Jul11

Look Out Music City…

Posted on by
Look Out Music City…

Me and my sister Cindy near Lake Watauga in Centennial Park.

Hey Everyone!

So if you follow me on Twitter/Facebook, I’m sure you’ve noticed I’ve been talking an awful lot about honky tonks and Southern living…Well, that’s because as of August 2, 2011 I will officially be a resident of Nashville, Tennessee!  This move of mine has been planned officially for over a year, but I’ve thought about it for a while before that.  Most people ask me why would I want to move away from New York…

To put it simply: I’m sick of New York.

The hustle and bustle of being in Manhattan can drive me crazy, but what’s even worse is living just outside Manhattan in Staten Island or Long Island and having to travel by boat, train, bus, etc. for hours to get to an event is brutal.  I don’t drive and that doesn’t bother me for the most part.  In Long Island, however, it’s frustrating.  I only moved there to spend time with my niece and nephew before I moved to Nashville – and to save money for my move.  It’s impossible to get around in Long Island without a car.  As for Staten Island, transportation isn’t really the issue, except for when I have to go into Manhattan and transportation always fails me…The steamy subways and their annoying re-routes, the ferry and its crazies…

Anyway, I love New York.  I do – it will always be home to me in some way.  My family and friends are there and I will miss them all terribly, but something has been pulling me away.  So with the start of my 4th novel, “The Watch Dog”, I decided I needed a new inspirational environment to set the scene for this book.  Nashville popped into my mind when I thought about the main character Garrett “Rett” Baker.  So the seed was planted and the more time I spent working in Manhattan, the more I wanted to leave New York.

Last Wednesday, I left for my first visit to Music City…Nashville far exceeded my expectations!!  The history, the scenery, the music, the nightlife – wow!!  I am so proud to be moving here!!  Nashville is the perfect mix of big city in a small town!  The people are so friendly and literally, there’s live music everywhere you go, except for Starbucks, which is where I am now.  Starbucks is pretty much the same everywhere, which is good – since I’ll still be working here, so it’s like the comfort of something from home whenever I need it.

Anyway, I figured it has been a while since I last blogged and thought you might want to know what’s going on with my life, my next novel and StarShine Magazine.  I’ll be finishing up a series of vignettes as part of the “Dream Catchers” series, which will be available on Kindle.com this fall!  And I’m eager to get to work on “The Watch Dog”, which will be released in 2012.  As for StarShine – I’ll be posting interviews with the cast of “The Casserole Club” soon and hopefully, some other cool interviews soon.  Since country music will be so accessible to me now, I will be letting you guys know about some well-known and not so well known, but just as talented artists on the scene!

Thank you guys for all your support!!  Keep reading :)

Hugs, Kisses & Stars,

Sandy Lo

Jun30

The Casserole Club: Intense, Funny, Quirky & Raw

Posted on by
The Casserole Club: Intense, Funny, Quirky & Raw

Directed by Steve Balderson and starring breakout actors Susan Traylor and Kevin Scott Richardson, “The Casserole Club” offers an interesting look into the lives of several couples of the 1960′s.  At times throughout the film, you feel like you’re watching an old sitcom as the characters put up a facade of the All-American household while calling everything “groovy”.  Soon the alcohol and sexual tension takes over, and somehow the perfect mix of the contrasting images welcomes you inside these characters.  You find yourself curious about their inner thoughts and what deeper issues may lie within these couples.

The opening of the film starts out innocent enough with a group of housewives deciding to organize a pot luck night with their husbands.  Each wife is expected to make a dish and the husbands would vote on who’s tasted the best.  After dinner, the games begin!  First, real party games take place, but kick things up to a provocative level until everyone’s inhibitions are lowered enough to lose all control.  The Casserole Club turns into a full-blown swingers club!

“The Casserole Club” premiered at 2011′s Vision Fest and claimed 5 awards including Best Direction, Best Production, Male Lead Actor (Kevin Scott Richardson) and Best Female Lead Actress (Susan Traylor).  The comedic situations and conversations of the film make you laugh out loud, while the darker undertones and confrontations bring forth a discomfort in its audience that’s rare.

As someone who remembers Richardson well as a Backstreet Boy, his portrayal of Conrad Bainbridge was incredibly believable.  At times, I was actually frightened of what he’d do in the film.  Traylor’s Sugar is equally as good.  You feel her desperation for intimacy and the effort she puts into pretending she’s a happily married woman.

While independent films don’t have the glitz and glamor of Hollywood, they have the capability to explore deeper emotions and brutal reality while splashing artistic color across the screen.  Steve Balderson and his ensemble cast accomplished this effortlessly and effectively.  “The Casserole Club” will hopefully become an IFC and NetFlix favorite!

For showtimes, info & more, go to: http://www.dikenga.com/films/casserole-club/

Jun9

"Failure Is Not An Option" – The Mixtape by Harlem Witness Available 6/10/11!

Posted on by
"Failure Is Not An Option" – The Mixtape by Harlem Witness Available 6/10/11!

My amazing friend, Shawn “Harlem Witness” DeBerry is releasing his first mixtape Failure Is Not An Option on June 10th!  I’m incredibly proud of him and amazed by his growing talent.  Failure Is Not An Option features 8 tracks, each with cleverly perfected lyrics that will have anyone bopping their head.  Starting off the mixtape is “I Profess”, which sets the tone for the other songs.  I instantly couldn’t wait to listen to the rest of the album upon hearing that first song.  Another standout track is “Dedication”, which is about a young girl who gets pregnant and rises above the hard times due to her unwavering faith in God.  “Witness” is another favorite because it really tells the world who Harlem Witness is and where he comes from.  For the official track listing, see below.  You can download the first 2 singles for free: “Witness” and “Walk With Me” here: http://harlemwitness.bandcamp.com/

For more info on Harlem Witness, check out: www.harlemwitness.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/witnessthetruth

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theharlemwitness

FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION AVAILABLE 6/10/11!

1. “I Profess”
2. “Witness”
3. “Believe”
4. “Walk With Me”
5. “Move Like My Demonstrator”
6. “Dedication”
7. “I Reside”
8. “What Is Success”

Jun6

The Beu Sisters Say "Be U"!

Posted on by
The Beu Sisters Say "Be U"!

The Beu Sisters first appeared with their debut album, Decisions in 2002, toured with Kelly Clarkson, and had a generous amount of success on soundtracks to movies like “How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days” and “The Lizzie McGuire Movie”.  Famed record producer Steve Greenberg helped launch The Beu Sisters, then made up of real life sisters Candice, Christie, Jilaine and Danielle.  When Greenberg left Columbia Records, that also left the Beus’ follow-up album shelved.

After turning down numerous reality TV shows, which were at the beginning of its hype at the time, the sisters decided they needed to put family first, and regrouped.  Jilaine decided to leave the group while Candice and Christie each had children.  They lived a fairly normal life, each taking on common jobs to pay bills.  Music and art never left them, though.  The girls decided to launch their own record label, Beach Breakz Records, moved in together and built a very small home studio.

The Beu Sisters began working on their latest EP, Beu-tiful Vol. 1 and explored artistry in every aspect of their career.  When I spoke with the girls at their release party on June 2nd at Planet Rose in New York City, they joked by calling themselves the Von Trapp family since they even used curtains to make their costumes.  While Danielle and Candice handle designing costumes, Christie handles most of the vocal arrangements and choreography.  The group also receives a ton of help from their large family, pointing out their younger sister Gabrielle who was working the door at Planet Rose that night.

With the girls and their family’s hard work came many “divine delays” as Candice called them.  Christie added how this time in their lives and careers has been a true test of their faith, explaining how things would go wrong.  For instance, their turntables didn’t show up until an hour before their release party that night!  Thankfully, things have worked themselves out for these strong-minded Beus, and they always believe things will work out.

The first single off the new EP is “Definition of a Lady”, which is now available on iTunes.  The song has a bit of a hip-hop flare to it and basically explores the notion of a woman being confident in who she is.  The video for the song was directed by Nicholas Vedros and shows the Beus as little girls dreaming up who they’ll be when they grow-up.  Now that the first EP is out, the Beu Sisters will be promoting it around the country before hopefully embarking on a tour.

The Beu Sisters combine beauty, talent, creativity and individuality in such a unique, noncommercial way.  If you want something to inspire you, your children, and through those moments of uncertainties we all go through, check out The Beu Sisters–you will be stronger, bolder, and more beautiful for doing so.

Photos still to come!

Official Website: www.beusisters.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/thebeusisters
iTunes: Definition of a Lady
Youtube: www.youtube.com/thebeusisters
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BeuSisters

May19

The Broken Umbrella

Posted on by
The Broken Umbrella

The Broken Umbrella

By Sandy Lo

©May 2011

It was pouring rain. The kind of rain you stare at from behind your front door; waiting, hoping it will taper off. Dee Dee waited a few minutes, but still the downpour pelted her house, and she could put off walking to the bus stop no more. Opening the door, Dee Dee grabbed her blue umbrella. It was plain, but her mother got it for her before the school year began, when it was still sunny; still summer.

Dee Dee stepped just outside the house, feeling the first drops of rain hit her back as she fumbled with her umbrella, making sure not to open the contraption inside out of fear of bad luck. She pressed the release button on the handle of the umbrella and it snapped open, scaring her somewhat. Dee Dee pushed the sliding piece up until it snapped into place, catching her finger in between the two metal pieces. She winced at the pain and sighed, finally stepping into the rain with the umbrella overhead.

Dee Dee sloshed through puddles on her way to the bus stop, her sneakers and edges of her pants getting wet. She could still feel the rain on her back. It dripped from the sides of her umbrella and as she turned slightly to avoid a fellow umbrella-bearer, the edges of her umbrella collided with hers, causing rain to hit her directly on the forehead and slowly drip down her nose as she struggled to free the blue nylon and thin metal rods from its dueling red umbrella.

By the time 12-year-old Dee Dee and the high schooler were detached from their respective shielding devices, the damage was done. Both girls were slightly soaked and Dee Dee’s umbrella was broken with two bent metal rods and a tear at the end of the blue nylon.

“Watch where you’re going,” the high school girl huffed.
“I’m sorry,” Dee Dee sputtered, not wanting to get into a fight with the much taller, much older teen.

A few blocks later, Dee Dee was finally standing under the shield of the bus stop examining her umbrella. The nylon kept riding up causing the metal rod to stick out dangerously. Rain drops lingering on the metal rods dripped onto her shoe steadily.

An old man stood next to Dee Dee with an oversized black umbrella, still open as if it would offer more protection than the glass casing at the bus stop would. He leaned close to her. His lips appeared folded in, even as he spoke; his glasses thick as he looked at her.

“Do you know if this bus goes to Main Street?”
“Yes,” Dee Dee nodded.
“Thanks, little girl,” the man rasped, which annoyed Dee Dee.

She didn’t like to be thought of as a kid still. She was treated like a child often being the youngest of four. Although she was mature enough to cook complete meals for her family since her mother worked through dinner time. She was also old enough to be alone practically from the time she got off school until she went to bed.

She didn’t take advantage of that time alone like some kids her age would. She didn’t go out without telling her mother. She did her schoolwork. She didn’t feel like a kid at all until her family reminded her she was one, which they did often.

Dee Dee thought about this, and wished she had more time. More time with her mother and her older siblings. More time to enjoy childhood at times, even though she wanted out of it so badly. She wanted to be an adult. She wanted to experience life, like her brother and sisters were.

She wanted some kind of beauty out of life; meaning, poetry. Here she was, though, alone on a bus stop in the pouring rain staring at her broken umbrella. Was there poetry in that?

Dee Dee sighed, thinking there was poetry in this rainy day. She never really minded the rain. There was beauty in it, and the more she stared at her man-made umbrella, she wondered what its purpose really was?

It was a form of protection. It was supposed to protect her from the storm; from the sun even. After all, that’s how umbrellas began—as mere parasols for wealthy people. Yet Dee Dee wasn’t wealthy and wouldn’t dream of shielding herself from the warm sun.

It was like those people at the beach who sat under giant umbrellas. Dee Dee never understand the point of going to the beach if you weren’t going to enjoy all of its benefits. Then, she thought about the rain and how so many people despised it. Why?

Rain gave nutrition to the world. It cooled things down on a hot summer’s day. It helped her sleep better at night. She watched the rain fall; forgetting the bus was taking forever; forgetting she was on her way to another day in junior high, which she was convinced, was hell on Earth. The rain had a calming effect; there was some kind of rhythm to it.

Just then, a metal spoke from the old man’s umbrella poked Dee Dee directly in her right eye as he shook it out before closing it so he could get on the approaching bus.  Dee Dee winced, held her eye and glared at the old man who was obviously oblivious as he stepped closer to the curb, holding his umbrella upright once more. She blinked a couple of times and tears squeezed out.

As the bus went through the large intersection, it gained momentum, hit a pothole and came to an abrupt stop in front of Dee Dee, but not before splashing a large puddle onto the young girl, narrowly missing the old man.

Dee Dee was soaked. She dripped from head to toe as if a rain cloud hung over her like she saw on many cartoons from her preschool days. Worse yet, the bus speed off as soon as the old man waddled onto it. Dee Dee was still wiping water from her eyes and grasping what had happened.

Deciding school was not a reasonable option in her drenched physical state and feeling she was entitled to the day off after the circumstances, Dee Dee headed a few blocks away to her mother’s job. She trudged into the office, her shoes making a squish sound as she walked, her broken umbrella looking like a piece of trash, and her hair a mess.

“Dee Dee, why aren’t you at school?” Her mother gasped.
“Look at me, Mom,” she sighed.
“What happened to your umbrella?”
“It doesn’t work. I’m over umbrellas. They’re pointless,” Dee Dee sighed, and plopped down, feeling uncomfortable in her wet clothes, and thinking how no umbrella could fully protect her from Mother Nature and the modern world’s oversized, careless vehicles.

Her mother looked at the state her pouting daughter was in and eyed the broken umbrella before laughing heartily. Dee Dee looked at her mother, who was laughing uncontrollably and cracked a smile.

“It’s not funny, Mom.”
“I’m sorry,” Mom covered her mouth, but couldn’t keep from laughing.

Dee Dee joined in, laughing about the situation as well. Instead of going to school or sitting at home alone, Dee Dee spent the day with her mother, helping her out and drawing funny pictures for the office memo board. They laughed all day and enjoyed lunch and dinner together, a luxury they rarely had those days.

Dee Dee decided rainy days were wonderful, but umbrellas were lost causes that always broke promises.

May12

Meet Pinky from NBC's 'Outsourced' Played by Thushari Jayasekera

Posted on by
Meet Pinky from NBC's 'Outsourced' Played by Thushari Jayasekera

Thushari Jayasekera as Pinky.

Back in 2008, I met Thushari Jayasekera at a wedding.  She was a bridesmaid and cousin of one of my best friends from high school.  During the reception, Thushari and I bonded by discussing our individual art as well as her teaching me some traditional Sri Lankan dance styles.  Though Thushari lives in L.A., we’ve kept in touch and have kept tabs on each other’s careers.  I’m so happy for her accomplishment with “Outsourced” and her role of Pinky.

Tonight, the 2nd part of the “OUTSOURCED” season finale will air on NBC 10:30/9:30C!

Find out more about this culturally-proud and unique actress/writer below and follow her on Twitter: @thushari

American actress Thushari Jayasekera plays Pinky on Outsourced.

Pinky surprised the audiences in the first half of the two part season finale that aired on May 5th, 2011. American actress Thushari Jayasekera plays the role of Pinky on NBC’s hit comedy series, Outsourced, which air on Thursdays at 10:30pm. Pinky, a principle character, is a naive, simple, adventure seeking, & hardworking call center worker who still has to learn a great deal at Mid-America Novelties. Though Thushari has done leading & supporting roles in experimental/independent films & stage productions, the role was a dream come true for the ethnic actress after trying to get substantial roles in the Hollywood industry for some years. She states that, “I am happy that the production/casting  recognized my good work ethic & skills that I can bring to the table. I feel thankful toward them every day! I’m blessed to work with a wonderful & talented cast, crew & production team. I also felt that it was a good sign that I got to meet with NBC’s diversity department during actorfest 2009.” The stars of the show include Ben Rappaport, Diedrich Bader, Rizwan Manji, Sacha Dhawan, Anisha Nagarajan, Parvesh Cheena, Rebecca Hazelwood, Pippa Black & Guru Singh. The Sitcom Outsourced is based on a film by John Jeffcoat, and is an In Cahoots production executive produced by Robert Borden, Ken Kwapis & Victor Nelli, with Alexandra Beattie serving as the Co-Exec Producer.

Thushari Jayasekera of Outsourced with actor Jason Ritter Feast For The East - Japan Relief at Gonpachi restaurant in Hollywood, CA.

This is truly a Hollywood Dream come true.
Additional Announcement:

Thushari recently co-Starred in the Pilot “Don’t Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23″ starring James Van Der Beek, Dreama Walker & Krysten Ritter for ABC. It is a comedy from the producing team of David Hemingson, Nahnatchka Khan & Jeff Mortan and directed by Jason Winer. Look for her in a supporting role on Secret Lives of Dorks produced by Steven Wolfe & Stephen Israel & directed by Salome Breziner.
ABOUT THE ACTRESS

Thushari Jayasekera is a South Asian performer of Sri Lankan origin aka Sri Lankan-American actress Thushari Jayasekera. Her community is very proud to see her make it after her struggle to make it in the Hollywood industry and for being persistent & diligent in her work.

May11

A Night to Forget or Remember?

Posted on by
A Night to Forget or Remember?

Originally I was going to write this long, detailed blog about how  bad my night sucked… Then I thought, “Why waste my energy?”  At this point–sitting at home finally–feeling relaxed…Why rehash the day’s unfortunate events?

Yes, I spent almost 4 hours traveling just to stand outside the Museum of Sex only to be allowed inside the overcrowded place and not get any real interview, photo or even a “hi” out of my favorite band…  That’s the way it goes in this industry.  Promises made and broken…and then you’re lied to on top of it.  At least  I let the publicist know I was onto his lies unlike all of the other press members who just complained and did nothing about it.

Anyway, to sum it all up: I felt robbed of an opportunity, robbed of transportation money I need to be saving for my move, and robbed of time I could have spent writing or promoting or interviewing someone else!

Then on the $20 cab ride home, I felt frustrated tears come to my eyes.  That’s how I release–I don’t really get too angry, I just need a good cry.  The cab driver, seeing I’m upset, tells me how he was homeless four years ago.  He lost everything, and now, he’s building himself back up.

All I could think was how insignificant my one wasted  disappointment of a night really would be by tomorrow.  How I could let an event that I was fortunate enough just to attend get me so down… And then I thought about my move and how it will be amazing because I need this time away from New York and all its forms of claustrophobia… It made me smile.

Oddly enough, the song on the radio at the time in the cab was “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins.  It seemed so fitting — well, just these two lines:

I can feel it comin’ in the air tonight, oh Lord
I’ve been waitin’ for this moment for all my life, oh Lord

I believe in messages and things happening for a reason.  I learned a lot tonight that I had forgotten.  I needed to be reminded.  I think my mother was trying to send me a message earlier…I couldn’t find my tape recorder before I left the house today, though I know exactly where I left it last.  Thanks Mom, I got the message–I expect to see my tape recorder in the morning.

I no longer feel angry or disappointed.  I feel grateful and humbled by the experience.  There are far worse things in life and I’ve been very fortunate.  And I’m also optimistic that one day I will meet Jared Leto, haha.

Today was just not meant to be.

May10

Jared Leto at the "Hurricane" Screening

Posted on by
Jared Leto at the "Hurricane" Screening

Jared Leto answers Q&A with fans at 30 Seconds to Mars’ NYC screening of “Hurricane” at the Museum of Sex.  Fans crowded the venue inside and outside as well, lining up as early as the day before!

May4

Lemonade Mouth's Adam Hicks Discusses the Film, the Music & the Revolution!

Posted on by
Lemonade Mouth's Adam Hicks Discusses the Film, the Music & the Revolution!

You may have seen this ginger kid on Disney XD’s “Zeke and Luther” as just a crazy character, but Adam Hicks is more than comedic relief on a children’s show.  Adam is a true musician, songwriter, rapper, actor and revolution-starter, as you will see in the new musical movie, “Lemonade Mouth”.

Adam plays Wen, a teenager unhappy with his father’s too-young girlfriend.  Wen is trying to find his way in a sports-driven high school where all music is shoved down into the basement along with detention and the school’s only lemonade machine.

Wen, along with four other teens trying to find their way, end up forming a band that stands for something.  Thus Lemonade Mouth is formed inspiring others inside and outside the film.

Find out more about Adam Hicks right now…

Sandy Lo (StarShine Magazine): Hey Adam!  How are you?

Adam Hicks: Hello!  I’m good.  How are you?

Sandy Lo: I’m good.  Congratulations on all the success with “Lemonade Mouth”.

Adam Hicks: It’s so exciting, thank you!

Sandy Lo: What is it like to be part of this big musical?

Adam Hicks: It’s amazing!  It’s a dream come true.  “Lemonade Mouth”…We kind of bottled it all inside and just waited after making the project.  And the waiting—it can get to you for sure, just because you want to see how the fans react and the numbers and everything… So it dropping, and it having such great responses, it’s really amazing… And the CD did super well on the charts, and just having that… This is the only project where I got to combine my music and my acting into one project and just for it to do so well is a dream come true.

Sandy Lo: Awesome.  What was the process like?  I presume you recorded the songs first, before making the movie?

Adam Hicks: What happened was… I was going for the role and Disney called me and said they would like me to write music for “Lemonade Mouth” –the movie.  This was when I was still going for the role, so I was super happy that I was going to be able to write music.  Then I booked [the role of] Wen on top of that, so it was like the ultimate success.  It was so great!  And the process was…Two or three days before we left for New Mexico to shoot, I got sent “Determinate”.  That was the first song I ever recorded.  They sent it over and I got to sit down and write to it in my hotel room.  Then we went the next day and recorded it and after that we recorded “Breakthrough” within a two-day kind of thing.  After that, we flew to New Mexico and then like two weeks before we were about to leave, they wanted to do a bonus track and a bonus scene for the DVD, and so I got to jump on that also.

Sandy Lo: That’s awesome—I didn’t know you actually got to write some of the songs, too.  How did you get involved in rapping?

Adam Hicks: Rapping!  I know, right?  I have red hair and freckles! [laughs]  Well, I’m from Las Vegas—it’s like a big hip-hop culture.  Growing up I listened to all music.  My dad is from Essex, London and he listens to Bowie, The Stones, The Clash, and all these great bands.  At the same time, living in my century and adapting to the music—I love putting words together.  So I just started—like my 4th grade talent show, I did a rap and my 5th grade D.A.R.E. essay, I did a rap in front of the whole school.  I was kind of like the kid that everybody would be like “What are you doing?  What are you trying to be good at?” [laughs]  It was like that for a good couple of years until I started to get rhythm and understand beats and understand styles and kind of make my own style at the same time.  And yeah, it adapted from there.

Sandy Lo: Awesome!  What was it like working with the rest of the cast?  You had a nice ensemble of Disney stars, basically.

Adam Hicks: Yes.  The cast is the greatest!  As far as picking the perfect cast, Disney really did their job.  The thing that people don’t fully understand is that “Lemonade Mouth” is a band on screen and off screen.  Disney hired musicians who are actors also.  So we’d jam out on camera—we’d be doing the Madison Square Garden performance and then we’d go back to the hotel and then we’d jam out—our music, Lemonade Mouth’s music, whatever kind of music.  And we’re just constantly writing.  Everyone in the cast really brought their own flavor to the movie—which helped the movie so much.  The script already did its job.  At the end of the movie, you really know the characters—it gets into every character’s lifestyle.  It’s just this process of seeing five friends—more than anything—come together, kind of the underdogs and sort of rise to the top.  And all these issues they go through that I feel like a lot of kids anywhere can really relate to.

Sandy Lo: Right.  I’ve seen the movie twice now and I really love it.  Is there a sequel in the works?  A tour, maybe?

Adam Hicks: Oh, wow, please!  Please let that happen!  Who do I ask? [laughs]  It’s really all up to the fans.  I know that’s what Disney goes by it.  That’s what we’re looking into now.  Seeing the movie drop and the momentum behind it and all these great responses…  I feel like Lemonade Mouth’s job now is just to keep getting the word out.  In the movie, we try to start a revolution and we do start a revolution.  That’s what we’re trying to do on camera and off camera.  So hopefully, we would love to tour—definitely.

Sandy Lo: Going from “Zeke and Luther” to “Lemonade Mouth”… What is the difference from filming a TV show to filming a movie?

Adam Hicks: It was different in so many ways.  I feel like personally the biggest change was the characters.  My character on “Zeke and Luther” is comedy-driven, a very zany, very outrageous character with no boundaries.  Wen is more relaxed, chill, underdog, kinda rockery musical person.  This was the perfect opportunity for my fans to also really see the transition in acting I was trying to accomplish.  It was different in a lot of ways.  On “Zeke and Luther”, we shoot two episodes [at a time].  You kind of work differently—fast; you might not spend as much time on scenes.  With “Lemonade Mouth”, it was more relaxed.  Definitely a completely different vibe.

Sandy Lo: I know I heard something about you recording a solo album.  Is that true?

Adam Hicks: Yes, definitely.  I’m working on music constantly.  I have a song dropping for Disney’s summertime anthem.  It’s called “Burning Up”.  I’m recording that tomorrow.  I have a song coming out on “Shake It Up” and the Jabberwockies dance to it, so that’s going to be awesome.

Sandy Lo: Oh wow!

Adam Hicks: Yeah!

Sandy Lo: Very exciting!

Adam Hicks: Yeah, and I just bought a studio and I’m working on it right now.  I’m constantly working with great producers and getting songs done.  That’s the ultimate goal.

Sandy Lo: Very cool.  Let’s say a year from now… Where do you hope to be in your career?

Adam Hicks: Wow…It’s hard to really tell.  Me, personally, would just love great success with Lemonade Mouth and my music and everything.  Just be able to go out there and let people hear it.  So a year from now…whatever life brings me.  I’ve been working pretty hard.  It’s been good so far, so fingers crossed.

Sandy Lo: Do you have anything you’d like to say to all of your fans out there?

Adam Hicks: All the fans… You are the reason why we have Lemonade Mouth.  Love all your support.  Thank you so much!  You guys are everything to us personally—individually, and as a band—as Lemonade Mouth.  So please just keep watching, check it out and let’s start a revolution!

Sandy Lo: Awesome.  Thank you so much for speaking with me today.

Adam Hicks: Thank you so much!  It was a pleasure!

For more on Adam, go to: www.adam-hicks.com and follow him on Twitter: @adamhicks702.

Catch “Zeke and Luther” on Disney XD and look for replays of “Lemonade Mouth” on the Disney Channel and coming to DVD soon!  The soundtrack is available for purchase on iTunes and all major music retailers.

May4

Lady Gaga's "Judas" Video Premiering Thursday on E! & VEVO

Posted on by
Lady Gaga's "Judas" Video Premiering Thursday on E! & VEVO

World Premiere Of The Highly Anticipated Video Debuts In Its Entirety May 5th On E! News At 7:00 & 11:30 pm ET/PT

Once again, superstar Lady Gaga has joined forces with E! to unveil the world premiere of her latest – and perhaps most talked about – music video for her new single “Judas.”  The musical masterpiece will air in its entirety during E! News at 7:00 and 11:30 pm on May 5. Then, on Friday, May 6, E! News will air an exclusive and revealing interview with the songstress herself.

This is the second collaboration between the megastar and E!, which premiered Gaga’s “Telephone”  video in March 2010.  One of the integral creative forces behind “Judas” is a member of the E! family, Laurieann Gibson (star of “The Dance Scene”), who directed the video along with Gaga.  E! is proud to unveil  “Judas” on  E! News, May 5 at 7:00 and 11:30 pm ET/PT. In addition, E! Online and VEVO.com will post the video immediately following the 7:00 pm E! News broadcast.

“It’s fantastic to have Gaga back at E! for the debut of “Judas,”" said Suzanne Kolb, President of Marketing, News and Online for E! and STYLE. “She’s an incredible talent and pop culture icon and we’re excited to work with her and Interscope once again to bring our viewers this highly anticipated premiere.”

Judge for yourself: tune-in to the world premiere of “Judas” on May 5 at 7:00 and 11:30 pm during E! News.