Indie Ville TV #90 Cameron McCasland Taking on the Horror Genre with “Tailypo”

Written by K.L. Graham
                                                                       

Tailypo brought Cameron’s favorite crew back together. He says:

“My favorite part of it was I got a lot of friends on this movie. I did a feature length called “The Last Man” before with Josh Ickas, DP Kyle Kelly and David Chatham. He was so great in it. It gave me a reason to get the gang back together and get another go at it.”

With two films at The Nashville Film Festival, “What’s the matter with Gerald?” and HP Lovecraft’s “The Beast in the Cave.” “Other than that…” McCasland says: “I’m just working on some music videos and doing some writing.  Winter; everything slows down and in the summer things start to pick up again.”

Keeping busy and fulfilling his dream is important to McCasland, he says like any great director “I like building worlds and being able to play god, giving someone a place to be telling them what they can and can’t do.” 

When asked if he is happy where the film scene in Nashville is going, Cameron says:

“I am. It’s funny because I’ve been here since 2001 I feel like even 5 or 6 years ago only a couple of other people were making movies…There are a bunch of great people coming in but also a lot of great self starters. There’s a lot of people making movies here, ABC’s  Nashville keeps a lot of people fed and when those guys aren’t working on the big shows, they’re out making indie things.”

As for what made him want to make movies. The director explains: “Well it’s funny because I can’t really place a real lightening strike moment in my life. My mom was an actress so I had an idea of what it could be because she did plays and was on tv a little bit…it wasn’t until I got into college. Around 1999 I had a dvd player in my room with commentaries and documentaries I really started studying movies. I used to play in bands and stuff like that and one day I decided I wanted to make movies instead of riding around the dessert with a bunch of sweaty guys. Overnight success is someone who has been working and working and working and I feel like the past years I’ve been really pushing myself to do more.”

“Tailypo” originated from McCasland’s childhood and early work.

“Specifically this movie was a story I heard when I was a little kid. It was one of the first things I can 

recall really scaring me. I didn’t have a place to really put it. When I did the other horror movie I built in a lot of contacts etc. I thought this was the one and I kinda did it backwards.  I made a feature film, then short film. I also had the means to find the place and the setting time period wise. Horror in general, it’s something I’ve always enjoyed. I like the enjoy adrenaline of it. Human fears…you can learn a lot about a person by what scares them.  Used to give me nightmares when I was a little kid and exercising those demons.”

To find out more about the film and other works of Cameron’s go to: Cameronmccasland.com and 

Facebook.com/tailypoterror.

PRE-ORDER YOUR OFFICIAL INDIE VILLE TV AWARDS T-SHIRT

Pre-Order your Official Indie Ville TV Awards T-Shirts Black or White  SM-XL $12 / XXL & Up $15 paypal myindieville@gmail.com and purchase your tickets for May 6th Awards  http://2ndannual2016indievilletvawards.ezevent.com http://2ndannual2016indievilletvawards.ezevent.com (You must have a ticket to enter there will be no paying at the Door, You will be turn around)

Indie Ville TV #89 An interview with Kelsey Wells of “Yesteryear”

Written by K.L Graham         

                                                   

The band “Yesteryear” is nominated for Best Indie Music Video of the year for 

their song “Permanent.”

I got to speak with Kelsey Wells of “Yesteryear” and got her take on permanence, 

performance, and even about some of the other videos in the band’s catalog.

On permanence Kelsey says, “Permanent to me, especially while writing this song 

really just stemmed from a length of time it takes to get over someone. Somebody 

that is "permanent" is someone that will forever be there in some way. Good or 

bad, they are permanent.”

The video is full of angst and awesomeness, but there is one image with a red light 

rope that is really unique.

“That was all my videographer, Cody Edger. I didn't want to use it at first and 

thought it was going to look weird but he insisted. I ended up loving the shots of 

the light wire wrapped around me. I think with our "red" based outlook in that 

video, it really showed a different way of being "trapped" in a relationship if you 

will.”

Speaking of trapped, Kelsey doesn’t want to be trapped in the Hayley Williams 

image, but she says:

“I'd be lying if I said Hayley Williams wasn't an influence to me, because she 

definitely was. I ran around my living room with a hair brush at 15 head banging to 

"Misery Business" so obviously she made some type of impact on my stage 

presence at least. In honesty though, it all started with Avril Lavigne. When 

"complicated" came on the radio when I was only 8 years old, that was the day I 

wanted to be a rock star. Now that I'm 23 my influences change everyday. I study 

Ellie Goulding and Purity Ring like it's nobody's business. Although our music is 

nothing like those artists, I really look up to them as women in general.”

Kelsey however influenced by other female front woman from her unique tattoos, 

(She has a matching tattoo with her mom) to her definition of a front woman:

“It makes me feel important even though there's no difference in being a front 

woman or a front man. We are all just human beings singing with a band behind 

us. Being a "front" anything to me just means being the singer…. If a lady is 

singing in any type of band anywhere in the world then I'm automatically looking 

up to them. They are all badass to me, no matter what.”

“Yesteryear” though, is more than just a front woman.  With Matt Barnes on 

guitar, Chris Barnes on drums and Wyatt Urban on bass, the members create a 

synchronized indie sound, that works across the board. 

“The writing process is what brings us closer as a team. Creating something, 

listening to it and realizing that you created it is a very amazing feeling.”

As for the nominated video, Kelsey says:

“The idea sprung in my head one day while I was driving. I brought the idea to my 

videographer and we bounced back and forth on ways to make it "Yesteryear". I 

wanted the video to be simple and not too much. I wanted people to understand it 

and be drawn to the love vs. hate of it. I know plenty of people have gone through 

a relationship that I portray in the video, I wanted what I was thinking in my mind 

while writing the song, to come alive. I think me and Cody accomplished that.”

Yesteryear has been together for almost 3 years and according to Kelsey “Saying 

that out loud is kinda crazy.”

To see more of Yesteryear’s music videos including their nominated video 

“Permanent,”  and the gorgeous wolf dogs in their video “Coyote” you can check 

them out at www.facebook.com/yesteryearmusic.  You can also catch their page at 

https://yesteryearmusic.bandcamp.com and on twitter @yesteryear_

Indie Ville TV #88 Scott Honaker’s Smooth Country Sound

Written by K.L. Graham
                                                                                 

Scott Honaker, a native of Mount Juliet TN is taking over radio waves with his album “Four on the Floor.” He also happens to be nominated for “Four on the Floor” for Best Indie Country EP.  

Scott says what he loves the most about country music is “…The connectivity between the artist and 

listener. The subject matter and music itself is relatable to the listener. It’s about every day experiences. That’s the biggest thing, just to be able to connect to the fans of the music.”

Honaker says he not only connects to the fans, but with music of the genre itself.  

 “I know every artist includes the music they grew up on their influences. A lot of country music has 

gone pop.  I like to think of mine as being a little more organic. It’s very pure. No computer based 

recording, it’s all old school. I like to keep it as natural as possible.”

Keeping it natural started when he was just a kid. “I began start singing when I was little, I started 

singing and writing at around 22 years old.  The songwriting part came in my twenties.”

Now, you can see Scott playing shows all around the Greater Nashville area some of his favorites being Tootsies and The George Jones museum. 

“I love playing at Tootsie’s just because of all the different people that you meet. They come from all 

around the world. And to get the vibe from Tootsies’s itself, it’s historic…The other place is the George Jones museum, it kinda goes with Tootsies,  you get to meet so many music fans from all around the world. It’s a personal thing. You can talk to them ‘How’s your day been?’ or ‘Where ya from.?’”

For Honaker, playing places where you can feel the history of the venue and the love for country music is very important.

As for his music, he says the fans do seem to have a favorite. “Most people have heard ‘Redneck GPS’ I’ve been lucky enough to have that one played on internet radio in different spots around the world.  That’s the one they want to hear and enjoy.”

Honaker says that the best of part of being an Indie artist is “Probably the best part is the freedom to 

write and record and sing exactly what I want. I don’t have a record company or anybody telling me you have to sound like this person or what is on the radio.  That’s the biggest thing; the freedom to be myself.”

Scott also says “I am very thankful for Indie ville for what they’re doing for the indie artists, it really 

means a lot and I’m probably speaking for everybody else too in other genres. It’s very much an honor and I’m very grateful and happy to be part of it.” Well, we thank him too and all of you.  

To hear Scott’s music just check out: https://www.reverbnation.com/scotthonaker and 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/scott-honaker/id369475394  https://itun.es/us/sZ8S7