Before moving to California, Blue Meridian was long
regarded as one of Central Florida's premier bands.
With four solid albums and a solo CD by frontman Donovan Lyman recently
completed, Blue Meridian and
Lyman are back in Central Florida for a series of shows that will remind
audiences that they still are at the
top of their game.
The band consists of Lyman (lead vocals/guitar), Chadwick Stienmetz (lead
guitar), Scott Kinworthy (drums)
and George Castells (bass). A staple in the Central Florida music scene for many
years, the band has appeared
nationally in Spin magazine and many more national and international
publications. The band has sold more than
10,000 albums independently, quite a feat for a nonlabel artist. The band also
has appeared as the opening act for
such legendary bands as Stone Temple Pilots, Veruca Salt, Tonic, The
Wallflowers, The Cult, Tantric, Finger Eleven,
The Smithereens, Missing Persons, The Fixx, Edwin McCain and countless others.
I spoke with Lyman about his solo work, the band's upcoming CD and the
benefit show for School House Rocks.
So let's Shake, Rattle & Know: Donovan Lyman of Blue Meridian.
SRK: You had enormous success locally with Blue Meridian. What made
you want to move to California to continue
your music career?
Lyman: It was nice being in the music scene, and we did some great
things here, but it wasn't the right launching pad
for our career as Nashville or Los Angeles was. I was ready to put our music in
front of people who could make a real
difference on a global scale.
SRK: Recently you have been doing more work as a solo artist. Is this more of the direction you see your career heading?
Lyman: I had completed four Blue Meridian albums when I started on the
next one, and this album just took an unexpected
turn. It began to creep further away from the Blue Meridian sound. I was much
more hands-on with this record, and the band
was less hands-on, so it always felt like a solo project anyhow. I always used
to do random solo acoustic shows anyway, so it
wasn't a big departure for me.
We have no plans for the band to break up though. We just finished a new
record that will be out soon, so it would be pretty
foolish to break up now. We have a tour planned to support the new CD, so things
are going well.
SRK: Why did it take nearly four years to complete your solo CD, "Avalon & Babylon & Me"?
Lyman: That may be a hard one to answer, because I don't want to come
across as pointing the finger at anyone or throwing
someone under the bus. I would like to say that perfection takes time, but the
truth is 90 percent of the record was complete for
quite awhile, but there were parts missing. We added a cellist and filled in
some gaps. It was an epic record with 18 songs and
over 80 minutes of music joined together with all sorts of creative segways.
It's a concept album. It was brilliantly mastered by Grammy-winning mastering
engineer Joe Bozzi (for the U2 "Vertigo" CD).
A lot went into the record, so I guess that's why it took so long.
SRK: How is the current Blue Meridian album "Skint & Shattered" coming along?
Lyman: The songs are all tracked, and I am just looking for someone to
mix it. We have had a few studios offer to mix a track
here or there to show us what they can do, but I haven't made a decision yet. We
are just going to sit on the masters for awhile.
I just put out the solo CD, so people aren't expecting a Blue Meridian CD to be
put out so quickly afterward, so we are in a
position where we can take some time with it.
SRK: With the unbelievable amount of accolades the band has achieved,
why do you feel a major record label has yet to
catch on to the band?
Lyman: I've been offered contracts before that I turned down. I was in
radio for a long time as a program director, and I know
that without a strong promotional push by the record label that signs you, it
can actually destroy someone more than help them.
I'm not about to sign something unless I know there is going to be a significant
amount of money spent promoting and pushing
our product. Without a push, you may just sit on a shelf and be dropped by the
label without ever being heard. At that point,
you become damaged goods and no one else will want to touch you in the business.
I didn't want to be viewed that way or have
that happen to us. Look at all the great bands that were coming out of Orlando,
got a record deal and then were never heard from
again. I didn't want that to happen to us.
SRK: Do you feel the music business has reached a point where a record label is no longer needed for a band to be successful?
Lyman: There are a lot of independent labels and self-managed bands
that are doing well. The power of the record labels is
more money and influence than anything else, but record labels only amount to a
very small percentage of the music that is out
there. The American public is catching on to all the places where you can go to
get great music and retailers understand that more
than ever. Independent labels have a better chance of succeeding now than ever
before. A record label isn't the only way to get
known or be heard.
SRK: What can you tell me about the Oct. 5 School House Rocks benefit show you are doing in Orlando?
Lyman: It's a cause that is very close to me. The benefactor is The
Foundation for Literacy for Children in America. My family
is very involved in this. My father, Dr. Donald Lyman, father passed away about
a year and a half ago, and he had spent his entire
life helping learning disabled children.
After his passing, my mom (Nieves Lyman) and sister (Jennifer) picked up the
torch. When my father's health started to fail, my
mom had to become the breadwinner, and she started a Montessori School where she
could keep my father's legacy alive, and
implement a learning program that my father had started.
She has outgrown the school and she recently purchased an old Baptist church
building so she could expand the scope of the
school and be accessible to more kids in need. This benefit will help with the
costs of renovating that church and making it more
suitable for a school.
This benefit will take place in the old church with the altar serving as the
stage area. It's the perfect setting for this show. We
started out with four or five bands playing over a three-hour period, but now we
have over 16 acts and the event will go on from
1 p.m. to about 10 p.m. We have great acts such as Jeff Howell (WTKS-FM),
Dagnese, Christian Wilson, Mark & James,
Chris McCarty, Bryan Malpass, Dish and more, hosted by celebrity emcees Michele
Wright and Supa Dave (WJRR).
Local spotlight: Blue Meridian
The average life expectancy of a local-indie band can be measured in months, sometimes less.
So when an Orlando band like Blue Meridian survives well past a decade it means something must have gone right. Kept alive by lead singer Donovan Lyman after his move to Los Angeles, Blue Meridian kept their alt-rock roots solidly intact thanks to the L.A. lineup of guitarist Chadwick Steinmetz, bassist George Castells, and percussionist Scott Kinworthy (who does double-duty as a Blue Man in Las Vegas). While preparing for a return tour of Central Florida with the original lineup (Dean Pichette, Kevin Kirkwood and Manny Rivera) Lyman took some time to chat with Metromix Orlando about the difference between Orlando and L.A., being indie in today’s music scene, and how to handle an earthquake.
You have said that Blue Meridian was formed “just for fun.” Could you elaborate on that?
It didn’t seem like anything unusual at the time, just to get together and make music because of how much fun it is to do that. But I realized years later, when bands were springing up like weeds left and right, they would contact me and ask if they could open for us and I would ask them some questions. And I found that so many of them had these delusions of grandeur, like “Within six months we’ll be signed,” that kind of thing. And that’s when it first occurred to me that that’s not why we got together. I remember we rehearsed every day for three months – that’s when I turned to my bass player and said “I think we’re ready for a show” and he said “You mean in front of people?”
What do you attribute to your longevity?
I guess when there’s momentum, and when you notice opportunities and cool things are happening for you, bigger and better every time, you know with each passing month or year you’re being asked to do things that you’ve never done before. When I moved to Los Angeles it was the first time I ever had something to prove, and I was anxious for the challenge of seeing how long it would take for the cream to rise to the top of a city this size.
Would you say your move was a success?
The only thing I didn’t anticipate about what it would be like being an unsigned band in Los Angeles is it’s got nothing to do with the competition, it’s got nothing to do with how many bands are out here. The challenge in Los Angeles is developing a fan base, getting people to come to your shows. I had someone tell me the first few months I was here, that drawing an audience of 80 people in Los Angeles is equivalent to drawing an audience of 500 people in a place like Orlando. That’s the most disheartening part about it, all these people, you know 20 million people in the metro area, and it’s so hard to reach the same numbers that we’re reaching in Orlando.
Is there encouragement for indie bands in L.A.?
L.A. is a famous music scene because we’ve got some world-famous clubs here. But as far as it being a great place for a band to come up it’s really not. The thing is, almost every major venue here is booked by outside promoters. It’s not as hands-on as it is in Orlando. They care more about booking acts that can draw crowds so they can make money rather than putting together sensible bills. I mean, we’ve been sandwiched between a country band and a hip-hop act before.
You have four albums with the band and one solo, what are you planning on doing next?
We actually made a fifth record with the band. The longtime lineup from Orlando drifted to the wind when I went to Los Angeles, so I started up another band when I got out here. So what we’ve done for the last year is record the fifth one with the Los Angeles lineup. We tracked thirteen songs and they’re currently being mixed and we’re really excited about it. It’s going to be called “Skint and Shattered” which are a couple of terms we got from touring Britain. Skint means broke, and shattered means tired. So I guess it means after all this time we’re still broke and tired.
What does being indie mean to you?
Not long ago the term wasn’t used, you’re either signed or unsigned. And now with all these labels going out of business like Tower, and all these places have gone bankrupt, for the first time ever bands are not looking at a major label contract as the end-all. There’s certainly the possibility out there now to making a decent living being an unsigned band, keeping all the profits for yourself instead of giving 85 percent of it away. I sell a pretty respectable amount of music every week, actually, so my only wish is that we would take to the road and tour more cities.
How was that earthquake the other day?
I’ve been out here for four and a half years and that was the second one I felt. The first one was actually about three years ago. I guess I was closer to the epicenter that time. The tremor lasted for a good ten or twelve seconds and rattled everything in my apartment. But the one from the other day was minor in comparison. The first thing that occurred to me once it started to shake was “I’m on the first floor, this is a pretty old building – I need to get my ass out to the courtyard.” It actually ended before I was able to get to the front door. I was in my underwear anyway, so it, uh, wouldn’t have been a good thing if it continued and I burst into the courtyard with all these old people and children out there.
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The Middle of the Meridian In Los Angeles, an eccentric indie music scene is thriving wherein ho-hum bands rarely take the risk to push out anything but "the same," because in L.A. appearances count and no one seems to have any time for something deeper. Donovan Lyman, the singer and mastermind behind the Orlando originated indie-rock band, Blue Meridian, refuses to be anything but "the same." His first solo project, Avalon & Babylon & Me, proves that taking the time to touch up the details of songwriting is an effort well spent. Being called "the [Lyman's] best album yet" by Best Buy mogul Adam Sachs, each track not only delivers tightly woven sound, but it also has incredible lyrical range as demonstrated here in the ballad "Beautiful Thing."
When asked to describe his latest project, Lyman stated: "…this new
album, in my eyes, is the closest thing I've created so far to real art and
unedited expression. I didn't follow any rules or formulas. I just followed
my heart. The result is something I've always wanted to do." Historically,
many prolific and well written songs are the ones that never make it to
radio because of length or tempo. Avalon& Babylon & Me turns its
cheek to today's "standards" and returns to the roots of what good
songwriting sprouted from. "Many of the songs are far too long for radio.
Many of them are too short. Two of the tracks are instrumental. If you look
and listen hard, you'll find a few catchy, radio-worthy songs that are under
four minutes in length, but I assure you, it was purely unintentional," says
Lyman. The album has a timeless feel echoing the sounds of Elvis Costello or the
likes of the Canadian phenoms, The Tragically Hip. The tracks blend together
telling a story of love, life and the pursuit of something found between
happiness and reality. "Ghost in the Machine" which has been embraced by
loyal Blue Meridian fans speaks of the painful trials of love:
When asked what opportunities the new solo project will bring him and the
band after having made music for over ten years, Lyman said, "I've compiled
a long list of industry that will be getting their hands on this before I
release it to the public. So far one reputable management company has
stepped forward…I can only remain hopeful and optimistic that something good
will come from this album." Later this year Lyman will be recording a full band album with Los
Angeles band mates: Chadwick Steinmetz, George Castells and newest addition,
drummer Walter Valdez. Blue Meridian is a band that has been many places and
seen a lot of faces but the consistent factor of Donovan Lyman himself has
been the glue that has kept the music streaming. In Orlando, Florida the
band received six people's choice music awards, opened up for many well
known acts and Lyman's guitar was put up in the Hard Rock Café. In 2004
Donovan brought his talents to Los Angeles, signed a publishing deal with
Universal Music and has since been performing solo and with Blue Meridian at
venues in Hollywood, San Diego, San Francisco, Florida and across the pond
in the UK. When asked about the most recent tour of England, Donovan said,
"It's a fantastic experience being on the road, especially on a different
continent. The fans we've earned there are very loyal and not afraid to
express their enthusiasm over what we do." With five previous albums written by Lyman, Blue Meridian has a large
library of tracks all with signature clever lyrics and crisp sound. The
effort put forth by the drive of a musician who chose to be different and
follow his dream is apparent in every promo poster, every answered message,
every gig booking and every rockin' show. Jason Ferguson, the music editor
of Orlando Weekly, calls Blue Meridian a "self-marketing-machine." "I think
what he was getting at, is that I'm often busting my ass trying to make many
of our shows unique events. I can understand a fan getting bored with seeing
the same show over and over, so I try to do things like band/fan BBQs, movie
screenings, after parties, album listening parties, DVD viewings, etc. All
in association with shows. I'm all about promoting." Blue Meridian can be
heard at least a few times a month at various Los Angeles venues and they
regularly return to Florida for shows throughout the year. Lyman says that
he needs three things to feel like he has made it, "1. sign a good contract
with a great label. 2. Get a fair amount of radio play and exposure and 3.
Tour the world." For Lyman music isn't a hobby. It is who he is and what he
does-it's his version of a nine-to-five. His fans, who consistently show up
to every gig because they believe in his dream, would say that he has
already made it. Written by June Flaherty Illustration by Jennifer Schroeder For a more detailed list of gig's and all things Blue please visit their website at www.bluemeridian.net or the band's Myspace page at www.myspace.com/bluemeridian.
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Interview with Donovan Lyman feb 2006, Published october 2006
| 1. When were Blue Meridian formed as a band
and how did you all get to know each other in the first place and tell us
about the members of the band? Blue Meridian has been together for ages. Since we were mere lads back in 1994. I was DJing some college night at a bar in Winter Park, Florida. One of the managers there caught wind that I wrote and sang songs. He told me that he played lead guitar and asked if I wanted to "jam" some time. When we finally got together, he brought along a few other players. We made music for 9 hours that Saturday afternoon and agreed by the end of it, that we'd be a band. Now, 12 years later, I'm the only original member left. The drummer, Kevin Kirkwood stayed with the project for a whopping 10 years, but bowed out when I decided that the group should relocate to Los Angeles, California, 2 years ago. 2. Who have been the bands main influence musically and where do the band get it's ideas for the lyrics, are they taken out of everyday and personal experience? We all have our favorite artists. From the Beatles, Beach Boys, Elvis Costello, The Tragically Hip and so many more, but I don't think any of them helped shape our sound. When you're first getting started and don't yet have a direction, you can be very impressionable. Bands that were huge around the time we started may have had an influence on our early sound. Groups like Pearl Jam or Live, but by 1998, I'm pretty sure we'd developed our own sound. The comparisons that we've gotten over the years have been so diverse, I think it's evident that we don't sound like anyone in particular. Just Blue Meridian. Lyrically, there's no set pattern either. Some songs I write the lyrics first, some I write the lyrics last. Some songs are about or inspired by actual people or events, some were taken from the paper or history books. Most are created using my minds eye. Most of my best love songs, for example aren't about real girls. It's a love story that I invent in my head. There are exceptions though. 3. The band have got 4 albums under it's belt so far, the last one, Minerva, released in 2003. How's the musical journey thru each album been for the band and to progress a long side of that journey? Creativity, like life can progress in cycles. When we first started, we had no desire to be world famous. We just wanted to make music and have fun with it, but then we started making albums and the powers-that-be saw amazing potential and put the idea in our heads that we could be world famous. "Minerva" and the album before it, "Brave Angel" were the result of me writing for radio, but trying to retain as much artistic integrity as possible. That can be exhausting. So with the fifth album that will be released later this year, "Avalon and Babylon and Me", I decided to go back to writing for me. The songs aren't snappy, catchy, three minute radio songs, they are whatever they wanted to develop into. Some of my favorites are six minutes long. Ironically, this album so far has generated a great deal of attention and interest from the music business. 4. Has there been any interest from any record labels for the band from Japan and Europe? We've been told a couple of scouts might be coming to see us on March 9 in London, but that's about it. Well, one of the more important people at the Reading Festival also expressed interest in putting us on the mainstage, but we'll see about that. Overall, shows in Europe have been a new thing for us. We toured there for the first time 8 months ago. We're returning next month, in March and going back for a 3rd time in September. We're serious about making an impact over there and it's working so far. We've never been to Japan. 5. There's scheduled two releases this year from the you and the band called, Avalon & Babylon & Me, and the other, Skint & Shattered. Are both of them gonna be released the same time and would it all be under the moniker Blue Meridian and has any release date been set yet? The Avalon album will be a solo project for me actually. It would be too much of an unnecessary departure for Blue Meridian. It's also very personal. More than the other records. I hope to release it before the September tour. The other album, "Skint and Shattered," probably won't be released in 2006, but we will begin it before years end. I'd expect a 2007 release for that one. That disc will feature all of the songs I've written since moving to California with the new lineup. It will be our most aggressive album overall. We're excited about it. 6. The band were in the U.K. back in August 2005 for a tour, how did that go and how's the crowd in the U.K. compared to the crowd in L.A. when the band plays and also the band are coming over a second time around in March, there seems to be a demand to see the band over here in Europe? Yes, there's an interest. I don't know if I'd call it a "demand" just yet, but I'm hopeful. For a first time, we were very happy with the size and enthusiasm from the crowds, we expect it to be even larger in March. It's very exciting creating something from nothing. For the most part, the UK didn't know who we were a year ago. Now we have a couple thousand fans over there. 7. You recently signed a deal with Universal Music Publishing Service. How did that deal come about and what doors does that open for your own career and the band and are you already scheduled to write for some well known artists/bands? Many people are confused about what that deal means exactly, so I'm glad you asked. I was signed as an artist more than as a songwriter. Their goal is to place my music on TV and on film soundtracks. So far no placements, but it's only a couple months old. They seem confident. They don't sign artists to these deals to meet quotas, like with many recording contracts. They sign only what they feel they can use. If they ask me to write for an established act, I'll certainly welcome the challenge and the paycheck, but mostly we're just hoping that the placement of one of our songs will open many international doors for us as a band. It would be lovely to see our audience triple overnight. 8. What's the bands personal point of view on today's music industry and the general music scene as it's seen on MTV and heard on the mainstream radio stations? Music a few years ago, left a lot to be desired. Hip Hop and Rap have taken over pop and Metal has taken over rock. The other commercially viable alternative is power pop or punky pop, but all of those bands are hard to tell apart. Recently the Damain Rices, James Blunts, David Grays, Coldplays, etc have really brought quality songwriting back into the game and that has increased our chances dramatically. For the first time in ages, some of the music out there is emotionally charged and passionate, often intelligent and melodic. That can only be a good thing. 9. Hows the local area where the band hails from when it comes to get gigs to play and get played on the local radio stations? We were very fortunate to come from Orlando, Florida. That place had a great music scene and if the scene is good and big enough, it's impossible for radio and the press to not take notice and embrace/encourage it. We've been played on the radio back there more than 2,000 times. It really helped us develop an impressive fanbase quickly. The great show opportunities and everything else just fell into place. 10. What's been the bands best moments in it's short time of existence and so far do the band itself feel it's been a struggle to get to where the band is now and how much influence have the fans played in this process? Anything worth having is worth working hard for. I wouldn't call it a struggle though. It's been more of a pleasure than a struggle. I wouldn't pour this much energy into something I didn't love or believe in. Best moments? I thought our first tour of England, our first tour of California were way up there. When the Hard Rock Cafe bought one of my guitars to hang in their cafe in Florida, I thought that was a lovely thing. The contract with Universal may very well prove another huge accomplishment. The fans play a huge part in everything. They have more power to motivate or dishearten than they probably realize. When we were struggling (ooh, I guess there was a struggle) to raise the money to record Minerva, fans stepped forth and offered as much as $5,000.00 to help us afford it. When the fans show up and pack a room, we put on our best shows. The fans are everything. 11. What does the future hold for the band at this moment in time, any plans of touring in the progress beside the one in the U.K.? There's so much we want to do and so little time. On our "to do" list we've got, 1. release these albums 2. play New York City again 3. Play Chicago for the first time 4. Tour Texas. 5. Tour the Northwest 6. Tour the UK as much as possible and get over to Germany 7. South Africa 8. Australia 12. Any last words to the fans/people out there here in the end? Support Indie Music. There you'll find the largest group of the last of us that still do it for the art. There are two types of artists. Starving ones and Multi-Zillionaires. Help create a middle ground by supporting indie music. When sales of the albums do more than just pay for themselves, when they help make rent of put food on the table, then more time can be devoted to them.. and the art improves. If you've read this far, it's because you care and for that... we'll always be grateful. -Donovan Lyman |
Blue Meridian
May, 2005
Orlando Weekly
2005 UK Tour Documentary DVD Review
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Keep in mind, this was
written by Jason Ferguson. The music editor for the Orlando Weekly in
Central Florida. This man is responsible for 98f the negative press that
we've ever received. For him to have anything good to say about us
whatsoever is a minor miracle. Some reviewers write nothing but fluff.
They seem to praise everything for fear of making enemies. Some inject
some critical point of view into their articles to elevate themselves from
the fluff realm into what most would consider "serious journalism". Some
take it too far. We're just glad he watched the damn thing. He didn't
mention that he laughed, but we're sure he did.
Blue Meridian just released a DVD of their 2005 U.K.
tour, cleverly titled 2005 United Kingdom Tour Documentary.
Although Blue Meridian technically isnt an Orlando band anymore, having
made their way to the City of Angels in pursuit of fame and fortune, the
effect of their incredibly long run as poll-winning self-marketing
machines lingers over the City Beautiful. Say what you will, but
Blue Meridian pulled off what few Orlando bands have a 17-show run through
the U.K. that met with better-than-average response. But that doesnt make
up for the numbingly self-aggrandizing tone of the DVD, nor the sheer
inanity of what they decided to include driving on the wrong side! The van
breaks down! We eat funny food! Donovan Lyman wears a shirt that says
Donovan! I think whats most hilarious (and sad) about this DVD is that it
proves that one of the greatest obstacles facing so many bands these days
is a deeply held belief that they are the first band to ever do
anything.
Copies of the One hour DVD featuring loads of bonus materials, along with a few FREE band pins will be mailed directly to yout door (in the continental U.S.) for $15, shipping included. For those of you in the UK, send 10 pounds. Use either www.paypal.com and send funds to Raggedstar@aol.com or send us an email to inquire about mailing a money order. Your support is sincerely appreciated.
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Blue Meridian
November 26th, 2005
Back Booth Orlando
| This Orlando band has been creating
a following out in L.A. the past few years so the crowd @ the Back Booth that
night had been long awaiting Blue Meridian's return to Central Florida. It was unfortunate the set got cut down from the promised 1hour+ but that was of no fault to the band. Headliners @ local shows should never play last. If U R on tour and U R Lenny Kravitz then U control who plays what and can play as long as U like. Most local bands - even those with the success of Blue Meridian - are often plagued by late starting opening acts, last minute acts, that eat away performance time or push a performance back into the wee hours of the morning when only the die hard fans and reviewers stick around and they lose a chance to play for new folks. But I guess its better they left their Orlando fans wanting more than to have over stayed their welcome. Blue Meridian has been worth the wait. Guest Bassist Lauren Lee filled in for the night and additional vocals were provided by Ben Badger. With so many great songs from multiple albums its no wonder Universal bought up a chunk. Their talent doesn't stop with their ability to churn out a multitude of solid work but to take that work and constantly morph it into different versions of itself. We've been enjoying an exclusive acoustic version of Royally Blue on Q's House Internet Radio but the full band rock version, while equally enjoyable, is a completely different song. Props to lead guitarist Chadwick Steinmetz for using his guitar neck as cigarette holder. Want to hear more Blue Meridian? Pick a CD - they have plenty and all have enough good songs on each to make it worth your while. Don't wait around for them to get big before picking up their CDs or sporting a tour shirt. Blue Meridian is already happening. Those of us in Orlando are crossing our fingers for the band's quick return but until them we remain - Royally Blue.
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