A lifelong musician, Calpernia Addams found herself facing a problem that many musical transitioners encounter: transitioning her voice. Well known for the speaking voice training materials she produced with business partner Andrea James (“Finding Your Female Voice“), she quickly realized that transitioning one’s speaking voice was almost entirely separate from transitioning one’s singing voice.
“I grew up in a musical family, so playing and singing was just something everyone did. No one was expected to sing or play like a pro. It was just a life skill you learned how to do, like cooking or gardening, except it was artistic. After transition, I was always afraid to even try singing live, but when I was asked to write a song for my television show (“Transamerican Love Story“) I decided to just give it a go and have fun. I’ll never be able to do the American Idol style singing, but I can write songs and communicate them in my own voice, imperfect as it is, and that communication is what I really value.”
The title track of her first album, “Stunning”, first appeared on episode five of her show. It’s a fun play on the Hollywood excess and vanity which she has encountered in her entertainment career. With outrageous lyrics like “I turn down three-ways with Brad and Angelina” and a humorously primitive music video, the song has become an underground hit with alternative clubs in LA and sells on iTunes, Amazon and Calpernia’s website. It has been remixed by Lucian Piane, Jer Ber Jones and Matthew McPeck following Calpernia’s own original mix.
“Stunning” was followed up with a dancey cover of the classic “True Colors“, the burlesque-inspired “Next!” from the upcoming film “Transproofed” and bitchy dis-rap “Miss Dis“. Remaining true to her past notoriety as an edgy performance artist, she followed these club-friendly tracks with Goth versions of Disney classics “Some Day My Prince will Come” and “Once Upon a Nightmare (Dream)“, then a haunting version of “One I Love“, an ancient Medieval love song featuring Calpernia’s fiddle playing intended to recall her childhood roots as a Bluegrass and folk musician.
“Transproofed“, which features “Next!”, was directed by Andrea James, who co-wrote and co-starred with Calpernia.
“I do all the initial recording, singing, instruments, mixing, mastering and promotion myself. I’m learning as I go, so the most polished tracks are the ones remixed by the professionals like Lucian, Jer Ber and Matthew. But I’ve learned that if you sit around and wait for people to do things for you, they may never get done. I like learning and doing myself. And I hope people can enjoy my work.”
(UPDATED – I put a better mix of “Stay With Me” and made it downloadable)
Hey kids, I’ve been making a lot of “quick” cover tracks for my live weekly show “Unreal“, and I thought I’d post some for your perusal. Some caveats:
I already know I don’t have a technically amazing voice. I’m trying to learn as I go, rack up experience and aim for a more character-based sound a-la Mae West, Nina Simone or Marilyn — but based on MY character, of course, not theirs.
These quickie cover songs are made over the course of about two days… one day to lay down instrumental tracks and two or three vocal takes, and one day to mix said instruments and vocals.
These are a cover of “Addicted to Love”/”Simply Irresistible” sung with Detox Icunt, and my cover of Shakespeare’s Sister’s “Stay With Me”.
UNREAL was PACKED last night! The REAL Taylor Dayne sang along live as Detox and Eddie DeBarr performed her songs! She sounds absolutely AMAZING live… no warmup or anything, she just launched in and started singing along to her own song, sounding even better than the recording. It was (dare I say it?) UNREAL! Come see Detox & me again on Sunday night, 9pm at Hamburger Mary’s WeHo!
Oh, and here’s me doing “Whatever Callie Wants” LOL!
The much-anticipated video for “TRANSFIXED by JER BER JONES featuring CALPERNIA ADDAMS” has arrived! Watch now, download the song from iTunes on April 20th, 2010!
Transfixed is an original song by Jer Ber Jones featuring vocals by Calpernia Addams. From Jer Ber’s forthcoming album “Greatest Hits Volume 2″ on iTunes April 20, 2010.
iTunes
