Country artist Angela Siracusa finds success without major-label push
Written by Catherine Spencer
Country musician Angela Siracusa has a sweet, unforgettable voice that is hard to forget. Her latest album Drawn to the Flame includes a variety of songs about remembering a past love and reminiscing about the memories permanently etched in one’s mind. In “Train Ride,” we can hear a sense of longing from a past loved one, and her delightful vocal and musical gifts. Listening to Siracusa’s songs, we can see her listening to her heart, writing her songs, and contemplating on her newest masterpiece. The cover of “Call Me,” originally by Blondie, is a refreshing song to listen to by Siracusa. We can see that she is a multi-talented musician who can sing more than one style of music; she has definitely made this song her own. Along with many in her album, Siracusa is a musician that is shaking up country music.
Catherine Spencer: Your music reveals the influence of old and new country. Which of the two do you feel more of a connection with?
Angela Siracusa: There is nothing like the traditional greats. I see it like this, the old is the root and the new is the fruit. With that being said, I feel a connection with both old and new. My creativity and ability to turn old into new and make it my own, is what I think I’ve done and it is what I love to do.
Spencer: Do you feel that country music has become increasingly focused on the physical attractiveness of its artists than in previous decades?
Siracusa: Being physically attractive has always been a part of marketing any artist. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so what I think is an ideal body or face may be completely different from the person down the street. Although it seems being good-looking has become far too important in modern country music. I feel that music itself and personality will always prevail in the end, despite image. I don’t buy music because I like the way someone looks; I buy music because I like the way it sounds! The eye candy is not offensive as long as the music is good.
Spencer: What was it like opening for Sammy Kershaw?
Siracusa: The venue, staging, and lighting were top-notch and so was the treatment for us opening acts. Sammy was gracious and took time to meet us all. It was a successful evening of meet and greet. Sammy’s fiddle player, Paul Kramer, will be joining me on The Billy Block Show in Nashville.
Spencer: You have a slick music video, a sharp website, and a professionally produced and packaged CD. Do you think there is even a need for a record label at this point for driven independent artists such as yourself?
Siracusa: The one aspect of being signed to a label that I’d love to benefit from is their superior distribution abilities. Unfortunately, most labels don’t support tours like they used to so other than the distribution, I’ll keep with the indie until the opportunity arises.
Spencer: You were a winner at the 2008 Niagara Music Awards. What advice would you give to younger country artists who are trying to accomplish feats such as that?
Siracusa: Take advantage of the internet and it’s swift ability to enter contests and sign up for festivals and concerts. Through Sonic Bids for example, I have been able to achieve efficient means of getting my EPK out to promoters. My Space has been my main source of networking power and Facebook is used for my immediate networking. It’s how I reach my fans even though I’m not performing in their city. I come to them via the Internet. It’s awesome. Just yesterday I found out through Sonic Bids that I have been nominated for the 2008 Ontario Independent Music Awards, held in Toronto on October 16th. Wish me luck!
