This is not my normal podcast - I usually put up interviews with back-story, inspiration and personal insights into an artist art. When Stormy gave me a shot at running some of his new songs off his self titled EP.. I jumped. I could not get him in the studio, but wanted to share what this very talented artist is bringing to the table. I strongly encourage you to pick up his EP and visit his website - www.stormystrong.com.
Bio from his website:
Casting melodic hooks to the hungry masses, the strength of Stormy Strong’s songwriting is fast approaching gale-force intensity. Listening to Stormy conjures images of his life and near-death experiences at sea --a lonely fisherman cast adrift and anchorless against the capricious squalls which inspired his name, battling the merciless riptide of “sink or swim”. Stormy’s songs weave a compelling narrative of stark introspection which commandeers the mind’s eye long after the music ends. More than just another singer-songwriter, Stormy Strong is a storyteller --with a story to tell that's uniquely his own.
Stormy’s catchy hooks, biting lyrics and emotional honesty tempts comparisons to the best angst-rockers out there, including Weezer, Jimmy Eat World, Death Cab For Cutie, and Social Distortion. And yet, the more such comparisons are sought, the more Stormy’s music resists them. In other words, Stormy's material reminds you of the music you’ve always loved, while truly sounding like nothing you’ve heard before.
Stormy Strong has been anchored off the West Coast’s musical landscape since 1996. First as a member of Santa Cruz’ legendary underground punk-pop phenomenon Reliance, and later as front man for the eponymous jam collective, Stormy Strong, our boy has continued to garner performance chops and street cred throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Southern Cali and beyond - sharing the stage along the way with numerous leading acts, from Blink 182 to No Use For A Name, to AFI, among other notables.
Stormy Strong’s music has been featured on the syndicated TV Show American Songwriter Showcase, and has been widely licensed to numerous media/advertising outlets, including MTV (My Super Sweet 16), and Discover Card. Stormy’s songs continue to be heavily requested on internet radio, podcasts and college radio, and remain in growing demand through all major digital distributors, peer-to- peer outlets and social networking sites.
Stormy’s self-titled EP –produced by Chris Carter (Backstreet Boys, Jasmine Trias, Natalise)- has already received a number of awards and accolades since its release, with the lead-off single "Mexico" garnering both buzz and accolades throughout cyberspace. His song “Save You” won the Billboard World Songwriting Contest in 2008, in addition to the 2007 Great American Songwriting Contest (in the Alt/Rock genre), and the 2007 Diskmakers Music World Series. Industry leaders have also taken notice, with luminaries such as legendary producers Michael Lloyd (The Monkees, Frank Sinatra, The Osmonds) and Scott Matthews (David Bowie, Johnny Cash, The Beach Boys) proclaiming their support and appreciation for this creative force of nature currently battering expectations and preconceptions under the name “Stormy Strong”.
Stormy Strong and his band are currently hard at work on his next recording projects, while continuing to perfect and support his new material though constant shows and touring.
