Happy 21st Birthday, Tom and Bill Kaulitz

Happy Birthday, Tom and Bill Kaulitz!

There are certain milestone birthdays that inspire major celebration. Turning 21 years old is up there on the list for major fanfare.  And why not? For most places, in the U.S., 21 years old is the legal age to be considered an adult.  The twins of Tokio Hotel have entered the new phase of life - welcome to adulthood, guys.

In tribute to this day, we have an interview from Martin Kierszenbaum, who is a key component in the Tokio Hotel phenonmenon around the world.  Martin is the is head of A&R at Interscope Records and president of Interscope’s subsidiary Cherrytree Records. He was gracious with his time to answer a few of our burning questions.

NTO: I (Michelle) have a daughter who wants to be a film director. Advice given to her is not to major in film directing, instead take a curriculum that is broad and well-rounded. So applying this advice to the music industry, what would you tell a college bound teen who wants to be on the management side of the music industry?


Tricia, Eileen-her daughter, Martin

MARTIN: I believe you need both to pursue a career in your field of choice: a general, well-rounded education to develop things like writing skills, organizational abilities, finishing an assignment, working in teams, navigating an administrative system, mastering general math and gaining a basic understanding of arts and sciences. In addition, you need to study and develop your knowledge of your particular field so you can function effectively and achieve within its discipline. The latter can usually be done on-the-field while the former acts as a base. However, I’ve found that it’s best to try and develop a measure of both simultaneously by getting on-the-field experience (through a job, internship and/or independent research, for instance) while pursuing your studies at the same time, if possible.

NTO: How would you describe the landscape of the music or music recording industry? Are you a "glass is half full", "glass is half empty", or "stop your whining" type of person?

MARTIN: Ever since I entered the recording industry, I’ve been hearing “well, kid, you missed the heyday of the music business.” And yet, I’ve managed to make a career in it and work in what I love. I’m grateful I’ve been able to work with artists, producers and executives who have had long careers and they’ve taught me that if you work hard and do good work, there will be a demand for it. My father instilled this in me by example from an early age too. I believe music is beautiful. It inspires and nourishes the human soul. There will always be a place for music. The means of making and distributing it may evolve but music is an essential. I love music and I’m committed to protecting it and the artists that make it. I’m also excited by the ability to communicate directly with the audience and learn more about how they want to absorb music.

Swedish pop star - Robyn

NTO: CT is the only record company that we've registered with and follow online. The online presence has helped create the brand loyalty and introduced us to other singers like Robyn, Lady Gaga, and La Roux. Who is the worker bee behind the online strategy? (By the way, love the acoustic sessions on the website!)

MARTIN: Thank you. It’s an honor to hear this from you. Cherrytree functions under a philosophy that information should flow both ways: from our artists and us to our audience and from our audience to our artists and us. The more direct the communication, the deeper the relationship and the more satisfying it is for both. The team here at Cherrytree -a wonderful group of individuals with whom I have the pleasure to work every day - is very interested in receiving information from our audience about what music they want to hear and how they want to hear it. We treasure that relationship and work hard to provide exclusive entertainment and information back to our audience. Our artists’ creativity drive the content. I’m also very involved in the content creation, as is the whole team. The editorial is created and shaped by our personal “pop alternative” taste and I think you can feel that through CherrytreeRecords.com and CherrytreeRadio.com. There’s no way to concoct that feeling. It entails sleeping very little and working really hard to think of entertaining ideas, initiatives, contests, “’treeflips,” web episodes, videos, etc. But it’s what we love doing. We want to make CherrytreeRecords.com a robust entertainment and cultural experience.

NTO: Unfortunately, Michelle missed the wonderful meet up you held recently at the El Adobe. I (Tricia) attended and captured the experience on the blog. Will there be others, whether in L.A. or elsewhere? (Since Michelle’s an east coaster)

MARTIN: I hope so. I thought Cherrytree El Adobe was loads of fun and I’m thankful to our artists and our Rec’ers – our CherrytreeRecords.com community – for turning up and helping to create what was an extraordinarily special event.

NTO: What prompted you to step up and be founder of a record label? We'd love to have a bio to show your journey. It's one thing to think of something that huge, but to take the steps to do it and then have several years of success under your belt is a massive accomplishment. Kudos!

MARTIN: Well, thank you. I started as a musician and songwriter. My sister is a musician too. She and I grew up practicing, taking lessons and playing in ensembles. Writing songs and making music is when I still feel the happiest other than hanging out with my family and friends. As I was coming up, I realized that I also had a knack for interfacing with people on the music business side and on behalf of my fellow musicians (band members, writers etc.). I began to hone that ability at the same time I developed my music making skills. That led me to getting a job at a record company. That’s where I felt I could best apply both sets of skills. All of the most renown record companies were founded and run by creative individual: e.g., Barry Gordy, Herb Alpert, etc. I think that might be one of the reasons some of the best music was made around the time those individuals ran labels. Because they fostered an environment that encouraged artists to feel safe, free and push the creative envelope. I aspire to that every day even if I know I can’t come close to filling those gentlemen’s shoes.

NTO: Pardon our ignorance of the inner workings of the business. Would I, a singer or band, approach you with a CD and a letter asking you to listen to my work? Or do I have to come represented by a manager or some other professional? What is the typical way to get signed to CT?

MARTIN: Yes, you could. I’ve found that the best way to discover talented individuals is to just keep my antennae on and honed. A new artists can come from anywhere. That’s why I travel a lot and spend a lot of time researching and staying in communication with colleagues. We also check out submissions via our web site.

NTO: Our goal is to increase the band's exposure to the 25 year olds and up. We're not shy to say that we're in the 40+ group. Realizing that our demographics may not be online as much as a younger group or not be willing to register onto a fan forum, we started the blog (http://nto4tokiohotel.blogspot.com) as an easy introduction to us and the group.

MARTIN: Thank you for this support.

NTO: How did the first introduction to TH occur?

MARTIN: I caught a glimpse of their Scream video – German version – online and flipped my lid. I contacted them right away – via our friends at Universal Germany - and, luckily, convinced the group to sign to Cherrytree Records for the USA.

NTO: Were they the youngest artists you've ever worked with? Outside of general teen angst (bless you on that), are there any challenges to working with young artists?

MARTIN: I think t.A.T.u. were 16 and 17 when I signed them and I think TH must have been about the same age when I started working with them. We are very protective of our artists and their vision in general so, in that regard, their age doesn’t make a difference. The members of TH are very smart and make decisions in a very astute and measured way with the help of their management team. It’s a pleasure to work with them.

NTO: When you consider the breadth of their career (with more to come I'm sure), can you share how you feel about TH’s current and future success?

MARTIN: Tokio Hotel are really talented and true originals. As with all true originals – and these are rare – they will evolve, change and keep us interested and entertained. That bodes well for a long career and we’re pleased to have a chance to play a part in that.

NTO: Please feel free to share anything else that you'd deem appropriate for the blog.

MARTIN: I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in - and support of - Tokio Hotel, Cherrytree Records, our artist roster, CherrytreeRecords.com and CherrytreeRadio.com. Thanks too for inviting me to do this interview.

NTO: Thank you very much.

Strong Female Musical Artists of Cherrytree/Interscope

Tamar Kaprelian

As the Label for Tokio Hotel, Cherrytree Records is synonymous with independent artists and music. This is true for their strong female artists as well. Cherrytree supports several artists from their parent label, Interscope Geffen A&M Records. Two such artists performed at the Cherrytree All Hearts Tour launch party at El Adobe in July – Tamar Kaprelian and Kelis.

Tamar sang Raining In Paradise that day. Her voice struck me as so clear and honest. Nothing hidden, you knew exactly what she was feeling as she sang this moving ballad. My daughter, who is notoriously picky about music, loved her sound and in particular that song.

When the opportunity came to see her perform again, we both decided to make the trek in to L.A. to see her perform at French Connection at Bloomingdale’s in Santa Monica.

She began with Delicate Soul (beautiful!), and then treated us to a new song – Eye Of The Storm. The chorus was so haunting and sweet at the same time.

After this, Tamar sang New Day, a song featured on The Hills TV show. We heard this again after her break, and Eileen and I decided we both LOVE it!

Tamar has a lighter side, as well. Her next song, in which her guitarist participated, came from the Aladdin film, A Whole New World. While we were all really laughing about the song choice, she did a perfect rendition of this Disney classic. Only someone with a clear voice full of emotion can really pull this off.

And a final treat before her break was the title song from her upcoming album, Sinner Or A Saint.

Her second set included all the songs mentioned above plus Raining In Paradise and a cover of Free Falling. This set ended with a fan request to sing A Whole New World. Tamar makes a very convincing Jasmine!

When asked what influenced her music, Tamar credits the singers of the 70’s, such as Billy Joel and Sir Elton John. She sees her music as appealing to all age groups, from pre-teens on up. No barriers!

Mekela Lumbard, the West Coast Visual Coordinator for French Connection USA, was on hand for Tamar’s performance. Mekela commented that FC clothing has been around since the 70’s and knows no age barriers. We can see why Tamar and FC are a perfect fit. Tamar was sporting one of the brand’s little black skirts, and she looked exquisite!

Tamar grew up in Arizona and currently resides in California. She writes lyrics and plays the piano/keyboard. She finds inspiration for her songs in her life experiences, music she hears, and books she reads.

Her big break came when she entered a contest and won with a cover of Apologize. She first met Martin Kierszenbaum, President of Cherrytree Records, through Interscope’s A&R division which Martin also heads. Cherrytree and Interscope both support her artistry.

Her debut album, Sinner Or A Saint, arrives on August 24th. It includes 10 songs and one hidden track and can be found through iTunes, Wallmart, Best Buy, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.com (just to name a few).

So, contest time! Want to win a free copy of Tamar’s new album? How about an autographed picture as well, hmmm??? Comments left to this post will be entered to win a copy of Sinner Or A Saint and an autographed picture! Woot!

Outside The Comfort Zone

As we get older, it becomes more difficult to try new things, go new places, and leave that which we know for the great ‘unknown’. In this world we live in the now, where people change careers every 5 years, the idea of a Comfort Zone is being replaced as fast as we replace our computers and cell phones.

With all this new technology comes life at the speed of light – information appears faster. Communication via multi-media pushes us to reach farther, think broader, and stretch our boundaries.

My first baby steps into multi-media brought me stumbling into YouTube and a band called Tokio Hotel. From there, I hopped to pictures, blogs, TokioHotelAmerica.com, and CherrytreeRecords.com.

Websites these days must be very ‘busy’ to get the attention of the fickle music fan. On the Cherrytree site, there is chat, radio, interviews, videos, forums, fan art, etc. Everything you need to hear new music or find out more about your favorite Cherrytree artist (including Tokio Hotel!).

On July 23, Cherrytree Records held a launch party for the All Hearts Tour starring Robyn and Far East Movement, with Kelis and Dan Black. The headliners were all at the El Adobe in Los Angeles for the party, and performed for an intimate crowd of very happy fans! My daughter (Eileen) and I RSVP.’d and were on the list. We were so excited neither of us slept very well the day before!

We live about 2 hours from L.A., and it was a Friday. Californians know to leave PLENTY of time to get places. We ended up arriving early, and were one of the first 30 people or so into the event. Free margaritas (Cherry!) and food, with a yummy cherry topped cake as well.

And the best part of arriving early? They had swag bags, 2 to choose from, and one of the choices was a Tokio Hotel bag! I was already on cloud 9 before walking in the door!

When we walked inside there was a cute-as-a-button young lady waiting by a table with loads of free stickers and posters (Yes! More Tokio Hotel!). I received one of each, including these cool Lady Gaga chibi stickers. O.K., before I even meet one artist, I am floored. I snagged an I Heart Robyn sticker, hoping to get it to Michelle with a Robyn signature.

Eileen and I grab a couple of chairs that were left in the back (she has a couple of health issues and couldn’t stand for very long that day). Eileen gets something to eat, but I was way too happy to eat. Hey, maybe there’s a new diet program in this?!

And then? The parade of stars and fun begins! Collette Carr is there just being her usual bubbly self. And Far East Movement is already there and looking very….um….young and hip?

Eileen posed for a picture with the guys from Far East Movement.

Martin, Andrea, Dean, Natalia Kills, all mingling with the fans! I’m not even sure who performed first, but of course they were playing all music from Cherrytree artists. This included my favorite guys from Germany, Tokio Hotel.

<--Eileen and I with Martin  

I recall a moving song from Kelis. And then Far East Movement was up, with Collette as well! I was surprised by how much I liked them! I had never heard them before, but that was why I came, to really experience different music. These young people are so fearless and so passionate about their music. It was truly inspiring.

From there we hear some more from the DJ, with more Tokio Hotel! I remember constantly tweeting about how great it was to hear Tokio Hotel being played. At a party. In L.A.!

We heard from a few more artists that I had never heard before, and I was pleasantly surprised that I LOVED all the music. But the best was yet to come.

Robyn. What can I say to describe this woman live? She was incredible, she had people reaching for tissues. She’s a little blonde dynamo brimming with soul and a clear, honest voice. I can completely understand Michelle’s love of this artist now. Sooooo……what do you think, my friend? Are we planning another road trip to see Robyn together?

By the time Robyn came on (she was last – the best for last!) Eileen was not feeling so great, so I went up on my own (yikes!) to ask for Robyn’s autograph. A couple of people behind me in line were talking about how great it was to meet her, and then I heard them say, ‘I think we are the oldest people here!’. O_o Well, I turned around and smiled at them, and they got a great laugh out of it.

I got up to Robyn, and asked her to sign the sticker for Michelle. She asked for my name and I asked if she wouldn’t mind making it out to my very dear friend who was a very devoted fan. She asked me how to spell Michelle’s name, signed the sticker and took a picture with me! What a sweet woman!

By the time Robyn left, everyone had to leave for the concert, and we were leaving to go see a viewing of Tokio Hotel’s live DVD of their Humanoid City Tour.

I was able to meet Dean from Cherrytree and talk with him for a bit, and I met another wonderful friend from TokioHotelAmerica.

Eileen with Dean. --->

After one final pic with Space Cowboy and his wild shoes (neon pink!), we collect our car and head out. An event to remember! An experience outsize the ‘Comfort Zone’!