Saturday, December 31, 2005

Goodbye, 2005

Hey Soul mates,
thanks for supporting us all year. It's been a really good one. We've taken several important steps forward in our career and I'm pretty proud of what we've accomplished. There's still lots of work to be done. Thanks to everyone who recognizes the energy we do exert to put ourselves forth as entertainers.

So, what's gone on in 2005? January, we started the year by joining MySpace and sharing an acoustic bill with our good friends, The Waking Hours. Several of newest die-hard fans got their first look at us at that performance.

In the Spring, we prepared our newest songs for recording and went into the studio. Over the course of several weeks, beginning in May, our EP took shape. We started networking heavily to prepare the industry for the arrival of our new material.

August saw the first of our two huge shows at BB Kings. A combined 400 people saw us at those gigs and they were sufficiently raucous. The second performance was our CD release show, with several recording industry contacts in the audience we brought down the house.

Autumn was good to us. We posted our first two Number 1's on iRadio's Indie Airplay (A Talent For Loving & Done Lost My Mind). We followed that with our first interview on the Monday Show with Sara Routh. I think that was everyone's highlight for the year. The performances and the chat were lots of fun.

Then we wound up on Next Big Hit and with your help we topped their poll for two weeks with A Talent For Loving. As a result the song was named one of the "Best of 2005" and we hold onto third place currently, behind American Idol's Jasmine Trias.

While I was in Florida in October, I did a solo radio interview with Pop Garden Radio, 970 AM. About the same time, our track Everyone's Ingenue made its FM radio debut on the Great American Music Hour out of Virginia. Talk about a nice East Coast presence. It helped that we expanded our Atlantic fan base, specifically in West Palm & the DC area. Thanks, ladies!


Our EP made quite a splash, eh? 3 of the 4 tracks were recognized in some manner. I'll take that anytime. We also sent the record off to the SXSW music fest. Keep your fingers crossed for us to appear there. It became available on iTunes and has done quite well. Ah, this digital age. If you got an iTunes gift card for the holidays, be sure to pick up a RHS song or 4.

Just this month, we wrapped up the year with our first appearance at the Rumba Room opening for 80's recording stars DeBarge. It was a triumph for myself, as up to the day before the show, I was suffering from viral laryngitiis. We only played a dozen shows this year, but each was gratifying in its own way and each moved us ever closer to our goal of real international exposure, securing a deal that will allow us to quit our day jobs and tour, tour, tour. We want to see all of you in 2006!

Personally, the year has been filled with good things. A couple of trips out of LA, to Atlanta for my Father's premiere; to DC for a friend's wedding; to Vero for my Grandmother's 90th. Lots of quality concert-going too:
Duran Duran; Bob Dylan & Merle Haggard; The Go Go's; Ringo Starr; The White Stripes; ABC; Rolling Stones; and Paul McCartney.

The past week, I've been able to decompress from a solid 11 months of being band-busy. Taking stock of what we've done and haven't. I'm disappointed only in the amount of time it takes to accomplish the goals I've set for myself. It's taken loads of resources, financial and otherwise to get to where we've gotten. Again, thank you to all of you who appreciate our love and dedication to our music and to you.

So what next? We're going to revamp Rush Hour Soul.com. The look & layout will be completely upgraded in January with a relaunch topped by the release of our newest single, Everything My Heart Desires. And because we love you, we're simply going to give it away. We are scheduled to take the stage again in late February, details will follow.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!
Here's to 2006. The year of Rush Hour Soul. The year of the Soul Mate. Our year.
Love, Power, Peace