Amber Rose and D.

One of the more popular acts to appear in Java City over these past six years has been the duet “Amber Rose and D” which consists of song-stylist and songwriter, Amber Rose Velotta and well-known singer guitarist, Dana Hester. As a duet, they always pull in a large crowd and the feedback is always positive with comments like “they are awesome!” and “bring them back again.” Amber Rose and Dana are appearing all over Bowling Green lately so, I just had to sit down and learn more about them.

I know you two are currently based in Nashville but, can you tell us a bit

about your personal and musical histories?

AMBER: I’m currently living in Bowling Green KY, having just moved here from Portland, TN last year. I am originally from Biddeford Maine. I began performing at the age of five. I started making money at twelve singing and playing the piano for weddings and funerals. I will be re-locating to Nashville the summer of 2009 to continue my work as an individual artist and save a little gas money.

DANA: I live northeast of Nashville in a little town called Castalian Springs where I scratch out a living as an organic vegetable farmer, commercial embroidery designer, recording studio owner and part time musician. Before that, I worked in the television industry for almost 20 years. I’ve been playing guitar since I was 14 years old and have been in many bands over the years playing guitar, bass, keyboards, and mandolin. Back in the mid 1990’s I was playing bass in a rock band that was actively trying to get a record deal by showcasing and playing all over the Southeastern U.S. Even though we never got the recording contract, we did open for .38 Special in front of about 17,000 screaming fans in Lexington, KY.

How did you get started performing together? Who have you worked with

before?

AMBER: During the Bowling Green Balloon Fest in 2007, Dana pulled me on stage to help sing “Sweet Home Alabama” with his band, EXIT 4. We exchanged numbers and began working together as an acoustic duo (Amber Rose & D) and now have a full band called “The Thornz”.

DANA:I was pretty active in the Bowling Green music scene when I lived there from 1984 to 1990, so I knew and played with some of the musicians from that time who still are around today like Marc Owens, Ernest Raymer, Fenner Castner, and Tommy Womack. When I heard Amber singing at the Balloon Festival, I knew she was someone I wanted to work with because she has the look and the voice that people remember.

What bands or individual musicians have influenced you as musicians?

AMBER: Whitney Houston was my very first influence as a child. The sound of her voice gave me chills.

DANA: Since my formative years were from the late 1970’s and early 1980’s it was great bands from that era that shaped who I am as a musician: KISS, Eagles, Ramones, Journey, Boston, Tom Petty, Blondie, Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin and I’m heavily influenced by The Beatles, Hendrix, Clapton and CSN&Y from the 1960’s.

How would you define your particular sound?

AMBER: I’d say we have a bit of everything mixed within our sound. From pop to blues…country to rock!!

DANA: When Amber and I first got together and were discussing what type of songs we wanted to perform, she offered up some recent country and pop tunes and I had a long list of classics that I wanted to try n we found a happy mix of all types of music that not too many other people were performing and we’ve exposed each other to some great songs we didn’t know about before. For example, she had never heard the song “Free Ride” by Edgar Winter Group, but now loves performing it and I was not familiar with anything Carrie Underwood sang, but we added a couple of her tunes to our growing list of songs.

What is your favorite sort of gig? What is your least favorite? Where

are you playing locally in Bowling Green?

AMBER: I love all gigs whether it’s in a coffee shop or on a big lit-up stage downtown. I personally favor performing when there are lots of people around enjoying themselves. Nothing’s better than pleasing a big crowd with your talent.

DANA: The gigs where people actually pay some attention to you are nice. I’ve been playing for so long and paid my dues doing a LOT of free shows; so it’s always a bonus when you can get paid. One of the reasons we don’t play in Nashville that much is because the competition is immense and clubs don’t want to pay musicians n they don’t have to because there is a huge supply of people trying to “make it”.

As a duo, we’ve played at 440 Main (Micki’s on Main), Java City at WKU’s library, WKU’s Downing University Center and a few benefit shows for charity.

When we play with “The Thornz”, we’re trying to play in as many clubs in Bowling Green as we can: The Stillwater, Miss Kitty’s, 440 Main, Motor City, Utley’s and we plan to hit more clubs after the first of the year.

I notice you do a lot of covers during your sets. Do you write your own

material? Do you think presenting original music helps or hinders your

getting gigs?

AMBER: I have been writing music since I was about 13. We play a few originals and do notice that people really seem to like music they have never heard before. I do believe it would help get gigs and help us become different from any other band around. I’m sure in time we will have many more originals in our sets.

DANA: I would say the majority of my music career has been spent in cover bands. If you want to get hired for wedding receptions and corporate parties, you have to play songs people are familiar with and will dance to. But I have also really enjoyed some of the original bands I’ve played in and I like Amber’s songwriting, so I hope we can add more to our list n you can’t be original and have your own voice without performing your own songs. I think original material is fine in some clubs if that’s what they are used to, but I’ve played in clubs where the crowd left because you didn’t know any of their pop song requests.

I have dabbled in songwriting over the years and I plan to create a whole CD of my own songs in the coming year. Songwriting is something that doesn’t come that naturally to me, although I do enjoy coming up with chord patterns and melodies.

(If it applies) Can you talk a bit about being songwriters and

arrangers? What inspires you? How do you craft your material so as to

fit into your band? What steps do take? I’m sure younger musicians would

like to know.

AMBER: With writing a song: I always start out with a catchy hook idea or title. Once I have at least that much started, I begin to work on the melody. Creating a melody seems to be my strongest part of songwriting. I have also co-written with several other people with very different styles. Every song I have brought to Dana and the band, I’ve been more than happy with the results. It gives me such a good feeling inside to hear a song I’ve written being played for the first time by some very talented people.

DANA: Because I’m a guitar picker and a piano player, when I do write a song, I almost always start with a chord pattern or a riff I stumble across while playing. Then I try to come up with a theme for the song and make the words fit in the chord structure.

What do you see for the future of the independent musical performer?

AMBER: It’s hard to tell what the future holds for independent performers, but I can say that I would love to see much more real talent back on the stage. Over the last ten years or so people have become too carried away with a pretty face and a nice “badonkadonk” to worry whether they have the singing talent or not. Today’s technology in the studio can just about make anyone sound like a million dollars. I hope the future holds open some spots for those who are full of pure talent, those who sing from the heart and work hard to get to the top.

DANA: I think now is a great time to be an independent musical performer n you can actually carry a studio in your book bag and record anywhere! It’s a double edge sword, however, because there are a lot of bad songs and a lot of bad recordings out there, but if you practice and work at it and listen and learn, you can make great recordings of your songs that you can sell at shows without having the almighty record deal. There are a ton of people making a great living across the country playing clubs and selling CDs out of their car n if you are in it for the music and not the fame and fortune, you can be happy and successful.

I met you for the first time on MySpace. How does the Internet impact

your music?

AMBER: I think the internet is huge in the music world. It has helped some individual artists and bands get record deals. Or if you’re like us, you can use it for finding and promoting local gigs. I don’t know how we ever lived without the internet.

DANA: As someone who grew up without the internet, I can tell you the impact it has made on my life n I spend more time on my computer than practicing my guitar! I live and die by email, but I have a love/hate relationship with MySpace. I love that it is free to users and that you can find almost any type of music and band out there and connect with your fans. But I hate all the garbage ads, graphic-heavy messages and the competition to have the most “friends” and views than anyone else to gauge your popularity or significance in the music world. By the way, you can reach us at www.myspace.com/amberroseandd or www.myspace.com/thethornzbg.

Where do you want to go with your music say, in the next five years?

AMBER: In the next five years I would love to reach many of the goals I’ve set as an artist and songwriter, but over all, I want to still be playing in front of as many people as I possibly can. It will be a good long time before I’m ready to put the microphone down.

DANA: Probably the same place I’ve been in the last 5 years, making music with a lot of different people, recording, performing, writing, and hopefully making some money in the process to support my guitar-buying habit (I own thirteen as of this writing!).

Do you have a CD available? Are you currently working on a project?

AMBER: I have recently signed to a development contract in Nashville. We are in the process of putting together a demo of original songs and everything else that you would need to enter a record label’s door: a bio, promotional materials and a professional photograph. I’m very happy to be able to have “Amber Rose & D” and “The Thornz” here in Bowling Green, and my Nashville project going non-stop every day. It sure keeps me busy.

DANA: I’m in four bands right now, so with my and Amber’s schedules, we haven’t been able to record a CD for sale. I’m ecstatic to be working with Amber; you don’t come across such a natural vocal talent like hers every day, so I’m enjoying it while I can. I hope to have a CD of my own material by next year, and I’m sure you will hear Amber and many of my other favorite local singers on there as well. The best way to hear us is by coming to one of our shows n Amber plays a mean conga drum, too!

You don’t come across the likes of Amber rose and D everyday either. I’m sure that one day those of us who’ve heard them will be saying “I knew them when …”

Jack Montgomery is a librarian, author and associate professor at Western Kentucky University where he handles bookings for musical acts in University Libraries, Java City coffeehouse. Jack has also been a professional musician since 1969 and performs with a local folk duet called “Shadowdancer” with Graham Hudspeth.