'For My City' just RELEASED!

I just RELEASED the single 'For My City', a song with a sound you have never heard from me before!

This song was ultimate culmination of what brought me and Subwolfaa, from Green Room Studios, together. It has the signature guitar in there but also has that straight pop-anthem beat. The song is possibly going to be played in an arena and stadium in the area! We are still in talks but not enough information to go further in-depth on that.

You can pick up 'For My City' RIGHT HERE where you name YOUR own PRICE!

You can also check out the lyrics and meaning behind the song on my BLOG post HERE!

Much Love,
Stephen

Stephen Heller is Building Bridges by Serf

A couple of years back we did an interview with Indie pop artist Stephen Heller who proved to be as much a business man as a musician. We gravitated to this young artist because we quickly recognized his passion for the job in every way. Reading BandChi! interviews there's no way to escape the fact that our underlying theme is, 'what makes Indie Artists successful'.

While five thousand new artists have become casualties over the past two years (probably a lot more), Stephen Heller has kept his mind on business and continued to move his agenda forward. His most recent work, Burning Bridges, is set to release August 31st. Singles are being released weekly in a strategic effort to drive awareness for the full release. Another great marketing tool employed by a smart Independent musician.

He gets up early and stays up late promoting and contacting fans. He earned the title "Man for His Fans" while recording at Green Room Studios, Waldorf, Maryland. Back in the summer of 2008 Stephen set out on an aggressive East Coast Tour. He had a handful of songs and a strong acoustic show that he booked in strategic locations up and down the coast. We put him up for a couple of days on his pass through Florida. If he didn't have a show booked, he worked all day to find one. On a couple of occasions he even played open mics in the area to continue building his exposure. We witnessed first hand how aggressive this guy really is and how he genuinely works for a living.

Any artist that has done a self supporting tour knows how challenging and stressful the experience can be. After several months of performances, he settled back into his home near Annapolis, Maryland. There his sister, Casey Heller Curcio, a talented R&B singer, encouraged him to pitch in at the studio where she had been recording. They decided to work up one of his songs and in about three hours managed to lay the foundation for his first track. It was the first time he had worked with a professional producer, Adolph Wright III, known as Subwolfaa, and the results were impressive.

This wouldn't be the first time Stephen had worked with family. His father recorded tracks with him on his first solo effort, From East to West back in 2007. Those tracks, just like these new ones, are filled with great stories around the experience. What is most important to note is that Stephen comes from a background of professional musicians who are not only talented but understand the lifestyle. Stephen will be the first to tell you that being a successful Indie artist is not a 9-5 job; it's a never ending parade of tasks and efforts working to move one step closer to success. Plus, having his sister's awesome voice on this album is a special treat for fans and a little more assurance his music will find broader appeal.

Stephen spent several months practically living at the studio, pitching in to help on other projects while working feverishly to get his own material ready for release. What quickly became apparent was the diversity in these tracks. Who could imagine recording acoustic pop at an R&B and HipHop studio without coming away with some distinct influences? While most artists flee the idea of diversity in their music, Stephen is wise enough to know that the diversity is his best marketing angle.

The title track Burning Bridges, which was released as a single June 22nd, is a quick reminder of the old Stephen Heller, only this time around with the quality of production his music aptly deserves. What was once a smooth acoustic feel has given way to strong backing vocals and accentuated percussion sections that really make the song come to life. Moving through the album we hear Stephen's impressive vocals, creative arrangements and touching lyrics that drive home his passion for the craft.

The album in total has a really strong pop appeal with a nice blend of R&B and HipHop production that brings the sound into the mainstream of modern music. By releasing the tracks as singles Stephen is able to take advantage of the breadth of markets these songs can penetrate. Rearview, with backing vocals by Casey, has strong pop appeal while You Said to Me, dropping as a single August 10th, could end up topping out on Americana charts. All of that while For My City, a distinctively HipHop track to be released August 24th, has already gained positive attention; though an obvious departure from the Stephen Heller style. Burning Bridges, due August 31st, is a reward for long time Heller fans in some cases and a paradigm shift in others. Regardless, the guy is smart, talented, industrious and diligent. We expect to see Stephen go a long way.

Stephen Heller will be touring again this fall in support of Burning Bridges. Watch for concert dates and check out the pre-release clips on his web site at www.stephenhellermusic.com

Pre-sale just announced

Download YOUR copy of the album this Friday.

Join the mailing list @ http://stephenhellermusic.com to get the details emailed directly to YOU!

Much Love,
Stephen

'For My City' Lyrics and Meaning

I wrote 'For My City' about my drive to make it in the music industry and made the analogy with the military and their drive to complete their objectives. I have family members in all branches and have nothing but great respect for anyone in the military so I felt like I needed a song to show my appreciation for what they do!

For My City

I said my soul's for the city,

And I march left right left to its heartbeat,

And its cadence is pounding my chest in,

Cuz if I don't make it than this will never happen,

I do it for the love, it's my passion,

Any other way I couldn't even imagine,

I got a destination in mind,

If you feel inspired shout your battle cry,

It's too late, I'm too proud,

To stop now, to shut 'em down,

And I'm tired of patiently waiting,

So now it's my time to rock the nation,

I go hard for my city,

I won't let you down if you're rolling with me,

We're gonna fly go zero to sixty,

Push the pedal to the metal get lifted,

We're coming right for ya,

True champions we take over,

We run this I told ya,

We are soldiers, we take over

This is our pride our blood our sweat and tears,

We put our lives on the line so there's nothing to fear,

We lay 'em down in the trenches,

Only thing between us is dirt and inches,

Because we're bad as we want to be,

Especially when we're gonna be,

Take our oaths and fighting for our country,

Butterfly sting like bee, we're gonna make it or die trying,

And it's been too long, I'm too strong,

To stop now, to 'em down,

And I'm tired of patiently waiting,

So now it's my time to rock the nations,

I go hard for my city,

I won't let you down if you're rolling with me,

We're gonna fly go zero to sixty,

Push the pedal to the metal get lifted,

We're coming right for ya,

True champions we take over,

We run this I told ya,

We are soldiers, we take over

'You Said to Me' Lyrics

This song is written about the love of my life and the girl that I am engaged to! The lyrics are written about things that actually happened and words that were said to one another. Enjoy!

You Said to Me
Never seen a smile on a face,
As wide as the one I saw yesterday,

When I told you "I love you"

You said to me, "I get butterflies,"

When I look deep into your eyes,

And with these words my heart skips a beat,

            I feel the warmth of your skin,

            And the touch of your lips,

            Just never thought I fall in love again,
            And with you at my fingertips,

Never seemed to care about the time,

With your body laying next to mine,

I know the words you left unsaid,

You said to me, "The glow of the sun just past by the horizon,"
And now the world comes to life again,

            I feel the warmth of your skin,

            And the touch of your lips,

            Just never thought I fall in love again,
            And with you at my fingertips,

I feel the wind blowing,

The city streets below me,

With you my world moves slowly,

Followed by silence,

            I feel the warmth of your skin,

            And the touch of your lips,

            Just never thought I fall in love again,
            And with you at my fingertips,

I knew that  I'd fall in love!

'You Said to Me' Single Release

The song 'You Said to Me' (album version) is released TODAY!

Stop by the website and pick it up at http://StephenHellerMusic.com.

YOU CHOOSE the PRICE!!!

Much Love,
Stephen

CD Release Party Announced!

The CD Release Party has been scheduled for Castlebay in downtown Annapolis, MD at 9pm on Aug. 27th!

I am so excited for the release of this album. It has been a long time in the making.

For those on the mailing list you will be able to download an early release of the album that same day!

I hope you are all as excited as I am.

Much love,
Stephen

MySpace contest Top 5!

I want to thank everyone who voted in the "Rock the Space"!

Unfortunately we didn't get the most votes but we did get in the Top 5 of the some 3000+ bands that entered!

Again, I greatly appreciate the support.

Much Love,
Stephen

Review of a show!!!

Everyone has them, bands and musicians that have requested to be your friend on Facebook or MySpace.  Requests accepted to increase your numbers or because you like the idea of being friends with so many musicians and the cool points that you may earn in the realm of the online social network.  I'm one of those people.  I genuinely know a bunch of the bands that I have friended, having attended and photographed shows, but too I have added numerous artists under the guise of listening to their music based upon something as superficial as the way that they looked on their page.  In other words, I added them as a friend because they were visually appealing (insert HOT here) and not on the merits of their craft, i.e. music.  Admittedly this is the reason that I added Stephen Heller as a friend on MySpace.  (He is easy on the eyes.)  This, however, is not why he will remain on my friends list.

Last night I went to check out a show that Stephen was playing in Annapolis at the Sly Fox Pub.  I arrived a little before show time to meet with and discuss some items that he and I had previously discussed via email.  I found him very sweet and a joy to interact with and was hopeful that his demeanor would carry over to the stage.  I was not disappointed.  He pours himself into every song he sings, projecting to each and every person in the audience.  I am still in awe of the sound and performance that this one man delivers using only his voice and a guitar.  The word "amazing" does not due the experience justice, though addictive is more accurate.  Performing renditions of songs that I never thought I hear coming from a "white guy with a guitar", I was instantly mesmerized by "Heartless" (Kanye West) and "Baby Got Back" (Sir Mix-a-Lot).  I thought they were just going to be teasers to re-engage a potentially waning interest from the audience, the tunes were performed as part of the show and I will never hear them the same again.  His original music is heartfelt and poignant, stories and situations that everyone can relate to.  He sings of "Burning Bridges" and all I can think is that burning bridges has never sounded so good or been such an enjoyable experience.

Stephen Heller is mesmerizing behind the microphone but he is equally as impressive in the crowd; talking with anyone who wants to say hello, taking pictures with fans and making the time for those that are helping to live his dream of writing and performing music.  I would encourage anyone I know to check out his live show, bring some friends and have a blast.  You will not be disappointed in the least and will be counting the days until the next performance.