"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)

Overrated [Digital Single]

It's officially been announced that September 30th will be the debut of the new single "Overrated." I will be debuting it on myspace.com that day, as well as on iLike.com (which it will stream in MUCH better quality than myspace). Soon after it's debut the digital single should be released on iTunes for purchase.

Check back soon for lyrics to the song!

it's all overrated

It's been a month since I last updated you guys on the album. Since we finished up recording it's been a wild ride the last few weeks. I was in LA working with Andy Zulla on mixing the record, then left for the tour as soon as I got back from that. While on the road I did a little research on who I wanted to master the record and I went with Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering. I had to have Gateway send the reference master disc to our cozy hotel here in Meadville, PA. So we got that today and the record is pretty much done now! Hurray!

Now the question is... when are YOU going to get to hear this music?? As of right now, I'm planning to release "Brighter Side" in January of 2008. This will give me time to promote it's release properly and really make a splash when it's released. Now, because I'm such a nice guy and I don't want you guys waiting 3 or 4 more months on new music, I'm going to be adding one new track every month until then to my myspace. The first track will be "Overrated" and I hope to have it up by the end of September on the FTA myspace page, followed by a digital single release in iTunes and other digital stores.

When details are confirmed I will post them right here for you, and as we draw closer to it's debut I will post the lyrics for the song here as well.

Tomorrow and Monday I will be hanging out with photographer Mustafah Abdulaziz taking pics for the album artwork.

closing thoughts, go!

It's been a wild ride. 21 days out of the last month I've made it my business to make the next "Thriller" record. Recording is now complete and it feels good. I'm proud of each song and I can't wait to get them into your ears. I really think you're going to love it.

I should give props to everyone who worked on the record. The following is a list of people you might've seen in videos and people you will hear on "Brighter Side"

Todd Pipes - producer, bass, crumar, and piano bits
Toby Pipes - producer, shakers, tambourine, and background vocals
Ed Toth - drums
Nolan Theis - bass
Josh Goode - keys and piano
Junior Knight - pedal steel

My parts on the record were vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, banjo, xylophone. Yeah there's xylophone on the album, what about it?! Anyway, thanks again to the other players for making the album what it is. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm excited about... and I want you to be too! :)

So the next step is the mixing process and I won't be there for most of it. I'll be heading out to LA in a few weeks to get the final mixes done, but until then Mr. Andy Zulla will be messing about with the sessions and making them pretty. I'll be back to report how my LA trip goes in a few weeks, so for now this is bye bye - thanks for following along on my adventure this month!

put a bow on it

STUDIO DAY #20

Tomorrow will officially be the last day in the studio, but we're basically done with everything. Soooo... that's all I've gotta say. I will be doing a final studio blog tomorrow and recap all of the greatness that will be this album. Until then...