One of the years biggest music festivals is only days away--and we can hardly wait! For the first time ever, ful is providing bags for the artists performing! And we're so excited to be involved with such a passionate music festival. And news broke today that it's officially sold out!
This year's lineup includes some killer artists like Jay-Z, Faith No More, MGMT, She & Him, Imogen Heap, Corinne Bailey Rae, Vampire Weekend, Thom Yorke, and many, MANY others. Here's a link to the full three-day lineup. And following tradition, almost all of the musical acts are non-repeating.
Coachella officially started in 1999 and is held each year in Indio, California, which is part of the Colorado Desert. Though it started as a one-day event and eventually expanded to two days, it's now a full three days of music. After years of not allowing it, Coachella started to offer camp tenting as an option for attendees.
If you're going this year, have fun rocking out! If you're not, stayed tuned for some photos and videos from the festival coming soon...
What an amazing trip! The ful team returned to Memphis this weekend after a whirlwind trip down to Austin, Texas for the annual music festival, South by Southwest. And we were lucky enough to be involved in one of the best parties over the course of the week! Vanguard Records and Paste Magazine threw their annual shindig at the Belmont hotel featuring their incredible lineup of artists including Greg Laswell, the Watson Twins, and Black Prairie (featuring members of the Decemberists). A bunch of Vanguard artists participate in ful's Artist Tour Luggage program and it was exciting to see them carrying their bags around. We also gave a bunch of bags away to people in the audience throughout the party. In addition to the Vanguard Party, ful also gave away bags at the other parties and events held at the Belmont hotel over the course of the SXSW week.
Overall, it was a great time--we met amazing people and heard awesome music. Can't wait for next year!
ful set list
ful team members Terrah and Casey at the Belmont
Sarah Borges and the Broken Shingles with their ful bags
So the "Hipster Runoff" worshipers and music makers were in full swing at SXSW this year. As the Creative Director for ful, I went down to be a part of our party with Paste Magazine and Vanguard Records. What a ride. What amazing music!
It was my first year at the festival and I heard from devotees that the event was "going back to its roots," despite the fact that the band count and wild parties surpassed last year. All I can say is that SXSW was a feast not only for the ears, but for the eyes. And so let's discuss "Street Style" at SXSW.
Shades Some types weren't surprising, like the Wayfarers and the Aviators dotting the crowds. However the new front-runner was Carrera and I need me a pair. I want the sun to shine into my office windows right now so I can justify putting them on at my desk!
Boots abound! For the women, it was all about the boots--flat, faded, black or rich brown tones. All-out Western style was nowhere to be found, replaced by a pull-on, slightly rounder toe.
The Watson Twins
Love the woven leather toe
The Skinny on Denim The skinnier the better, for gals and guys. Dark wash or black was the staple (dark washes elongate and also don't show when you sit in the mud or some jack spills a Heini on you).
Everything about her ensemble just "worked"
Sweet Prints Sweet prints were everywhere, from spring dresses paired with booties or eye-catching, billowy tunics paired with tight William Rasts.
Bags Lots of backpacks, cross-body Rocker bags, and messengers. Hands-free bags to hold your swag and clothing are essential at any music fest. I'm partial, but ful was everywhere!
Calling all Memphis-lovers! We are so excited to unveil our latest ful Music Insider interview: with Memphis-based indie band Ingram Hill! Justin Moore (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and Phil Bogard (lead guitar) joined with Shea Sowell (bass, background vocals) and Matt Chambless (drums) formed the band in the summer of 2000 after attending the University of Memphis and have been recording and touring ever since. ful was fortunate enough to land an interview with lead singer Justin Moore. Here's what he had to say....
ful: What aspect of making music excites you the most right now? Justin Moore: I think it's the excitement/nervousness of people hearing something that was created in my head, and hopefully getting the stamp approval not only from my band, but from fans, too. Playing a song the first time for someone is one of the most nerve-racking things ever, but if that person likes it, it becomes one of the most amazing feelings ever.
ful: What was the last song you wrote? Can you tell us about it? JM: It was a song called "As Long As I'm With You." When we were writing for our new record, we set a deadline for ourselves to have a certain amount of songs, and almost daily, Phil would come over to my house and either he'd play me something, or vice versa. I think this song was the last one I wrote, and Phil said, "That's the one I've been waiting for out of you." It made my day.
ful: What is the most exciting part of recording? The most difficult? JM: The most exciting part of recording is the back half of it, when songs really start to take shape and fill out. It's such a long tedious process, but when all the parts start getting put together, you suddenly want everyone to hear it... immediately. The most difficult thing for me is replicating the natural energy of a live show. Touring has always been our bread and butter, and standing behind a microphone, staring at a studio wall is always tough for me energy-wise as opposed to playing in front of a live audience.
ful: Do you have a favorite city to play in? A favorite venue? JM: I love Chicago. And I love the House of Blues in Chicago. Probably my favorite place we've played.
ful: Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers? Do you have a set play list? What's your favorite song to play? JM: I think we've played "Will I Ever Make It Home" and "Almost Perfect" 4 million times. For real. It HAS to be that many. And we do play covers. We try to change it up every tour, though. For a few years, we ended our shows with Elvis' "Suspicious Minds," but we've kind of retired that one now. I've always had a good time playing "On My Way" from our first record, though all of our new songs, of course, are really fun… probably because they're all brand new to us.
ful: What bands do you love right now? Who would you love to play with? JM: I just bought The Script's new record, and I think it's pretty good. I've always been a big Pete Yorn fan, and I like his latest record a lot. There's a guy named Cory Chisel that just put out a record recently, and it's pretty great, too. Oh, and K'naan. That guy is hip.
ful: What advice do you have for people who are trying to break into the music industry? JM: Run away! Fast!! Just kidding. I think you need to have thick skin, and not get your feelings hurt too easily. There are a lot more no's than yes's, but the yes's sure are rewarding, and it's a fun business to be in.
ful: We see you guys are blogging and updating your Twitter frequently. Has the Internet/social networking helped your band gain exposure and fans? Do you like Twittering? Are you following anyone you consider a guilty pleasure? JM: I think it's definitely helped us. Everyone's attention span is so short these days, so it's good to keep ours updated, because you never know when someone might just stumble upon us... probably because they had almost just reached the end of the internet. I think I like Twittering. I think. It's fun when you have something to say. But I always feel under pressure to say something witty or interesting, and it's hard to gauge the proper amount to tweet. Sometimes I stop following people because my entire homepage is filled up with their tweets. I don't want to become that guy. But I don't want to disappear for weeks at a time either because I don't have anything funny to say. But it feels weird sometimes to just tell people what I'm doing, just for the sake of telling them. Or maybe I'm just weird for thinking that. Who knows, really?
I suppose my guilty pleasure follow is Justin Timberlake. I guess it shouldn't be, but I'm a grown man, and I don't know him personally, and his fans are far more female based then male, so it seems a little silly sometimes. But only sometimes.
ful: We at ful bags are super excited to be working together. Have you had a chance to use our luggage/bags? What do you think? JM: We're excited to be working with you guys, too! We have used them, and we definitely love them!
For more info on Ingram Hill, check out their website.
We are so excited to report that hot indie band A Rocket to the Moon are using ful's luggage while on tour! And we're even more excited that the band's lead singer Nick Santino agreed to answer some of our questions about making music, touring, making an album, and how to break into the biz.
First, here's a quick intro to the band: Nick Santino started the band in 2006. The other members of ARTTM are guitarist Justin Richards, bass guitarist Eric Halvorsen, and drummer Andrew Cook. The alternative band released their first full-length album last year, On Your Side and also played a bunch of festivals including Bamboozle and a couple dates on the Warped Tour. To hear some of this band's music, check out their MySpace page. (We love the song Mr. Right.)
And now, here's our interview with ARTTM lead singer Nick Santino:
ful: What aspect of making music excites you the most right now? Nick Santino: I love making music. If I could live in a studio and write and record all day I would do it in a heart beat. I think the exciting part of writing something you really love is what does it for me. The possibilities are endless when it comes to song writing. I love the freedom to take influence from any style of music and put your own flavor on it.
ful: You guys have a lot of shows coming up in February and March. Do you have a favorite city to play in? A favorite venue? NS: I love Nashville. I'm a big country buff so everything about Nashville I love. The people are awesome and the shows are always amazing for us. I wouldn't mind moving there to start my family.
ful: Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you ever play any covers? Do you have a set play list? What's your favorite song to play? NS: We play a handful of songs from our newest record "On Your Side". I think my favorite to play is a song called "Baby Blue Eyes." It's super dynamic and has a great energy to it.
ful: Do you get nervous before playing a show? NS: I do! And if anyone tells you that they don't, they are a liar. I'm answering these questions from side stage right now about to go on in 5 minutes and I have butterflies.
ful: What's the most unusual place you've ever played a show or made a recording? How did the qualities of that place affect the show/recording? NS: We played this show in Salt Lake City that pretty much was a shed in the middle of the woods. They gave us a package of hot dogs and marshmallows for catering and we had to cook them over a camp fire outside. Not to mention it was 40 degrees outside.
ful: What was the last song you wrote? Can you tell us about it? NS: We had some time off around the holidays and I wrote a few songs out of feeling bored. It felt good to write again. They are just a few solo acoustic songs heavily influenced by Johnny Cash. I love that man. I have him tattooed on my leg!
ful: You just released your first full-length album. What was the most exciting part of that process? The most difficult? NS:Recording it and the release day. Both equally nerveracking but super exciting.
ful: What bands are you loving right now? Who would you love to play with? NS: I love Brad Paisley. I'm huge into country. I'd love to play with someone like John Mayer.
ful: What advice do you have for people who want to give it a go in the music industry? NS: Just give it all you got. You'll make it as long as you believe in what you do!
10. We at ful bags are super excited to be working together. Have you had a chance to use our luggage/bags? What do you think? NS: I love clothes. I have entirely way too many articles of clothing. This bag actually let's me fill it to the brim and still have room for more. On this tour I fit 5 coats and 3 pairs of cowboy boots on top of all my other clothes. It's amazing. Thank you guys for supporting my shopping habit! Haha.
Thanks so much Nick! We appreciate the time and insight and cant' wait to see you live soon.
Follow Nick on Twitter here. And for more information on the band and tour dates, check out their Myspace page.
Stay tuned for more interviews and bands from ful Music Insider on Pulse!
One of the years biggest music festivals is only days away--and we can hardly wait! For the first time ever, ful is providing bags for the artists performing! And we're so excited to be involved with such a passionate music festival. And news broke today that it's officially sold out!
This year's lineup includes some killer artists like Jay-Z, Faith No More, MGMT, She & Him, Imogen Heap, Corinne Bailey Rae, Vampire Weekend, Thom Yorke, and many, MANY others. Here's a link to the full three-day lineup. And following tradition, almost all of the musical acts are non-repeating.
Coachella officially started in 1999 and is held each year in Indio, California, which is part of the Colorado Desert. Though it started as a one-day event and eventually expanded to two days, it's now a full three days of music. After years of not allowing it, Coachella started to offer camp tenting as an option for attendees.
