vocally Joe has an awesome sound but can be very dynamic on a studio
microphone, so feeding his mic through both of our awesome Warm Audio
76 compressors really held the level down without interfering with the full
and present sound we had for him and I have to say the results are excel-
lent. If you would like to have a listen to our very first full in-house record-
ing the band have put it up on their Soundcloud page at Soundcloud.com/
Eskers and the track is called ‘Can You Feel It’. Who knows what the next
month holds? You’ll have to wait and see, in the meantime go and have
a listen to the groovy Eskers songs and Happy Tracking! ~ Gareth Rogers
Photographs by Gareth Rogers
*The Live Room being turned into a Film Set for a Music Video shoot.
*Ross (Owner/Engineer), Eskers Band and Me! (in need of a shave!)
*Joe From Eskers in full swing on vocal duties.
Buffalo Music Production - www.facebook.com/gazz.rogers
Crown Works Studio - www.facebook.com/crownworksstudio
Photo Credits: Buffalo Bites - All Rights Reserved
monthly feature
7 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com
Buffalo Bites
8 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com
Even though Thanksgiving is a busier travel holiday (everyone is trying to get somewhere else during the same four day period), Christmas travel can be just as hectic. Here are a few travel tips to make your holiday a little easier.
According to the Better Business Bureau, if you are flying try to avoid the busiest times, which are the two days before and the two days after Christmas. Also, don’t wrap your presents before you go through airport security. The TSA may open packages and you’ll end up having to re-wrap the gifts. Wait until you arrive or ship the presents ahead. Finally, verify your airline, rental car, and hotel reservations just before you leave. Also do your booking early (too late for that one this year) and leaving early for the airport (that one you can still do).
The AAA states that one in four Americans, or over 93 million people, will be traveling over the Christmas holidays. Most of those will be on the nation’s highways. If you’re driving home for the holidays AAA recommends having your car checked by a mechanic before you hit the road. It’s also a good idea to pack an emergency kit in case of unexpected weather. A fun idea if you are traveling a long distance by car with children
is to give them a present to open part way through the trip. If the gift is a car game or other “distraction” it can help the miles melt away.
As with Thanksgiving travel, the idea is to take it easy, keep calm and remember that this is a happy time of year. If you start stressing about the travel just remember the reasons that you are making the trip.
HAPPY TRAVELS!!
traVel tips for the holidaYs
BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 9
The holiday season can be an expensive time of the year!
The holiday season can be an expensive time of year, and we’re not just talking about the price of gifts. There are also additional energy costs to light the Christmas tree, heat the house on a chilly night, illuminate the in-door and outdoor Christmas decorations, and bake all those yummy Christ-mas treats! Here are several things you can do to lower energy costs this holiday season.
Switch to LED lights – Purchase LED Christmas lights for your indoor and outdoor displays. These lights are more energy efficient and can last up to 20 years! Although more expensive initially, LED lights cost less to use and last longer than traditional lights.
1. Use a timer – Outdoor lights and decorative displays can be easily for-gotten. Leaving them on all day long can quickly run up the electric bill. This year, plug all your outdoor electrical products into a convenient timer. They’ll turn on and off on their own!
2. Reflect instead of illuminate – Don’t add more strands of lights to your tree. Instead, use mirrors in an illuminated room to emphasize what you have. You’ll double the ‘WOW’ factor without running up the electric bill.
3 Avoid the oven – If at all possible, avoid cooking things in the oven as this will run up the electric bill. Consider cooking in a slow cooker, microwave, rotisserie, roaster oven, or on the stovetop.
4. Wash by hand – Get the kids in on the holiday clean up, and have them wash the dishes by hand instead of running the dishwasher. This is a simple way to lower energy costs, although the kids may not like it.
5. Temperature control – Find a comfortable temperature for the house and stick with it. During the day, a temperature of 68 is recommended, while at night, it’s advised to go even lower. A programmable thermostat can be set to adjust the temperature between day and night for you.
6. Batteries to the rescue! – If you like the look a lit house from the street, but are afraid of a high energy bill, consider battery operated options. Flameless candles and battery operated window displays look festive, but won’t add a thing to your electric bill.
7. Change your filter – Change your furnace filter to lower energy costs this holiday. A clogged filter makes it difficult for the furnace to run properly, and can pollute the air inside your home. A new filter won’t cost much and is easy to replace. Plus it will make your furnace work like a charm.
Did you know most of our holiday energy costs are consumed through lights and other plug-in decorations? It’s true. Find out how much your Christmas display is costing you! Do a web search for an Energy Cost Calculator that suits you.
HAPPY SAVINGS!!
holidaY energY saVing tips
10 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com
OULFUL SOUTHERN SEPTET JJ GREY & MOFRO ANNOUNCE THE RELEASE OF “OL’ GLORY” ON MARCH 2, 2015 (IN EUROPE) / MARCH 3, 2015 (NORTH AMERICA)
“JJ Grey concocts a vivid blend of blues, Southern rock and funk, complete with richly evocative lyr-ics and an easygoing sense of blue-collar storytelling…lucid, plainspoken American music.” – NPR
Nashville, TN – Celebrated soul-
ful ensemble JJ Grey & Mofro will
release their newest recording Ol’
Glory on March 2nd (in Europe) /
March 3rd (in North America).
This album marks their debut on
Provogue Records, which is part
of the Mascot Label Group. Ol’
Glory contains 12 new songs that
feature the deep, soulful blend of
blues, rock, folk, funk, gospel, gritty
R&B and personal, Southern-inspired narratives that have become
synonymous with JJ Grey & Mofro. A true Southern renaissance man,
JJ Grey’s intensely charismatic live performances, combined with the
incredible musicianship of Mofro, have connected with audiences
all over the world. Their work has been praised by the press, includ-
ing The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, Relix, The Oxford
American and many more.
The material on Ol’ Glory reflects two themes that run through JJ
Grey & Mofro’s entire body of work, a strong sense of place, and
finding happiness with where you are in life. The opening track,
“Everything Is A Song” is prime example, as is the joyous “Every
Minute” with its mantra “loving every minute of livinag”. “Home in the
Sky” allows listeners a glimpse at Grey’s spirituality strongly rooted
in his Florida home and the land he grew up on. JJ Grey is a natural
storyteller with a gift for deliv-
ering thoughtful and profound
messages in a down-to-earth,
laid-back way, while maintain-
ing a level of intensity that goes
straight to your core.
Ol’ Glory was recorded at
Retrophonics Studio in Saint
Augustine, FL, where Grey has
tracked many times. An avid
surfer, Grey often spent the morn-
ings at the beach and the after-
noons recording, a formula that
has proven very effective in creat-
ing inspired recordings. Ol’ Glory
showcases the strength of Mofro members Anthony Cole (drums and
percussion), Andrew Trube (guitar), Anthony Farrell (piano/organ), Todd
Smallie (bass) and Dennis Marion (trumpet) and Jeff Dazey (saxophone).
Special guests include Luther Dickinson on dobro and electric slide
guitar and Derek Trucks on electric slide guitar.
JJ Grey & Mofro have captivated audiences at some of the largest
festivals world wide, including Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Austin City
sJJ greY & mofro
BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 11
Limits Festival, Glastonbury, North Sea Festival, Montreal Jazz
Festival and Fuji Rock in Japan.
The band, who play over 120 dates per year, will be hitting the road
in February 2015 in support of Ol’ Glory, including a trip to Europe
and Australia. (See list of tour dates below.)
JJ Grey is as genuine as they come, a do-it-yourselfer who is commit-
ted to making music that’s true to his heritage and full of integrity.
JJ Grey & Mofro will be hitting the road in February in support of Ol’ Glory,
including a trip to Europe and Australia.
TOUR DATES
February 14 - Whig Fest - St. Petersburg, FL
February 15 - The Moon - Tallahassee, FL
February 18 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC
February 19 - The Egg - Albany, NY
February 20 - House of Blues - Boston, MA
February 21 - Terminal 5 - New York, NY
February 25 - Mr. Smalls - Pittsburgh, PA
February 26 - Vogue - Indianapolis, IN
February 27 - Taft Theatre - Cincinnati, OH
February 28 - The Vic - Chicago, IL
March 1 - Intersection - Grand Rapids, MI
March 4 - Jefferson - Charlottesville, VA
March 5 - Ziggy’s - Winston-Salem, NC
March 6 - Track 29 - Chattanooga, TN
March 7 - Buckhead - Atlanta, GA
March 18 - Islington Academy - London, England
March 19 - New Morning - Paris, France
March 20 - Kaufleuten Zurich - Zurich, Switzerland
March 21 - Technik Museum - Munich, Germany
March 23 - Batschkapp - Frankfurt, Germany
March 24 - Kesselhaus - Berlin, Germany
March 25 - Bluestage - Nuremberg, Germany
March 26 - Rockpalast Crossroads Festival - Bonn, Germany
March 27 - Paradiso Main Hall - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
March 28 - Paard van Troje - Den Haag, The Netherlands
April 2 - 6 - Byron Bay Bluesfest - Byron Bay, Australia
Tickets for all JJ Grey & Mofro shows are
currenty on sale at jjgrey.com/tour
Credits: Provogue Records/Mascot Label Group - All Rights Reserved
Website: www.elohoefemuai.co.uk
Twitter: @elohoefemuai
Facebook: /elohosmusic
Credits: Eloho - All Rights Reserved
12 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com
eloho
loho Jocelyn Efemuai is the youngest from a family of 7.
Born into a family of actors, Eloho has been singing for
over two decades. Her love for singing developed at a
very tender age and according to her late mum would
make music out of any and everything and even did ask
if the things she thought in her heart could be written down as songs.
She toured with her father on several stage performances and was cast
to take some solo parts.
Her love and passion for singing and her gifting has followed her
everywhere she goes. She was the worship leader/pastor for over 5
years at The Father’s House Church in Aberdeen Scotland. Presently she
is part of The Worship Team at The Junction Church Aberdeen.
Eloho is a devoted wife, dedicated mother to 3 gorgeous kids Nathan
(11), Aimee(3), Josh (3). She is an ordained pastor, an anointed psalmist,
a worship leader, recording artist, singer and multiple award winner
whose ministry is impacting the lives of many globally. Eloho is based
in Aberdeen, Scotland with her husband Uj Efemuai and the kids.
In 2011, Eloho set up Heartsong, a charity whose mission is to stir
up the kind of worship that touches God and transforms lives by
organizing praise and worship events as well as revival spots of wor-
ship; with renowned and upcoming worship leaders. Since founding
Heartsong, Eloho has organized and hosted 4 worship nights in the city
of Aberdeen. These worship nights/concerts have seen the likes of Bob
Fitts, Ian White, Chevelle Franklin, Isabella, Anna Barton, Steph Mcleod,
D’Amadeus, Ify, Alexander Victor, Sola Okunuga and a host of others par-
ticipating in them.
Eloho is passionate about leading worship and the people she leads in
worship. She desires to see lives transformed in the place of worship.
Her worship is engaging, energetic, inspiring and heartfelt which can-
not fail to draw others in. Eloho loves God, loves to worship Him and
cannot be held back.
She released her debut album ‘Arise’ in March 2014 and it has been a
source of blessing and inspiration to many worldwide. In June 2014,
Eloho received the Woman of Praise Award UK (WOPA). In July of 2014,
she was nominated as Artist of the Year Europe and Arise album of the
Year in the African Gospel Music Awards (AGMA). Also in October 2014
Eloho also received the Praisetek Gospel Music Awards (PGMA) for her
contribution towards Praise and Worship.
Tell us about your salvation experience.
I was born into a Christian home, went to church with my parents, was baptized into
Anglican church, my mum told me when I was 9 and an evangelist came to our city
then, made an altar call and I asked her if I could go, she said yes. So I did actually
give my life to Jesus when I was 9 but of course I didn’t live the life as you’d hear.
When it was time to go to secondary school I went to an all-girls catholic school
e
exClusive inteRview
Cover StoryThe
and I converted to catholic. Became baptized, first Holy Communion and was
even Confirmed. I guess I was searching for something. I was like every other
teenage girl though lol. After secondary school went to live with my big sister
in Lagos and she used to attend TREM. So went with her to one of the services
and it was there I realized I wasn’t saved. The fact I was a catholic, been bap-
tized etc, didn’t make me saved. I didn’t know Jesus personally, didn’t have the
Holy Spirit. So that day sometime in 1991 I surrendered completely to Jesus.
Anyways after I went into the university and I thought wow, freedom from home
and my big sister lol, I started the partying and general university life. Didn’t
drink or smoke though. Just enjoyed partying and making a lot of noise. Had a
group of friends and we were known on campus for our late nights. However in
all of these, I always used to feel really bad especially when I got the looks from
the ‘SU’ people in school. I would cry at nights and beg God for forgiveness,
each time I went back home on holidays, I would cry in church. Finally one of
those days in school, I broke down in front of one of the ‘SU’ pastors, he prayed
for me, I got baptized in the Holy Spirit and lived the remaining years in uni-
versity as a Born again, spirit filled, tongue talking, demon chasing believer lol.
eloho
The Cover Story
BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 13
We understand that you have been singing since you were a child. You were in
a singing group throughout every phase it seems. What prevented you from
kick starting your music career officially until last year February?
I believe in timing. It wasn’t just the right time; I believe God wanted to take
me through a process. I did actually attempt doing stuff in 2001/2002 hahahah.
Worked with an NGO then and my boss had purchased a studio from a couple
who were selling off theirs. So produced about 2 or 3 demos. Sang one in my
church in Port Harcourt then, but that was it. Didn’t push it any further. I just
wanted to remain a worship leader in church.
What inspired your song- Arise?
Arise was born out of all I had been through and it is also prophecy fulfilled. I
was a worship pastor for over 5 years and not one, not two but several words
of prophecies were declared over me concerning producing an album. However
in mid-2012 things turned sour and I suffered rejection which affected me in
so many ways. I lost my self-confidence and saw myself less than God sees me.
Stopped believing in myself and rather believed the lies of the devil. It was a re-
ally rough period, but in all of that I felt God’s love and approval over me. I was
seeking man’s approval rather than God’s. I was seeking to please man rather
than God but when my focus shifted from man to God, He reminded of His words
and I knew I had to do this because of where He had brought me from and want-
ing to respond to Him in worship. I wanted to inspire others to worship Him and
not give up on their dreams because of discouragements and challenges.
We hear you were nominated for some awards, tell us about these:
Oh yea in May I was awarded the Woman of Praise Award (WOPA) Uk. Arise my
debut album was nominated as ‘Album of the Year, Europe in African Gospel Music
Awards ( AGMA) and also nominated as Artiste of the Year Europe (AGMA) in
July. Although I didn’t win, it was encouraging to have been recognized with my
debut. Also in October I was given the Praisetek Gospel Music Award (PGMA) for
my contribution to praise and worship in UK.
You have been blessed to mentor other worshippers and singers judging
from people’s testimonies... What do you consider your primary assignment
in the lives of these people you mentor?
Hmmmm my primary assignment I would say is to inspire, support, and encour-
age them to do what God has designed them to do.
What’s your most memorable experience as a worship leader?
It was a few years ago when I was still the worship pastor in my then local
assembly, I was leading worship and this lady who had come to church for a
program were having just started screaming and rushed to the front, held me and
was just crying, weeping and worshipping and the whole atmosphere changed. It
was later she told me that the power of God in me and in her matched and was
pulling down the presence of God. And God laid a verse of scripture in her heart
1 Sam 3:11. She said that encounter completely transformed her life. I will never
forget that experience.
It’s interesting to know that you are a wedding planner too! Which comes first
for you... wedding planning or music (worship)? Why? How do you combine
both?
Hahahahha wedding planner? hmmmm I am a natural planner, which woman
isn’t hahah, and I just love and enjoy planning, organizing and coordinating.
Wedding planning is just a hobby. BTW where did you get that info? Lol. Didn’t
realize it was public. Well I am able to combine my planning skills with my music
ministry as it does involve a lot of planning and organization.
Has your husband always been supportive of you music? Are there times
when your music has somewhat interfered with your family obligations?
Oh yes he has been, if he wasn’t in support, ‘Arise’, Heartsong, Engage would have
only been dreams. He actually gave me the push when I gave up on everything.
Oh yes it has interfered oh lol but wisdom is profitable to direct. He’s my covering,
my head and my first ministry is to him oh lol. So at such times; even when I am
feeling terrible. I humble myself.
(Continued On Page 17)
14 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com
The holidays have just kicked off, and here are 5 tips to help you eat healthy at all the par-ties when temptations run high to eat way too much too fast.
5 TIPS FOR EATING ‘HOLIDAY’ HEALTHY
go for low CarB diet
The first thing that always happens over
the holidays is that we eat too much. As
a function of gluttony, being distracted by
conversation or a good football game on
the TV, we must always quantify on what
we are eating. In Japan they have a religious practice of Hara
Hachi Bu that means eat until you are 80% full, or better yet, put
that amount of food on your plate and no more. The Japanese for
the most part are healthier than Americans with less diabetes
and heart disease. Eating until 80% full is part of the answer.
I’m a great believer in the Atkins low
carb diet because it works! You see, the
medical profession has been wrong for
50 years telling us to stay away from fats.
Insulin is the culprit to human disease as
a growth factor, and of course carbohy-
drates are its mediator. What that means for these holiday meals
is that you must avoid potatoes, bread and certain vegetables like
carrots, corn and peas. The beauty of this diet is that you can eat
Photo Credits: Dr. David L Vastola - All Rights Reserved
BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 15
everything else. Meat, fish, poultry, cranberry and more are ok. I
would also cheat with a little pumpkin pie at the end because after
all, we are all human and need a break once in a while. At least
that’s the excuse that I use. Poor me!
Grilling has become a great American past
time not only at tailgating college events,
but for the family holidays too. Grilling
meats subjects them to very high tem-
peratures, which you may not realize creates
heterocyclic amines that can cause cancer. Taking extra precautions
while grilling can help avoid these consequences. For example,
don’t use mesquite that makes the temperatures even higher. Avoid
eating the burnt part of the meats, and use tongs (not forks) when
turning the meats because a fork drives the temperatures deeper
into the meat and increases the risk. Lastly, marinate the meat prior
to cooking with vinegar, which slows down the cooking and lowers
temperatures, therefore decreasing the risk.
Eating healthy over the holidays not only
includes what we eat and how to prepare
it, but also how we eat it. Americans in
general compared to other cultures like the
Europeans eat too fast. Eating too quickly
distracts you from the pleasure of eating
while causing you to eat too much. Slow down, chew each bite at
least 15 times and be aware of what you are eating by using all
your senses. This is the serious fallacy of gastric by-pass surgery
because immediately you lose the enjoyment of eating, which is an
important social event. How many friendships and business deals
are done over a meal?
Walk with Family after Meals - Yes, even
though the holidays are what they say, a
holiday, that doesn’t mean you deserve a
holiday from your exercise. Here’s an idea,
forget that gym, and right after you eat,
everyone get up and take a 45-minute walk
together. It could not be better for digestion, and will eliminate
that post-prandial nap. By taking a walk with family and friends,
who knows, you may even enjoy it. And by the way, walk without
earphones to enjoy the smells and sounds that Mother Nature has
provided.
I would also like to add a personal reminder to be grateful and celebrate the spirit of the holidays versus take things for granted. Even with terrible diseases, my patients deal with them with courage and love for their friends and family that can’t be rivaled. If we lived today likes it’s our last, the world would be a much better place. Eat healthy this holiday and cherish every moment!
Dr. David L Vastola runs a private practice in Palm Beach, Florida, and is often called the Sherlock Holmes of Medicine for uncovering problems that other medi-cal professionals missed. He has 4 books, 5 children, has been married for 34 years, has an assistant lovingly named Patrick the Poodle, and is showcasing a new TV pilot called, Good Health Hunting, at film festivals. His new book Fountain of Youth: Nutritional Therapies (Carrel Books/Skyhorse Publishing) is due for release in 2015.
5 HEALTH TIPS MONTHLY COLUMNeat slowlY and enJoY Your meal
grill with eXtra Care
walk with familY after meals
3.
4.
5.
DR. DAvID L vASTOLA DR. DAvID L vASTOLA
16 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com
Do you become overwhelmed by the months being shorter due to public holidays, but the amount of work and due dates are staying the same?
Here is a ‘tips’ plan to help you keep your own sanity in check!
1. Organize your time. Making time for much needed rest. Learn and practice the sentence, “thank you, but I will not be able to do that.”
2. Don’t confront family and friends during this time of year on past resentment and upsets. It will feel similar to learning Chinese while in the middle of an argument. In addition, do not let anyone confront you either. Declare amnesty during this time or learn forgiveness, after all, it is the time of giving even if it is moments of peace.
3 Do not ruminate and compare the past to the present. It is futile and absolutely useless. Remembering the past fondly is very different to never forgetting or reliving it every day. The past is gone, and it is never what we truly remember it to be. It is far easier to fantasize about what we wanted in the past, than to stay focus on making our present the reality we desire. Do the work; get the reward- Stay Present!
4. Give back to your community. Volunteer if possible.
5. Save money by making gifts and doing small services for those you love. Also stay on budget, every year. Budgeting your Christmas gifts saves you time and money.
6. Eat right and exercise. Go for walks and window shop. It’s fun and you get some fresh air.
7. Sleep. Don’t party too hard that you burn yourself out. The New Year is coming; you want the past burdens of last year to be behind you, and be well rested for the future.
8. No big changes during this time. Wait just a few more weeks till the chaos has calmed down and your back to your routine to change something. This is a highly emotional time of year that can make us act implusive.
9. Enjoy the time off and laughter. Sometimes the holidays are a great time to self-punish and get into the victim think-ing mode. Please stop right there. Everyday is a moment to become anew, to shed our old skin of the past and be free from our resentments and bitterness. You can either choose to punish yourself into misery, and get a little sympathy from others; or you can live and enjoy the world around you NOW.
10. And this is not a joke. Say the Serenity prayer. Use it like a mantra to get through the roughest of patches “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”. It does not matter what you believe in, if you believe in anything outside yourself even in a door knob having a higher power, these three verses will resonate peace in you.
GET INTO SURVIVAL MODE EARLY! Good luck my fellow people!
10 tips for surViVing Christmas10 tips for surViVing Christmas
BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 17
Considering that your brothers- Fred & Zack Amata have excelled greatly in
the movie industry, did you ever consider going that path too? Why or why
not?
Yea I did and would really have loved to. I even starred in two movies one by Ruke
and the other by Jeta. But I guess that wasn’t God’s plan for me. I used to be very
shy and hated pretending. So was hard to get into character.
What’s the gospel music scene like in the UK compared to Nigeria? Who are
your favorite Nigeria / International gospel artistes?
I believe music is the same everywhere, target audience differs. So what will ap-
peal to Nigerians will not necessarily appeal to the Europeans. I love Hillsong,
Darlene Zschech, William Mcdowell, Israel, Nicole Mullen, Tasha Cobbs, Natalie
Grant, Kari Jobe, Kim Walker to name a few.
So what will your next project be?
There’s so much on my plate at the moment lol. But immediate would be the
annual worship night I organize tagged ‘Engage’. That comes up on the 23rd of
August. Looking forward to it with great excitement.
Have you ever thought of featuring in a music movie? {If YES, kindly feature
Me. .LOL} I’d love to feature Darlene Zschech and you of course lol.
Any embarrassing/ memorable moment on stage? Forgetting my lyrics on
stage and I cried lol
Tell us about your latest Single. ‘Hark the Herald’ the traditional Christmas Carol
with a twist, I promise you will enjoy it. It groovy and sets you in the festive mood.
Go get it on all the digital platforms and give someone a gift.
5 things you want us to know about you?
*I love my family to bits, they are my world.
*Have the 3 most adorable kids Nathan who is 11.
Aimee and Josh who are twins and are they almost 4years old.
*I Love Christmas it’s my favorite season ever.
*I love perfumes. My best gift ever. lol
*I treasure friendships.
eloho interView (Continued)
18 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com
n this vast universe, nothing is static. Everything
has the unlimited capacity for change. Palestinian
born and Toronto-based singer/songwriter Merna
(formerly known as Ayah) blissfully spreads her
wings in a space and time where evolution is
imminent. After creating magical soundscapes with the likes of DJ
Jazzy Jeff (Jill Scott) and James Poyser (The Roots), she brazenly for-
ays into uncharted sonic territory and with her dynamic opus The
Calling featuring stellar production by Makai Black and executive
producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest, Lucy Pearl).
Evolution never sounded so sweet.
On The Calling, Merna skillfully sheds the skin of her former self,
makes peace with the ghosts of her past, and births a masterpiece
in the process. The Calling is equal parts redemption and testimony,
chronicling a young woman’s journey to self-love, acceptance,
and strength. And with the help of producers Makai Black and Ali
Shaheed Muhammad, Merna stretches out on sonic beds that cull
from her wide range of musical influences.
Merna explains, “Musically, I always aim to break my own ground and delve a little more into my history and things that I’ve been influenced by. For example, there are sounds and rhythms on this album that are African and Arab inspired. Not a lot of people know that my first ever band in Abu Dhabi was a rock band, and that I’m classically trained in piano.”
Thematically, the album sources the raw and honest introspection
she’d been experiencing while in New York City. Moving between
Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Seattle, and Toronto during her
formative years proved to be a gift and a curse. Citing separation
anxiety as a threatening force in certain areas of her life, Merna
miraculously decided to break from a part of herself that she’d
taken years to cultivate: Ayah. She chose to relinquish Ayah for
Merna, her birth name which means ‘beloved’ in Arabic.
The Calling opens with “Young & Reckless,” an edgy anthem outlin-
ing the self-indulgent tendencies of contemporary youth culture.
“Intervention (Superman)” finds Merna floating on a blissful cloud of
blind faith against a sky of drums and soaring strings. The album
hits poignant note on “All I Want (I Wonder),” which was inspired by
one of hip-hop’s most beloved outcasts: Andre 3000. But the song’s
deeper meaning points to the increasingly desensitized state of the
general populous. Merna takes a crash course in trip hop on the Ali
Shaheed Muhammad-produced “The Reason.” The song magnificent-
ly shifts gears in syncopation and crescendo, birthing the makings
of a dynamic new world opera. Merna and Ali Shaheed Muhammad
return on a hopeful note with the shimmering “A Little More,” an
earthy piano ballad that rings with enough soul wrenching pas-
sion to give Adele a run for her money - produced by Ali Shaheed
Muhammad, with piano by Raymond Angry.
Though the creative process for The Calling involved a deep purg-
ing of emotions and vulnerability, the result is a monumental work
of art that is destined to be one of the most talked about albums
of the year. An album that offers us a glimpse at the evolution of
one of the most brilliant artists in recent history. She says, “This
album is extremely personal. Truly a reflection of my life. I’m always
evolving as a person. Merna is coming full circle. Every part of my
universe connected.”
i
Twitter: @MernaKilledAyah
Facebook: /MernaKilledAyah
Credits: Merna - All Rights Reserved
MERNAMERNA
Merna’s New video “Better Run”
BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 19
Today we bring you a fantastically informative and important conversa-
tion about health and wellness with certified toxicologist Dr. Noreen
Khan-Mayberry. Dr. Noreen or “The Tox Doc”, as she’s also known, is a
world renown expert in her field with an emphasis on food and nutritional
toxicology. She has received a number of awards, accolades and profes-
sional recognition from her peers for her work. Some of these include the
Trailblazer Award for Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
(2013) and the Award of Excellence from the Council of Inspector Generals
on Integrity and Efficiency (2012). Dr. Noreen has also been featured on
many television and radio
shows and she strives to
bring this information to
the masses. Teaching in
a manner that shows the
toxic conditions, environ-
ments and ingredients in
our every day lives and
simple ways to avoid them
and increase our health
and quality of life.
Dr. Noreen, Welcome to
Running off At The Mouth
on Drtybsmnt Radio. Now
the first thing I want to know is about my coco ciroc. I hope you don’t tell
me I cant have my coconut ciroc.
Thank you for having me. Well, that coconut ciroc is all about the dose. It’s the
dose that makes the poison in toxicology. I hope that everyone will follow me
on twitter, @DrNoreen, and it is a pleasure to be here with you tonight and talk
some toxicology with you. So let’s talk about this coconut ciroc...
Wait, wait, now, yes, because we’re going to talk about that, honey child,
because I get my little drink on. I need to know if I’m poisoning my body,
girl, ‘cause I drink enough of that. So toxicology is the science of poison. So
these are the things that we eat, drink, get airborne, whatever, right, that
effects our body negatively. Am I correct Dr. Noreen?
Anything that has negative or adverse effect on your health, your body, your
mood is a toxin, or toxic, because toxins are really just the natural poisons, but
a lot of times in the news you’ll hear everything referred to as toxins, but toxins
are like mold or chemicals that your body produces inherently, viruses, anything
that’s natural. A natural poison, that’s a toxin, but anything that’s man made
is a intoxicate, so they all can be called toxic, but toxins rolls off the tongue
better, so I always like to clarify that so people know the real deal between
toxins and toxicants.
Okay, well thank you for clearing that up. Now, let me ask you this, okay.
What are some of the toxins that people encounter every day? Because I
know we get on a train, we get in a bus, and we go outside. We breathe in
this good old shi**y city air,
okay?
Well, I will say this: the easi-
est way to expose yourself to
chemicals is just to keep on
breathing, and so we’re not
going to stop.
Well, damn, let me just kill
myself right now.
No, we can’t do that, but our
bodies are designed amazing-
ly. It can convert all of those
toxic chemicals and turn them
into something that is less
toxic or that’s more water sol-
uble, meaning that it dissolves in water so that it can go into our waste and be
eliminated from our body. So our livers work to get rid of it, so the liver is the
major detoxifying organ. But to answer your question, we’re exposed to nitrogen
oxide species, sulfur oxide species, ozone, all kinds of hydrocarbon emissions in
our air. It just, it depends on city to city. As a matter of fact, this morning I was
talking about pollution in the city, and Easton, PA made number six on the list,
and the top five cities were all in California which, of course, Los Angeles is still
number one as the most polluted air in the nation.
(Continued On Page 20)
all hands on deckDJ
sPOTLiGhT
MONTHLY FEATURE
“the tox Doc”
dr. noreen khan
mayberry
all hands on deck
surViVing in a toXiC enViornment
20 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com
“the tox Doc” interView (Continued)
All of that sounds so scary. China and Japan are even worse than we are.
China is horrible. I mean, it’s a wonderful place to visit. I enjoyed myself
thoroughly when I went there. However, I was so glad that my child was not
with me, because I would have been so concerned about her breathing that
horrible, horrible air, so I limited the amount of time I spent outdoors on
several days, because you could just – if you looked outside, I mean, there was
just a thick layer of nasty, dirty, filthy, just dust or smog. It was just – it had
everything in it, and there’s so many cars on the road there. It’s madness, so
we actually have it good here.
We really can’t avoid the poisons, but there are some things that we can
do to counteract the poisons, correct?
Right, there are. So the thing about it is that we’re living, we’re not dead, it’s
a slow kind of poisoning of our body. So when your
liver starts to not function as well as it should, it goes to a point that your
body is being exposed to more chemicals than your liver can efficiently
process and eliminate. So
what does the body do?
The body says, “Okay, most
of these chemicals dissolve
in fat, so I’m going to cre-
ate some more fat cells”,
so a lot of times when you
see a gut or a pooch, that’s
not just necessarily because
you’re eating too much, but
really it can be a sign of
your liver not functioning
appropriately, and we call
it the liver belt, as toxicolo-
gists. Our bodies need micro nutrients and macro nutrients. We get a ton of
macro nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, a ton of more than we need on the
protein end, but as far as our micro nutrients, our vitamins and our minerals,
our enzymes that our body needs to function are not as many. A lot of times
we’re deficient, the easiest way to get these vitamins and minerals into your
body is to get enough fruits and vegetables, because if your body doesn’t have
the fuel that it needs, it’s not going to function optimally. It’s just like your car.
but we don’t take care of our bodies that way. We don’t make sure that we’re
putting the top quality fuel in our bodies. We’ll just grab what’s convenient
and eat everything that’s modern, in a package, or a quick slice on the corner,
there’s nothing wrong with that, but if that’s all you’re eating – yes.
Let me stop you for one second, because you said it comes in a package,
does that include stuff that comes in a can?
Yes, any kind of packaging. Now, the thing is, canned are lined with –
Wait, wait, wait. I’m still at the cans. Hold up. Don’t go too fast, now. You
know, I took the short yellow school bus when I was a kid.
Well, I’m going to tell you why it’s no good for you. The cans are lined with the
chemical called bisphenol A. Bisphenol A is highly toxic to you. It can cause
endocrine disruption, which can cause mood changes, and it’s just really –
it’s not good for you at all. So there’s BPA that’s everywhere, so when you
hear BPA, BPA free, you know, that’s why there’s such a movement towards
it, because it is so unhealthy for you and it’s a potential cancer causing
chemical. Now, it’s lined – the cans that are lined with it, it’s so that the food
doesn’t stick in the cans so that when you turn the can over, everything will
fall out. So yeah, most cans are lined with BPA, even the good – even what
you think is good for you like the tuna.
I refuse to give up my bumble bee tuna fish, damn it.
Then you’re going to have to get my supplement, then, because see,
that’s exactly why I designed
my supplement, because it’s
unrealistic to ask people to
give up everything. Certain
things they’re just not going
to give up, and my supple-
ment is a hundred percent
vegetarian, all plant based to
fulfill those micro nutrient
needs, but it’s targeted spe-
cifically for liver and kidney
health, okay? So that is exact-
ly – you are the perfect case
for why I developed the sup-
plement that I developed, because there’s really, there’s – you can buy all of
the ingredients in my supplement separately and take a lot of pills, but I tried
to make it easy and put it in one bottle. Go to Doctornoreen.com, get it now.
Contact Information:
Twitter: @Frtybsmnt
Facebook (MultiMedia) /Drtybsmnt
Interviewed by Flawless da Rap Chick for DRTYBSMNT MULTIMEDIA
Next Issue- Part 2- “Super Foods and What to Avoid”
DJ SINCERE for DRTBSMNT MULTIMEDIA - All Rights Reserved
“the tox Doc” interView (Continued)
BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 21
Doreen Taylor’s homegrown grassroots upbringing gave way to a
sudden and remarkable career at an early age when her town, fam-
ily, congregation and most importantly Doreen herself, realized the
true power and strength of her voice. While some singers feel per-
forming since childhood has burned them out or shown them the
wrong side of the industry, she believes her young start has only
made her stronger as a vocalist, songwriter and performer. With
viral YouTube hits such as “Judgment Day”, “Last Call (for alcohol)”,
“Heartbeat” and “Summertime” off her breakout, debut country/rock
solo album “Magic,” the award winning singer/songwriter has been
called one of the hottest up and coming musical stars by count-
less publications and television like CMT, the Lifetime Network, CBS,
NBC, FOX, CW Network, Ok! TV, etc. With a Masters degree in Opera
Performance, Taylor has played numerous leading roles in various
companies on and off Broadway and took the leap into country/
rock music releasing her album “Magic” which garnered her the
“2012 Suggested Artist of the Year” Award from the ‘Song of the Year’
international songwriting competition. Doreen’s music videos, “Last
call (for Alcohol),” “Heartbeat” and “Summertime” landed on the ‘Top
100 Country Official Music Videos of the Week’ chart at the same
time. Doreen’s “Magic” album was also hand selected by Bose and
the #1 Home Shopping Network, QVC to be played on all on-air dem-
onstrations for promotion of their Bose Wave Sound System since
October 2013 [“Music’s My Magic” and “Perfect for Me”].
After receiving an overwhelming response from her headline
National 2013/2014 “MAGIC” Tour Kick-off Concert and selling out
dozens of shows across America including Los Angeles, New York
City, and Philadelphia. Taylor was honorably chosen to collaborate
with the nation’s leading park advocacy organization, the nonprofit
National Parks Conservation Association, on a new national anthem
in honor of the US National Parks. “Colors of the USA” premiered at
the ‘Salute to the Parks Gala’ in Washington D.C. in April and 50%
of the proceeds from every download of the song is being donated
to the NPCA to help advance their mission to protect our national
parks. Doreen was recently named ‘Ambassador of the National
Parks’ by the National Parks Conservation Association for her ongo-
ing efforts to connect children and the millennial generation to
parks in anticipation of their upcoming centennial in 2016.
When Doreen isn’t writing music, recording or performing, she
is a big believer about “paying it forward”. Besides being named
an ‘Ambassador of the National Parks’, she is also an advocate for
St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and has raised thousands of dollars
for their organization. She was named the honorary chair of the
50th Anniversary Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Gala in November 2013
and has hosted concerts nationwide in honor of Andrew’s Army,
Unyts, Jaws Youth Playbook (sports legend Ron Jaworski’s charity)
and UrbanPromise. She is also a “good ol’ American girl” and sup-
ports many organizations that assist our troops and their families.
One of her many projects was her book and CD “Coming Home”
where she donated the profits to the Special Operations Warrior
Foundation (SOWF) and even hosted a red carpet, celebrity gala
in their honor in Philadelphia, PA. A proud supporter of numerous
local and national charities, Doreen is committed to making a posi-
tive change in various communities and across the nation.
Website: www.doreentaylormusic.com
Twitter: @DoreenTaylor
Facebook: /DoreenTaylorFanpage
Credits: Doreen Taylor - All Rights Reserved
DOREEN TAYLOR
22 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com
aul McDonald has been touring and playing original music for almost 10 years. From 2005 to 2010 he was playing almost 200 shows a year with his bands Hightide Blues and The Grand Magnolias. Paul saw national success
touring, playing clubs, and opening for large acts such as Zac Brown, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sara Bareilles, and various other well known artists.
Paul has played for large festi-vals such as Bonnaroo, Hangout Festival, and SXSW, just to name a few.
Paul’s band The Grand Magnolias’ album had landed on billboard charts in 2011.
Later in 2011, Paul took an 8th place on the FOX television show “American Idol” and toured world-wide on an even larger scale.
Paul performed in arenas and late night shows from Jay Leno to Good Morning America, Regis & Kelly, Craig Ferguson, and various other televised shows.
In 2011, Paul started a band with, his wife at the time, Nikki Reed.
Paul and Nikki toured around the world and released an EP that landed on Billboard charts. A song from that album was released as a single for the Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 soundtrack called “All I’ve Ever Needed”
In 2013 Paul landed a co-star role on the NBC television show Parenthood.
Since then Paul released the debut album, “I’m Not Falling”, in July of 2014, with Nikki Reed that also debuted on Billboard charts and peaked at #2 on iTunes category: Singer-Songwriter albums.
Currently, Paul splits his time from Nashville and Los Angeles; working in the studio, writing and recording for his highly anticipated debut solo album that will release in the 1st quarter of 2015.
Paul’s first single off the upcoming debut album, “Bright Lights” is already soaring up
the charts. The Official Music Video for “Bright Lights” also released in November 2014; leaving listeners hungry for more....more....more!
Ppaul mcdonald
BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 23
BWD Magazine’s Ms V sat down to talk with Paul about his new upcoming
Solo Debut album release and plans for 2015.
BWD: You’ve been touring and playing original music for almost 10 years now. From the Spotlight of American Idol, Lead Singer of the band Hightide Blues; which you later renamed “The Grand Magno-lias”, into the dynamic “duo” formation with Nikki Reed and even MORE excitingly, you’re currently in the studio working on an highly anticipated debut solo album.
You’ve been busy Paul so let’s jump on in!!
BWD: In July of 2014, you released a debut album with Nikki Reed that also
debuted on Billboard charts and peaked at #2 on iTunes “Singer-Songwrit-
er” albums. Putting all the tabloids aside, what was the inspiration behind
this album and how were you able to complete this project in a positive
light; despite any differences in your personal lives?
{laughs} You know, I look at that album as kind of a beautiful moment in time.
It captured the 3 years that Nikki and I spent together. All the songs came from
real life experiences along with the ups and downs of being in a real life re-
lationship. What’s funny is that we actually finished recording the album like
a few months prior to when we split up so when we released it, it was about
a half year later so we didn’t decide on much more with the record or do any
promo with it, just because it was an interesting period in both of our lives. We
wanted to get the music out. I honestly don’t know if we would have finished it
after the fact that we did it in December and I think we kind of separated a few
months later. I love that album. I look at it as a beautiful moment in time. How
many people can actually say they created an album? Maybe quite a few but it
was cool. We both loved this record and I still love singing with Nikki. We just
finished a song recently for a soundtrack so yeah, we’re still buds.
BWD: With the latest single and video release of “Bright Lights”, in No-
vember of 2014, we found the lyrics to be very inspirational for the listener.
Especially, the way its tempo leads up to and kicks into the chorus. Do you
feel as though the past 10 years of growth, as well as July’s album release
has played a major role in your recent solo writing’s and if so, why?
Yes. Absolutely. I think you’re always growing as an artist and if not then you’re definitely doing something wrong. I’m obvi-ously in different hits, bases and zones all the time with differ-ent projects and after 6 years touring with The Grand Magnolias and Hightide Blues; then 3 years in being a Duo with Nikki, I wanted to kind of experiment and do something different, kind of for myself. I’ve never done the solo thing. I wanted a big-ger sound with a kind of more modern instrumentation and production. Also, I’ve learned allot. Over the past few years my songwriting process has grown. I’ve gotten to work with some great people and have learned allot from them. Over the past 10 years I’ve been in different bands and in different sounds. Now that I kind of get to be in the driver’s seat, [laughs] I get to choose what I want to write about and how the music is going to evolve and sound. I’m excited about that and real happy.
BWD: Without giving away too much, can you tell us a little about your
current album project? Will “Bright Lights” be the leading track? When
will it be released and what can the listeners expect from your sound and
lyrical storytelling?
Bright lights is the first song that we wanted to put out there. I’m not sure if
that is going to be the leading track or not. There are so many sounds and there
is kind of a wide variety of music on the album. As for the songwriting content,
the album really just documents the past year of my life. When I’m writing
songs, I tend to write about personal things because it’s just easier for me. It’s
harder for me to create stories and make up things in my head. I’m better at
just kind of writing down what I’m feeling at the time so, obviously there’s going
to be songs about my past relationship because that was a huge part of what’s
been going on with me this past year. There is also songs about growth, rebirth
and learning about myself and this new freedom that I have.
(Continued On Page 24)
eXClusiVe interView
“Bright lights”
24 • BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com
BWD: A decade spent as a singer/songwriter alone is a major accomplishment in itself; however, if you had to choose only one, which would be your greatest of achievements and why?That’s really kind of hard to put out into the Universe, just saying
something like that. Knock on wood, like you said, a decade of doing
music full time is a huge accomplishment in itself. I’ve been fortunate
to play music full time and I got to do late night shows, play arenas
and I got to share stages with some of my favorite artists. But I still
feel like I haven’t accomplished so many things that I’ve set out to do.
I almost feel like my career is just kind of starting with this solo record
you know. It’s kind of taken me 10 years to figure out exactly what I
want to do and there is still so much more to do. I feel like the greatest
accomplishment is yet to come.
BWD: How would you describe your musical sound and songwriting style for the public audience; if they have never seen or heard of “Paul McDonald” until our interview?Well, it’s a mixture of Pop and Folk. My background influences leads
into stuff like traffic to mash; James Taylor, that’s like what my parents
kind of raised me on. Ryan Adams is one of my huge songwriter influ-
ences. So I listen to allot of that stuff. My voice kind of brings itself to
a certain sound but it’s still its own thing. I’m not trying to sound like
somebody else or do anything other than be myself. I think its Pop/
Folk music that’s got lyrical depth of real songwriting but has some
more modern production and unique sound. It feels good. That’s kind
of what I learned. If it makes you feel good then I like it too.
BWD: Now that you are “Officially” breaking out as a Solo Artist has “The Grand Magnolias” band been disbanded? If not, do you still play a role in the band? If so, any chance of getting back together for a future project? The Grand Magnolias always have a chance of getting back together,
at least playing some shows. I tracked a few songs that I wrote a few
months back with Jonathan Pears; the guitar player for the band. He
has been my guitar player and sort of partner in crime for the first 6
years of touring. He was in Hightide Blues and The Grand Magnolias.
Right when I moved back from LA we tracked some songs together and
we actually discussed releasing the songs under The Grand Magnolias
and getting that project going again. The only bummer is half the
band; when I moved out to LA, picked up other jobs and moved on to
other career paths outside of music. It would be a little bit tough to
recruit my buddies back when they’re making a solid salary with a real
job. ‘Like hey man, you want to tour some clubs man’ [laughs] but you
never know. I really loved the music that we made with the band all the
guys are still some of my closest friends.
BWD: We ARE curious to know, what made you pick up the guitar, who were some of your musical influences growing up, and do you play any other instruments?It’s funny, like when I was 16 I think this is how it all came about. My
parents raised me on Classic Rock like I was telling you about. Joni
Mitchell, Zepplin, Beatles that kind of stuff and I was always in the
music. I had like the coolest collection of music and I always kind of
thought of myself as a music listener and I was always the guy that told
my friends, ‘you got to check out this new band that no one knows of ’
and then my parents bought me a guitar when I was 16. A bunch of my
friends were in bands; in high school, and I kind of just started picking
up the guitar, learned a few chords and started writing songs. From
there it just kind of spiraled into a ‘hey man you’re pretty good, you
want to play this bar, get paid and booze and food’ so I was like that
sounds like a great idea. I do play a bunch of other instruments. Piano,
banjo mandolin, I pretty much play most instruments. Not phenomenal
at any of them but I’m good enough to get by on coming up with parts
and writing songs but the guitar is the one I feel most comfortable on.
paul mcdonald interView (Continued)
paul mcdonald interView (Continued)
BWD Magazine • www.bwdmagazine.com • 25
BWD: And Finally….What’s next for Paul McDonald? Outside of your current happenings and releases, do you have other proj-ect happenings coming up that you would like to share with us? Anything that we haven’t touch on in our interview?2015. Yeah, hopefully the sooner the better. I’m still in the studio
finishing up on it right now. I think the plan was for around March.
I’m just ready to get it out there and I want people to hear this music.
When you spend so much time working on a record, this is the longest
that I’ve had to sit and write. I’m just ready to get back out on the
road. I haven’t been on a tour since last year. I played a handful of
shows this year to get out and test new things. I’m just ready to release
this so I can get back out on the road, visit new cities, and see all the
people again.
BWD: Thank you for the interview! Best of Luck to you and we are definitely looking forward to your solo debut album release!!