Post by diki03 on Dec 20, 2009 11:33:47 GMT -5
blogs.mcall.com/lehighvalleymusic/2009/12/talking-with-evan-taubenfeld-merry-swiftmas-singer-finds-hes-truly-gifted.html
Talking with Evan Taubenfeld: 'Merry Swiftmas' singer finds he's truly gifted
Posted by John J. Moser at 01:30:00 AM on December 20, 2009
Up-and-coming singer/songwriter Evan Taubenfeld was one of those artists who flew under the radar – he was Avril Levigne’s songwriting partner, toured with Metro Station [they played at Allentown’sCrocodile Rock Café in August] and has his debut album coming out on Warner Brothers Records this spring.
But all that changed a couple of weeks ago when he got the idea for a funny, holiday-themed song that would name a list of people in popular culture. He and songwriting partner Adam Richman, a 2000 Parkland High School graduate, wrote “Merry Swiftmas,” a sweet, folksy song in which the singer tells Santa he wants Swift as his Christmas present and lists other celebrities he won’t accept: Megan Fox, Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears or Scarlett Johanssan Lindsey Lohen.
Within 48 hours, they had the song uploaded on YouTube.
In the 13 days since, the song has become a cultural phenomenon of its own: more than 400,000 views on YouTube, Warner Brother rushing it to iTunes so it can be sold for Christmas, and a mad crush of publicity.
Among those who noticed was Swift, who within hours of the song being posted wrote on her Twitter account: “THIS makes me smile. ”
Taubenfeld talked about the song in call from his home in Los Angeles home last week:
I don’t know whether you know the connection, but Taylor Swift grew up 35 miles outside of Allentown, near Reading, Pennsylvania. She’s from our area.
“Oh, OK.”
Anyway, how do you feel about how quickly “Merry Swiftmas” has hit and how viral it’s become?
“It’s awesome, and we’re all really excited. The song’s doing really well on iTunes. I couldn’t be happier.”
Adam Richman, who’s also from Allentown, was a co-writer of the song?
“That’s right.”
Give me a little bit of an idea of the role he had in the whole thing.
“Richman is a close friend of mine. He’s co-written a lot of songs on my record and basically, he’s kind of like my go-to dude when I want to write new music. So I came up with this idea – I was working on a bunch of stuff – some stuff with Avril and some other songs for my record, and I was feeling pretty overwhelmed. So I called him and said, ‘Yo! Let’s do this one together. ‘ And we hopped on iChat and finished the song together.”
How did the whole idea of the song come to you? What was the genesis of it?
“I just wanted to have a funny Christmas song. I hate Christmas songs, usually, and I hate novelty music, usually. And I said, ‘Why don’t I take a shot at making something that’s going to be really funny and catchy but also kind of current and new. And what better way than to kind of name-check a bunch of celebrities and use Taylor Swift as the focus.”
And did you use Taylor Swift because she’s just such a cultural phenomenon right now? Or is she somebody you’re really into?
“I mean, I don’t think that there could be anyone bigger than her right now, you know? It seemed like a no-brainer. And then also, it’s like her name rhymes with ‘Santa for my gift/please send me Taylor Swift.’ And I also am like a really big fan of, uh, I think she’s an amazing songwriter and a really amazing singer and she seems like a really nice person, so it seemed like a good person to have the song centered around.”
When you and Adam were writing, did one of you in particular do all the lyrics, or did you write different lines?
“I sent him the blueprint for the song – I had started it, I had this chorus that had a bunch of girls names in it; the Emma Stone, the Amy Smart and all of that. And then we just started building on that together.”
You couldn’t point to specific lyrics that you wrote or that he wrote?
“That’s usually not how songwriting works. I think it does if you, maybe, are focusing on the wrong things. You know Richman and I have worked together for so long we just try to make good music.”
Tell me more about your and Adam’s relationship. How long have you worked together? What types of things have you done together?
“Well, Adam and I met about three years ago in New York. My manager sent me over to his place to write a song. And we just realized that we were very similar. We both came up in similar suburbs and similar family situations. We actually found out through an incredibly bizarre coincidence that we had dated the same girl years earlier that we didn’t realize. And we just became very close friends and started writing songs together.”
When was that and how much have you done since?
“That was probably 2006. We started writing, we wrote my first single, ‘Boy Meets Girl,’ he was one of the writers on it. And then we wrote a song called ‘Pumpkin Pie,’ which is going to be on the record, as well, and then we signed him to Big Evil [Taubenfeld's publishing and production businesses], and now he’s one of our writer-producers.”
What’s the latest with your album?
“The album is finished. The song ‘Pumpkin Pie,’ which is most likely the next single, just got mixed, and then there’s only one last song called ‘Starbucks Girl’ that I’m just waiting to put the finishing touches on. Other than that, it’s done. We’re just waiting to launch it next year alongside Avril’s new record.”
And you’re not going to be putting ‘Merry Swiftmas’ on there?
“No. ‘Swiftmas,’ I would say its relevance has a shelf life of about 10 more days.”
Just wait till next year! Look at The Waitresses’ “Christmas Wrapping” – that song becomes a hit every year. As long as Taylor Swift’s around, you may have a seasonal hit every year.
“That is completely fine with me. I’ll put my kids through college on my little jokey Christmas song. But I’m certainly not expecting anything else.”
You’re not going to go out and tour on the song?
“I [had] a show on Saturday in Michigan. I was doing a radio interview and I opened my big mouth and I said, ‘Well, if you play the song, I’ll fly down there.’ And the guy said, ‘Well, get your butt down here, ‘cause we’re playing it.’ And then Warner Brothers [his record label] called me and said, ‘Dude, you can’t do that, now you gotta go play this show .’ And so I’m going to play a show in Michigan. And then other than that, that’s really it. I just did a couple radio station live performances, but I don’t think I’m going to tour on it.”
You opened for Metro Station at Crocodile Rock Café here in Allentown in August.
“Yeah, that was a great show, by the way.”
It was. But I missed you. I got there late and missed half of the other opening act, Mitchell Musso, too. I apologize.
“Well, I’m sorry you missed it, too.”
I have to ask this: Do you have a girlfriend?
“Um, I have a lot of friends in my life who are close to me on many levels, and they all really love it.”
I wanted to know whether your girlfriend was jealous that you’re pining after Taylor Swift.
“Oh [laughs] that would be funny.”
Speaking along those lines, what’s your contact with Avril now?
“We talk almost every day. I’ll see her today. We’re going to finish recording a song that we did for her new record.”
She’s also single now, so I hear.
“You know, I choose not to comment or predict on her personal life. But I think she’s an incredibly talented artist, and she’s really excited to release her new record.”
I understand. Anything else you want to say?
“We’re super excited about this [song] and it gives us an excuse to have some fun before the end of the year.”
Talking with Evan Taubenfeld: 'Merry Swiftmas' singer finds he's truly gifted
Posted by John J. Moser at 01:30:00 AM on December 20, 2009
Up-and-coming singer/songwriter Evan Taubenfeld was one of those artists who flew under the radar – he was Avril Levigne’s songwriting partner, toured with Metro Station [they played at Allentown’sCrocodile Rock Café in August] and has his debut album coming out on Warner Brothers Records this spring.
But all that changed a couple of weeks ago when he got the idea for a funny, holiday-themed song that would name a list of people in popular culture. He and songwriting partner Adam Richman, a 2000 Parkland High School graduate, wrote “Merry Swiftmas,” a sweet, folksy song in which the singer tells Santa he wants Swift as his Christmas present and lists other celebrities he won’t accept: Megan Fox, Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears or Scarlett Johanssan Lindsey Lohen.
Within 48 hours, they had the song uploaded on YouTube.
In the 13 days since, the song has become a cultural phenomenon of its own: more than 400,000 views on YouTube, Warner Brother rushing it to iTunes so it can be sold for Christmas, and a mad crush of publicity.
Among those who noticed was Swift, who within hours of the song being posted wrote on her Twitter account: “THIS makes me smile. ”
Taubenfeld talked about the song in call from his home in Los Angeles home last week:
I don’t know whether you know the connection, but Taylor Swift grew up 35 miles outside of Allentown, near Reading, Pennsylvania. She’s from our area.
“Oh, OK.”
Anyway, how do you feel about how quickly “Merry Swiftmas” has hit and how viral it’s become?
“It’s awesome, and we’re all really excited. The song’s doing really well on iTunes. I couldn’t be happier.”
Adam Richman, who’s also from Allentown, was a co-writer of the song?
“That’s right.”
Give me a little bit of an idea of the role he had in the whole thing.
“Richman is a close friend of mine. He’s co-written a lot of songs on my record and basically, he’s kind of like my go-to dude when I want to write new music. So I came up with this idea – I was working on a bunch of stuff – some stuff with Avril and some other songs for my record, and I was feeling pretty overwhelmed. So I called him and said, ‘Yo! Let’s do this one together. ‘ And we hopped on iChat and finished the song together.”
How did the whole idea of the song come to you? What was the genesis of it?
“I just wanted to have a funny Christmas song. I hate Christmas songs, usually, and I hate novelty music, usually. And I said, ‘Why don’t I take a shot at making something that’s going to be really funny and catchy but also kind of current and new. And what better way than to kind of name-check a bunch of celebrities and use Taylor Swift as the focus.”
And did you use Taylor Swift because she’s just such a cultural phenomenon right now? Or is she somebody you’re really into?
“I mean, I don’t think that there could be anyone bigger than her right now, you know? It seemed like a no-brainer. And then also, it’s like her name rhymes with ‘Santa for my gift/please send me Taylor Swift.’ And I also am like a really big fan of, uh, I think she’s an amazing songwriter and a really amazing singer and she seems like a really nice person, so it seemed like a good person to have the song centered around.”
When you and Adam were writing, did one of you in particular do all the lyrics, or did you write different lines?
“I sent him the blueprint for the song – I had started it, I had this chorus that had a bunch of girls names in it; the Emma Stone, the Amy Smart and all of that. And then we just started building on that together.”
You couldn’t point to specific lyrics that you wrote or that he wrote?
“That’s usually not how songwriting works. I think it does if you, maybe, are focusing on the wrong things. You know Richman and I have worked together for so long we just try to make good music.”
Tell me more about your and Adam’s relationship. How long have you worked together? What types of things have you done together?
“Well, Adam and I met about three years ago in New York. My manager sent me over to his place to write a song. And we just realized that we were very similar. We both came up in similar suburbs and similar family situations. We actually found out through an incredibly bizarre coincidence that we had dated the same girl years earlier that we didn’t realize. And we just became very close friends and started writing songs together.”
When was that and how much have you done since?
“That was probably 2006. We started writing, we wrote my first single, ‘Boy Meets Girl,’ he was one of the writers on it. And then we wrote a song called ‘Pumpkin Pie,’ which is going to be on the record, as well, and then we signed him to Big Evil [Taubenfeld's publishing and production businesses], and now he’s one of our writer-producers.”
What’s the latest with your album?
“The album is finished. The song ‘Pumpkin Pie,’ which is most likely the next single, just got mixed, and then there’s only one last song called ‘Starbucks Girl’ that I’m just waiting to put the finishing touches on. Other than that, it’s done. We’re just waiting to launch it next year alongside Avril’s new record.”
And you’re not going to be putting ‘Merry Swiftmas’ on there?
“No. ‘Swiftmas,’ I would say its relevance has a shelf life of about 10 more days.”
Just wait till next year! Look at The Waitresses’ “Christmas Wrapping” – that song becomes a hit every year. As long as Taylor Swift’s around, you may have a seasonal hit every year.
“That is completely fine with me. I’ll put my kids through college on my little jokey Christmas song. But I’m certainly not expecting anything else.”
You’re not going to go out and tour on the song?
“I [had] a show on Saturday in Michigan. I was doing a radio interview and I opened my big mouth and I said, ‘Well, if you play the song, I’ll fly down there.’ And the guy said, ‘Well, get your butt down here, ‘cause we’re playing it.’ And then Warner Brothers [his record label] called me and said, ‘Dude, you can’t do that, now you gotta go play this show .’ And so I’m going to play a show in Michigan. And then other than that, that’s really it. I just did a couple radio station live performances, but I don’t think I’m going to tour on it.”
You opened for Metro Station at Crocodile Rock Café here in Allentown in August.
“Yeah, that was a great show, by the way.”
It was. But I missed you. I got there late and missed half of the other opening act, Mitchell Musso, too. I apologize.
“Well, I’m sorry you missed it, too.”
I have to ask this: Do you have a girlfriend?
“Um, I have a lot of friends in my life who are close to me on many levels, and they all really love it.”
I wanted to know whether your girlfriend was jealous that you’re pining after Taylor Swift.
“Oh [laughs] that would be funny.”
Speaking along those lines, what’s your contact with Avril now?
“We talk almost every day. I’ll see her today. We’re going to finish recording a song that we did for her new record.”
She’s also single now, so I hear.
“You know, I choose not to comment or predict on her personal life. But I think she’s an incredibly talented artist, and she’s really excited to release her new record.”
I understand. Anything else you want to say?
“We’re super excited about this [song] and it gives us an excuse to have some fun before the end of the year.”