Local Musician Releasing First Solo CD At 47
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
“I love music. It’s my passion, but I like doing my own stuff,” the father of five said in an interview March 10.
His solo self-titled CD will start out as a three-song demo, with plans to come out later with a full 10-song album.
“I didn’t want to put everything out at once. I basically just wanted to do this as a demo release, and then I’ll come out right behind it with a full album,” Allen explained.
The full album should be done by July, he said. The master copy was taken to Sweetwater in early March, but he won’t get the CDs to sell until March 27.
Allen said it won’t be released online right away because he wants to sell what he has coming out physically first.
His music will be available at Karma Records and Wooden Nickle. On the back of the album will be Allen’s contact information as well as where people can purchase his music.
Work on a website is underway, he stated.
The plan to record an album started in October.
“I’ve been writing this stuff for a long time and I’ve played it for some people and they seem to like it. We started doing some little recordings here and there and playing it back. And it was like, ‘I’m going to go ahead and go for this,’” Allen recalled.
Allen has been playing music for 28 years. He and his cousin started playing many years ago, and were in the band The Shag for 21 years. After his cousin decided to get out of the band about four years ago, Allen kept pursuing it, but wanted to do his own thing.
In the last year, Allen started writing his own material.
“My influences go back to The Partridge Family, but then I go, No. 1 Elvis because I love Elvis. And then I went to KISS, and The Cult is one of my favorite bands out there – they still tour,” Allen said.
He said he likes all kinds of music, whether that’s Kid Rock or Guns ’N’ Roses.
“I’m a drummer by heart, and I’ve played drums for all these years, but I’ve always loved guitar. So I’ve turned over to doing total guitar, doing my own guitar work plus most of my lead work, and all the singing now,” Allen said.
He plays now with a group that includes his sons, Taige and Will Allen; and a bass player, Barry Eppley. Eppley also produces Allen’s work.
“I want to make sure we mention Eppley Recording Studios,” Allen said.
He plans to market his music in a variety of ways. Besides the website and other social media, he said there will be a story about him in What’s Up April 7. He’s going to Chicago to drop his work off at Live Nation and other places, he said.
A release party is in the works. Allen said he’s already talked to Robin Watters, owner of Rex’s Rendezvous, about having the event there, but if that doesn’t pan out, he’s got a few other places in mind.
“I’m hoping to do a release party somewhere in the first or second week of April to get everything going and out there,” he said.
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“I love music. It’s my passion, but I like doing my own stuff,” the father of five said in an interview March 10.
His solo self-titled CD will start out as a three-song demo, with plans to come out later with a full 10-song album.
“I didn’t want to put everything out at once. I basically just wanted to do this as a demo release, and then I’ll come out right behind it with a full album,” Allen explained.
The full album should be done by July, he said. The master copy was taken to Sweetwater in early March, but he won’t get the CDs to sell until March 27.
Allen said it won’t be released online right away because he wants to sell what he has coming out physically first.
His music will be available at Karma Records and Wooden Nickle. On the back of the album will be Allen’s contact information as well as where people can purchase his music.
Work on a website is underway, he stated.
The plan to record an album started in October.
“I’ve been writing this stuff for a long time and I’ve played it for some people and they seem to like it. We started doing some little recordings here and there and playing it back. And it was like, ‘I’m going to go ahead and go for this,’” Allen recalled.
Allen has been playing music for 28 years. He and his cousin started playing many years ago, and were in the band The Shag for 21 years. After his cousin decided to get out of the band about four years ago, Allen kept pursuing it, but wanted to do his own thing.
In the last year, Allen started writing his own material.
“My influences go back to The Partridge Family, but then I go, No. 1 Elvis because I love Elvis. And then I went to KISS, and The Cult is one of my favorite bands out there – they still tour,” Allen said.
He said he likes all kinds of music, whether that’s Kid Rock or Guns ’N’ Roses.
“I’m a drummer by heart, and I’ve played drums for all these years, but I’ve always loved guitar. So I’ve turned over to doing total guitar, doing my own guitar work plus most of my lead work, and all the singing now,” Allen said.
He plays now with a group that includes his sons, Taige and Will Allen; and a bass player, Barry Eppley. Eppley also produces Allen’s work.
“I want to make sure we mention Eppley Recording Studios,” Allen said.
He plans to market his music in a variety of ways. Besides the website and other social media, he said there will be a story about him in What’s Up April 7. He’s going to Chicago to drop his work off at Live Nation and other places, he said.
A release party is in the works. Allen said he’s already talked to Robin Watters, owner of Rex’s Rendezvous, about having the event there, but if that doesn’t pan out, he’s got a few other places in mind.
“I’m hoping to do a release party somewhere in the first or second week of April to get everything going and out there,” he said.
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