When Misty Gonzales moved to L.A. a few years ago to give things a go after a short time in San Diego, the multi-talented singer/songwriter received an inspirational bit of wisdom from an industry executive at a conference: "There's one type of person who doesn't succeed in the music business and that's the one who gives up too soon."
The momentum "the hippie rock queen"--as she has been described by Music Connection magazine, which chose her as one of their Top 100 artists of both 2009 and 2010--in 2011 is turning that line into exciting career prophecy. Her highly anticipated shows at Key Club on Sunset Strip February 2 and 23 doubles as a release party for her infectious 3-song EP Hummingbird, a teaser for Rock & Roll Freedom Show, her full length debut on her indie label FREEDOM CHILD ENTERTAINMENT, due in April. Her partner in the company is Tom Wilson, owner of radio and television stations across the country.
Highlighted by its first single "Freedom Child," an emotionally moving song about postwar stress experienced by soldiers and the freedom they fight for which allows us as Americans to pursue our dreams, was produced by Grammy nominee Warren Huart, who has produced such names as The Fray, James Blunt and Daniel Powter. Misty is shooting a music video for "Freedom Child," complete with dramatic combat scenes, out in the California desert in mid-January.
The uplifting, nurturing songs on Rock & Roll Freedom Show harken back to an era when songwriters wrote about deep, meaningful issues and being a freewheeling spirit was an asset not a curse. Misty describes her parents as hippies and was raised in Colorado on classic rock bands like Led Zeppelin, the Eagles, and The Doobie Brothers. Inspired in part by the Beatles ‘Love' Cirque du Soleil show at the Mirage in Las Vegas, the exciting visual stage show she has created around the collection is an extension of the contemporary flair she brings to this nostalgic vibe.
As she segues seamlessly from song to song, the singer is surrounded onstage by dynamic lighting and compelling visuals of aerialists, unicyclists, hula hoop dancers, pole dancers, a stilt walker-and you have to check it out to see what else! She sees this larger production as one that can be staged in different cities for extended runs in mid-sized theatres between regular tours just spotlighting Misty as a solo artist with her live band.
In addition to shows at the Key Club on February 2 and 23, Misty will be making her South By Southwest(SXSW) debut March 18 at Touche in Austin, Texas and will perform at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland on March 24.
Until Misty's growing legion of fans around the world--which she affectionately dubs her "freedom children"--can experience Misty live, they can hear her songs in a wide variety of TV shows and films, including: the award-winning documentary "Beauty 24," California Highway Patrol's "Every 15 Minutes" program, Nickelodeon's hit show "Degrassi" and the feature film "Bring It On 5: Fight to the Finish." Misty recently signed licensing contracts with MTV to feature her original songs on TV shows such as "The Hills," "Tough Love," "Cribs," "Teen Cribs," "True Life," "My Life As Liz," "My Super Sweet 16," and "World of Jenks." She also has music videos airing in the U.S., Canada and Australia and has been honored with ASCAP's Lester Sills Songwriting Award.
"After evolving to discover my true voice as an artist," she says, "Rock & Roll Freedom Show is my way of being honest to my roots in music and the artists that inspired me. I'm being upfront and true to myself both as a writer and vocally. Earned wisdom and living some life has given me the courage to present the real me to the world. We're living in a time where reality TV and materialism and the ‘all about me' mentality sets a nonsensical pace that we can't keep up with. But strip away all that and our addiction to technology and the truth is, we're human beings seeking the same things people were seeking back in the 70s - love for oneself, love for one another, and an awakening to the emotions of war, our country and government.
"All of that makes me realize that in essence, we're living in a parallel age to rock and roll's golden years, and that's the feeling I'm communicating on the album. My final admission is "Can't Find My Way Alone" because at the end of the day, we can't do everything by ourselves. We do need one another. "Hummingbird" is a song dedicated to the strength and power of a mother's love. It's my mother's favorite bird. "Go Getter" is about me pursuing my dream and trying to stay true to myself in a challenging industry. Rock and Roll Freedom Show is a journey through all that. It's the learning experience of life; love and wisdom which helps us realize these deeper truths. My personal journey has had its share of struggles, with many tears and times when I slept in my car to survive, but overall it's been a beautiful one that I am thankful for."
