William Beckett

These are promises made every day by artists leaving bands, by artists embarking on solo careers, and by artists abandoning the major label way of life. These were promises made by William Beckett upon the disbanding of The Academy Is… in 2011. These were promises emphasized, emboldened and renewed as he parted ways with Atlantic Records shortly thereafter. These were promises made to his fans, his family, and himself.

He could have been boring. He could have fallen back on TAI’s devoted fan-base. He could have taken the easy path. Instead, he chose to climb the mountain. William did it his way, just as he promised, by releasing three EPs (twelve songs total) over seven months in 2012 on his very own YIKE Records label.Chronicling the rise and fall of an epic relationship (a story that, as recent history shows, William is all too familiar with) the trilogy of EPs— Walk the Talk, Winds Will Change, and the forthcoming What Will Be (Out Oct 30th 2012)— jettison the old TAI pop-punk sound. Retaining only Beckett’s signature vocals and crafty, tattooable lyrics over electro-pop and jaunty beats. As Alternative Press describes it: “Beckett’s new music cuts a swath through contemporary pop trends, retro-rock party anthems and thoughtful balladry. Fortunately, he stamps his persona on all of these idioms with aplomb, resulting in his comfort zone growing a few more acres.” (altpress.com, Walk the Talk EP review, April 17th 2012)Sticking to his oaths of freedom, independence, and refusing to compromise has served William well. His first single, “Compromising Me”, rocketed to the top of the iTunes charts, cracking the top 20 and leading all independently released tracks. In the following months, the EPs Walk the Talk and Winds Will Change followed the same meteoric rise.Bolstered by the success of his vision, rest was never an option. In between perpetually writing and recording new tracks, William took an unconventional approach to touring. First, he embarked on a solo headlining tour across the U.S. taking with him only his trusty acoustic guitar (an instrument that is now as much a part of him as his voice) and a few digitally- stored studio tracks (his “band in a box”). Following completion of the Spring 2012 tour, he crossed the Pacific as support on a tour of Asia and returned to continue performing almost weekly at different colleges around the U.S. Add to that a packed schedule of private parties as well as dozens of groundbreaking StageIt.com live streaming performances and hardly three days pass when William isn’t playing live.William has embraced modern connectivity like the StageIt.com performances, an active blog, a YouTube page and Twitter feed, and combined it with traditional, real-world bonding experiences like countless live, intimate performances and a burgeoning fan community (The William Beckett Society). Constant contact keeps him grounded, approachable and personally invested in his fans. This personal relationship continues to fuel William’s promise to never compromise his vision or his dedication. His fans keep him honest and he loves them for that.

William Beckett has already walked the talk. He’s revealed the changing winds. Now, with more domestic and international tours planned through 2013, and preliminary work already begun on a full-length album, William Beckett is ready to show us What Will Be.

NICK SANTINO & THE NORTHERN WIND

MIGHTY FOX

Music from Chicago, IL

VALASKA

Valaska’s new LP, ‘Natural Habitat,’ just released this April, is a true test to Dave Valdez, the man behind the band. It is a brand new place for him, as this album ramps up to be released. For the first time, Dave has a record that truly has the ability to make an impact in the indie music world. Commitment is a value Valaska has held close, and it has paid off. Just as Valaska returns home from a month long tour in February, there are no breaks. Now is the time for premieres, interviews, shows, photos, videos, and other potential goals to further the awareness and success of Valaska. Slowing down is moving backwards. There is no slowing down when you’re committed to moving forward, through thick and thin.

Beginning his musical career with his Grandma’s acoustic guitar, Dave Valdez became involved in local music in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, IL. After years of performing and touring in pop/rock bands, Dave decided to take his own approach and started writing. Valaska’s first self titled e.p., released in March of 2010, showed great potential and gained Valaska many opportunities for shows and press, although Dave was unfulfilled.

After some time taken off to write and hone his craft, Dave began changing his style to a much more raw and real sound.

“I didn’t feel like my first record was truly me. After spending time away from the songs and working on what came to me, I realized I had just hit the tip of my writing nature.”

After time well spent writing solid, new, and personal material; Valaska headed back into the studio with Aaron Marsh, Producer/Engineer and lead singer of a popular indie band, Copeland, at The Vanguard Room in Lakeland, FL. With the help of Aaron, Valaska was able to create exactly what Dave had in mind. Not only did he spend many weeks with Aaron, he also spent many weeks at home recording the record through tape. Dave didn’t want to lose the feel and strength behind live home recordings. So it was incorporated into the album, making the new record both indie and polished. Scheduled to release in March of 2012, ‘Natural Habitat’ will be Valaska’s first real album push into the indie music world. With a solid group now settling behind Dave, Valaska is now getting the chance to tour and promote effectively to create awareness of this record.

“People can take this record any way they want, and see in it what they will. I have a lot of faith in this record, but it was a record I created by myself in my room. I was alone with my thoughts and reactions, related to my relationships and life in general. I’ve always wanted to write a record that shows true meaning behind the words and expression it creates. ‘Natural Habitat’ is my first test toward that goal.”