the coolest thing I've done in my career so far...

Last night I had the great honor and privilege to record in the historic Sun Studio in Memphis, TN. If you're not familiar with what this place is, it's pretty much the birth place of rock and roll. This was where Elvis made his first record. This was where Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis all got their start. U2 recorded part of Rattle and Hum here, with Bob Dylan and B.B. King even taking part on the album. Great Balls of Fire was recorded hear for crying out loud! So to be in this studio and actually get to record here was quite an experience, especially right after taking the tour.

I visited Sun Studio as a regular tourist a little over a year ago and took the tour. But, to follow up the tour this time with "okay, your turn" was very intimidating. Known for giving music legends their start, Sun Studio is getting back to what they do best with a program called "Sun Studio Sessions" where they invite up and coming musicians and bands to record a session while they video it. It will air online later this year and hopefully expand to an actual televised program. They were nice enough to let me invite a select number of fans in to watch my own session take place, which gave it a nice "playing for friends in a living room" feel, except it was Elvis and Johnny Cash's living room...

It's hard for me to explain how cool and amazing it was to have not only played, but recorded in that room. I should explain to you that without this studio popular music would not be what it is today. Without Elvis there would have not been The Beatles, and without the Beatles... well... enough said. So to be part of that history is overwhelming. I'm excited for you all to see the show.

Everyone who works at Sun is amazingly nice and made it so much more of experience than I could have ever expected. You can tell they all take much pride in working there, and why shouldn't they?? But it was awesome to work with such a real group of people that actually understand what the music industry SHOULD be. They get it, and I'm so glad to have made new friends with them.

I played a lot of new songs and a few oldies. For anyone interested, here was my set...

Giving It All To You
The Good Life
Do It Again
Wherever
Here
Sentimental Spell
Surface
Beautiful Girls
The Lighting
Better With You
Up To Me
Audience of Zero

In short, that was my experience. I'm still soaking it all in. I will have exclusive video and photos for you soon.

In the meantime, go listen to the first Elvis record, go listen to early Johnny Cash, go listen to Rattle and Hum (tracks 10-13). Do yourself a favor and go visit the Sun Studio website and learn about this place.

- Brad

Touring and such...

Starting in March I will be using this blog as a touring blog as "hitting the road" seems to be the next phase of the record release. It's been very hard having things to report since finishing the album in the studio so I figure what better way to keep in touch with everyone than by notes from the road? Not that I haven't been busy, but almost too busy to keep up with all the preparation for releasing the record. I will be hitting the road in March supporting Geffen Records recording artist Matt White. I'm looking forward to meeting him and being back out on the road in support of the new album. I will most likely be on the road the rest of the year so there will be plenty to blog about and let you in on.

So until then, please keep promoting the new single "The Good Life" to your friends and call and request the single to you favorite local radio stations. See you soon!!

Brad from Athens, OH

"The Good Life" music video

"The Good Life" single & video

January 15th will be the release date for the digital single "The Good Life." Technically this will be the very first 'true' single Five Times August has released. This means there will actually be some real promotion behind it. It is the song we're going to push in hopes of getting some real radio play and I'll even be making a music video (something I've never done before). It's exciting and I hope you climb on board in helping promote the new record. You should check out the new FTA i-squad - it's important for you to join!

Kelly and I will be heading out to LA on the 16th to shoot the video on the 17th. We'll be working with a great new director Evan Lane who just did Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers new video for "Sweetest Goodbye." We have a pretty cool concept going for the video but I'm not going to spoil it, you'll just have to wait and see!

And now a "Brighter Side" timeline check in...

6 months since I started recording the album
4 months since the record was mixed
3 months since the record was mastered
1 month since the first single was released - "Overrated"
1 month until the REAL first single is released - "The Good Life"
3 months until the album is released

Are you ready for this record to come out yet? 'Cause I am!

Happy Holidays to you,
Brad

"Brighter Side" - Preview Bio

Five Times August, a name with a reputation as one of the most important commodities in the music industry’s new business model for up and coming artists. The completely unsigned solo project of 24 year old Dallas, Texas native Brad Skistimas returns with the new album “Brighter Side.” After selling over 100,000 digital downloads without a record label, getting 18 song placements from one album on various popular television programs, and becoming the first unsigned act sold in Wal-Mart stores nationwide, one can only wonder what Five Times August will accomplish next.

With “Brighter Side,” Skistimas has crafted an album of balance. Relatable catchy pop tunes without the overly produced sound that invades today’s Top 40 market. The music is real and each song is its own. In the midst of an industry looking for one novelty hit after another, “Brighter Side” proves to have quality and charm. It’s not just another album with two polished hit songs and ten okay fillers. This album throws away the standard formula of co-writer after co-writer, heavily produced studio tricks, and keeping to a genre specific theme.

At the core you will find, simply, a songwriter with an acoustic guitar. Skistimas blends these acoustic pop arrangements with flavorful hints of roots, country, rock and even punk at times. The mellow “Who You Are” will appeal to fans of Norah Jones or Ryan Adams, while the rebelious rocker “Overrated” might pull in fans of Fall Out Boy or Green Day. The nineties-esque “One Way Road” reminisces that of Matchbox 20 or Hootie and the Blowfish while the blue-collar anthem “The Lighting” reflects the heavy electric guitars of Oasis. From start to finish the album takes you on a journey equivalent to a mix tape featuring a compilation of artists.

And it’s no wonder “Brighter Side” has a sound all it’s own, considering the team that helped Brad put it all together. Recorded in Dallas at Bass Propulsion Laboratories, it was produced by the studio’s owners, brothers Todd and Toby Pipes (Deep Blue Something, Drowning Pool, Flickerstick). At the recommendation of the Pipes Bros, Skistimas recruited local studio musicians for most of the instrumentation, but also took it upon himself to invite former Vertical Horizon drummer Ed Toth to provide a solid backbeat for the record.

“Since Five Times August is a solo project I have the freedom to bring in a variety of players to fit each album.” Skistimas says. “It’s great because those different inputs provide a level of comfort in knowing my sound will never get repetitive from one record to the next. It’s like forming a new band each time around.”

In addition to recording at BPL Studios, Skistimas had the album mixed by Grammy Award Winner Andy Zulla (Rod Stewart, Kelly Clarkson, Jessica Simpson).

Five Times August wrapped up an extensive college tour in 2007, traveling 8 months out of the year, visiting 43 of the 50 states, and plans to start the whole thing up again in 2008 to support the release of “Brighter Side.” This time around FTA will be releasing the album with the help of Croshal Entertainment Group, a virtual label based out of LA.

“I figured if I accomplished what I did with my last album by mainly word of mouth and almost no promotion behind it there’s no telling what can happen if I actually give myself a marketing fund this time around!” Skistimas proclaims. “The great thing about working with CEG is that I’m still unsigned and in control of my own image and music, but will still get the attention that many major label releases receive.”

While Skistimas continues to break barriers as an unsigned artist, the music industry should prepare itself for a new breed of music and marketing upon the release of Five Times August’s upcoming release. “Brighter Side” will be in stores nationwide in March 2008.

"Overrated" iTunes single

The digital single for Overrated will be available online October 31st (perhaps sooner, but that's the day I'm promoting!). It will be available on iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody, & eMusic.

Things are starting to come together for the album release. The company I will be working with for the release is planning to release "Brighter Side" probably around late March. Originally I planned to release the record in January, but for promotional purposes (and some financial reasoning; read here) March is going to be the best time to release the new album. So you'll have to wait just a little bit longer, but that's the way it goes sometimes!

I will post another new track online before the release, most likely in November.

From Michigan,
Brad

"Overrated" Lyrics

On September 30th the new single "Overrated" will be debuting on Myspace.com, iLike.com, and PureVolume.com...

About the song...
This song was written in October 2005. I think a lot of our society (especially the youth) is starting to get very materialistic with cars, ipods, clothing/image, partying, etc... things that are marketed to us in a way that make us think it's important to buy into whatever image it projects. As in, you're only cool if you look a certain way, drive a certain car, or listen to a certain type of music. To me that stuff has always been overrated because it's only cool until we're marketed something else, and that can change in a day. Sad thing is I don't think it's ever going to really stop because the average person takes what they're marketed and really does buy into it. I hope listeners will learn from the song in that it teaches them not to worry about looking cool or keeping up with the latest "what's hot and what's not" list. In about 20 years the straightened long black emo rockstar hair look will be the equivalent to your parents having an afro in the 70's...

"Overrated"
written by Brad Skistimas
from the forthcoming release "Brighter Side"

So what I need is a fast car
Maybe think like a superstar
'Cause "everybody's doing it"
I'll coin the phrase and prove it to all

What you are is your own self
At the bar you were someone else
That plaid skirt and button up shirt
Don't label who you are

And I see this is overrated
I believe we're just concentrated
On what's overrated
It's never gonna stop

Hear a song on the radio
Sing along, so predictable
'Cause it's hard to be original
When everyone's so typical
Or maybe I'm just living it to

And I know it's not about me
Or anything that I've gotta say
'Cause it's all in how you see it
You might not believe it
The politics could change in a day

And I see this is overrated
I believe we're just concentrated
On what's overrated
It's never gonna stop

And I see this is overrated
I believe we're just concentrated
On what's overrated
I believe we're just concentrated
On what's overrated
It's all overrated
It's never gonna stop
Gonna stop no no no no
It's never gonna stop


copyright 2007 Seven Places Music (ASCAP)