KEM

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Quarantine Diaries: KEM Is Making An Album, Making Breakfast & Being A Dad

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors

GRAMMYs

May 14, 2020 - 8:45 am

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors. Today, R&B singer/songwriter Kem shares his Quarantine Diary. His single "Lie To Me" is out now.

[6 a.m.] Get On Up: I get up with my 3-year-old son Kristoffer and we watch Harry Potter or "Blippi" on YouTube. It depends on what kind of mood he’s in. Today, it was a Harry Potter kind of a day. Then we did what most dads do with 3-year olds except more than most, our playtime may involve a little more singing. We play with his toy mic and I try to teach him the proper way to hold a mic. That went exactly the way one would expect things to go. We’ll try again later. It’s not uncommon for us to tussle and roll around on the floor and play with whatever toys grab his attention every few minutes and then it’s time to clean up our mess, get dressed and go see what the rest of the family is up to by now. It’s just before 8 a.m. which means, it’s time to eat.

[8 a.m.] Make Breakfast: I love to cook and breakfast is one of my specialties so I make my way into the kitchen to see what’s for breakfast. Sometimes breakfast is light: oatmeal, a banana and a glass of juice. Sometimes it’s all the things you’d expect from a good southern breakfast: sausage or bacon, scrambled eggs, grits and toast or a biscuit. Today is one of the lighter days. I have a lot to do so oatmeal or cereal and toast it is.

[9 a.m.] Family Walk Through The Neighborhood: After breakfast, it’s time to take our family walk through the neighborhood. I enjoy this time because it gives us a chance to be together and get some exercise at the same time.

I love taking in all of the sounds of nature and seeing all of the beautiful Georgia pines. We live in a lake community and there’s something really peaceful about living on the water. Anytime is usually the perfect time to look out on the water and see the reflection of the sun off the water. It reminds me, even in times like this, how beautiful life can be and how great God is.

[10 a.m.] Make Calls, Answer Emails, Run Errands: Lately, there are a lot of calls going out and coming in. I just released my first single in six years so we’re in the middle of promotion. I had a conference with my management team. We talk about how to promote a record when there is no travel. I call my business manager; We talk for a few minutes and as I’m talking, I look in my inbox and see hundreds of emails. I answer the ones that seem most urgent. The others … I’ll get to … eventually. I forgot we needed a couple of things from the store. I make a quick run to the store and I’m back just in time to get into the lab and work on some more music.

[10:45 a.m.-6:30 p.m.] In The Studio: Playtime with the kids, check. Breakfast, check. Family walk and exercise, check. Important calls and emails returned, half check. Paper towels and snacks replenished, check. Now it’s time for me to get down to business. I’m working on my upcoming album and this is when I spend time working on polishing the pieces. I already have some great tunes for this album but with everything that’s going on in my life and in the world right now, there’s more to be said. I’m in my groove. I’m getting it done. When I’m writing and making music time just seems to fly by. Being confined to the house has given me the time and space to create.

I’m grateful, but sometimes it’s more challenging than others because at home even though I’m down in the basement in my studio, I’m still daddy and husband first. From time to time duty calls, a diaper needs to be changed or a kid needs to be fed and creating has to be put on hold. Today was a good day creatively. I feel like I put some good work in and now it’s time for dinner.

[6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.] Dinner Time. Enjoyed a wonderful dinner prepared by my beautiful wife Erica and caught up with the family. A lot happened while I was down in the studio and I love hearing about what everyone has been up to. I also get my “Honey Do” list for tomorrow from Mrs. Owens. Cool.

[7:30 p.m -8 p.m.] Bedtime for The Kids. It’s time to get the kids in bed. They’ve already left the table; baths have been had and everybody is clean and sort of happy. Not everyone is happy it’s time to go to sleep, but my wife and I work together to put the kids to sleep. I wish I could go to sleep too but I’ve still got work to do.

[8 p.m. -10 p.m.] Back To The Studio (overdubs/editing.) All is quiet on the home front and it’s time for me to get back in the lab. I’ve got some overdubs and editing I want to get done tonight while I’m still in the groove. I put a couple more hours in and now it’s time to call it a night.

If you wish to support our efforts to assist music professionals in need, learn more about the Recording Academy's and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

If you are a member of the music industry in need of assistance, visit the MusiCares website.

Jealous of The Birds perform at Independent Venue Week 2018

Photo: Carrie Davenport/Redferns

News

Independent Venue Week Announces Programming For Independents Day 2020

The two-day virtual event, taking place July 29-30, will examine the challenges and opportunities within the grassroots live music community, including the "immense impact" the COVID-19 pandemic has made on the live events and concert industry

John Ochoa

GRAMMYs

Jul 24, 2020 - 12:11 pm

Independent Venue Week, a weeklong series celebrating indie venues across the U.K. and the U.S., has announced the programming for its second annual Independents Day event.

The two-day virtual event, taking place July 29-30 and streaming via StreamYard, YouTube, Facebook and the Independent Venue Week website, will examine the challenges and opportunities within the grassroots live music community, including the "immense impact" the COVID-19 pandemic has made on the live events and concert industry, according to a post on the organization's website announcing the series.

The 2020 program will also cover topics like minority representation at a grassroots level, applicable actions resulting from the Black Lives Matter movement in grassroots venues, the vital role of livestreaming in live music, venue sustainability, wellbeing and mental health and more.

Check out the full schedule and list of panels and panelists on the Independent Venue Week website.

Since early March, the coronavirus pandemic has virtually shut down the worldwide live event and concert industry, forcing many independent venues around the world to close their doors for good.

Earlier this month, the U.K. government announced a £1.57 billion (approximately $2 billion) support package to help fund the country's arts, culture and heritage industries, including music venues, which have been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, NME reports.

Last month, in a survey conducted by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), 90 percent of independent venue owners, promoters and bookers said "they will have to close permanently within the next few months, if they can't get an infusion of targeted government funding," NPR reports.

On Wednesday (July 22), U.S. senators introduced the "Save Our Stages Act," a new relief bill aimed at supporting independent music and entertainment venues that have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. (The Recording Academy has endorsed two new bills that aim to support creators, venues and small music businesses: the RESTART Act and the Mixed Earner Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Act.)

Launched in 2014, Independent Venue Week is a nationwide initiative championing indie music venues as well as "the people that own, run and work in them, week in, week out," according to the organization's website. In 2018, the event expanded into the U.S. for the first time ever.

Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy and MusiCares.

Sinead Harnett

Courtesy Photo: The Orchard

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Quarantine Diaries: Sinead Harnett Is FaceTiming With Family, Meditating & Making Energy Drinks

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors

GRAMMYs

Jul 10, 2020 - 7:21 am

As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors. Today, R&B powerhouse singer and "Quarantine Queen" Sinead Hartnett shares her Quarantine Diary. Sinead's new single "Stickin", featuring Masego and VanJess, is out now.

[8 a.m.] WAKE UP, GIRL! I lie in bed and give myself about 30-45 minutes to slowly come back to reality. I love the feeling of stillness and in lockdown; we’ve been spoiled with it for the first time in most of our lives. Some of these moments in bed I’ll FaceTime my sisters so I can see my niece and nephews. They’re all precious and my favourite little people on earth! Slightly ashamed to say that this time of morning is also when I usually check my phone for emails, missed messages and notifications. Cheeky Instagram/Twitter scroll too, but I try not to be on it too much. Better for the mind to have that stuff in doses!

[9 a.m.] I make a hot lemon and ginger and do 10 minutes of meditation. It helps get my head straight and turn the noise down. Also, it helps me to focus on the tasks ahead. I use an app called Headspace because I prefer someone to guide me rather than doing it alone.

[9:30 a.m.] I usually wash up whatever I didn’t the night before and clean up the living room so that it feels like a cozy creative space. Tidy space, clearer mind. I’ll then make my breakfast smoothie! Oats, banana, oat milk, peanut butter, cacao—you should try it! BIG energy drink. Tastes like a Snickers milkshake but it's so good for you.

[11 a.m.] After doing some stuff on my phone like emails and replying to people, I’ll do a workout. When it’s hot here I usually do it outside so I can get some sun/nature. I LOVE the outdoors so much. It helps me escape the walls of my mind. When it's cold or rainy though, I do one in the flat. I don’t love the feeling during workouts, but I wait patiently for the exercise endorphins to show up! Exercise is good for the body of course, but what I get out of it for my mind is the real magic.

[12 p.m.] I usually make some lunch, which I demolish before showering! I don’t think I’ve cooked and cleaned more in my entire life than in this lockdown!

[1 p.m.–8 p.m.] During these hours, it's usually a juggling act of writing music, recording vocals, doing admin, promoting songs, making sure my socials are in check and calls with my team. etc. This time goes so quickly I almost feel someone’s pressing fast-forward. I’m always doing about five things simultaneously.

[9 p.m.–11 p.m.] I talk to family or friends that I haven't been able to get back to during the day. I'm not the best at communicating, especially nowadays because I don't like being on my phone too much. I prefer to see people in real life but obviously that’s had to change.

[12 a.m.] Ahhhh, rest time! I love to sleep so much! I've started a new habit of making sure I'm in bed no later than this time. I don't like the feeling when I wake up late, so I have to discipline myself to get into bed earlier. I always wonder where the day has gone and how I didn’t manage to watch a movie or switch off from musical work. But then I remind myself that music isn’t work, it’s a privilege and joy! Head down now, ready for more action tomorrow.

If you wish to support our efforts to assist music professionals in need, learn more about the Recording Academy's and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

If you are a member of the music industry in need of assistance, visit the MusiCares website.

Quarantine Diaries: Lindgren And Melanie Fontana Are Hosting An Open House, Cooking Blue Apron & Watching "Cake Wars"

Grammys Newsletter

Ringo Starr performs at the 50th anniversary celebration of Woodstock in 2019

ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

News

Ringo Starr's 80th Birthday Virtual Charity Concert To Feature Paul McCartney, Sheryl Crow, Gary Clark, Jr., And More, Will Benefit MusiCares And Black Lives Matter

Streaming on Starr's birthday (July 7), the show will feature "at-home performances and unearthed concert footage" from some of his best friends and closest collaborators

John Ochoa

MusiCares

Jul 1, 2020 - 10:19 am

This month, Ringo Starr is commemorating his 80th birthday with a little help from his friends. The former Beatles drummer and nine-time GRAMMY-winning artist is celebrating the big event by hosting Ringo's Big Birthday Show, a virtual charity concert featuring "a mix of at-home performances and unearthed concert footage," according to Rolling Stone, from some of his best friends and closest collaborators, including Paul McCartney, Sheryl Crow, Gary Clark, Jr., Sheila E., Ben Harper and others.

Streaming on YouTube Tuesday (July 7), Starr's birthday, starting at 8 p.m. EST, the charity concert will benefit MusiCares, Black Lives Matter Global Network, The David Lynch Foundation and WaterAid.

The hour-long show, which will also include chats with the event's guests, will feature the debut of a new, guest-heavy version of "Give More Love," the title track to Starr's 2017 album, which will include Jackson Browne, Jeff Bridges, Elvis Costello, Willie Nelson and others, Rolling Stone reports. Artists like Steve Earle, Peter Frampton and Judy Collins will also perform a series of tribute performances, which Starr will debut on his YouTube channel.

Starr's birthday has become an annual celebration of "peace and love" since 2008 when the legendary artist asked his fans to join him in Chicago and say or think the phrase at noon local time. The "peace and love" celebrations have since spread to "more than 20 countries around the world and on social media, to 'create a wave of Peace & Love across the planet,'" Rolling Stone reports. For his birthday last July, Starr hosted a special "peace and love" celebration at the iconic Capitol Records building, The Beatles' longtime label home, in Los Angeles; the event featured performances from Ben Kyle, The Jacks and Sara Watkins. Starr is once again asking his fans and friends to say, think or share "peace and love" at noon local time on his birthday.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Starr's annual birthday celebration is going digital in 2020. "This year is going to be a little different," he told Rolling Stone. "There's no big get-together, there's no brunch for 100. But we're putting this show together – an hour of music and chat. It's quite a big birthday."

Last November, Starr and his All-Starr Band announced a 2020 tour, which was later canceled in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy and MusiCares.

Miley Cyrus performs during the Global Goal: Unite For Our Future - Summit & Concert

Photo: Vijat Mohindra/Getty Images

News

Global Goal 2020: Watch Performances From Miley Cyrus, Shakira, J Balvin, Jennifer Hudson, Usher And More

The globally televised and digitally streamed concert special featured intimate and grandiose performances from some of music's biggest stars including Lin-Manuel Miranda with the "Hamilton" cast, Coldplay, Christine and the Queens, Chloe x Halle and many

John Ochoa

GRAMMYs

Jun 28, 2020 - 10:39 am

The international music and entertainment communities united together Saturday (June 27) for the star-studded "Global Goal: Unite for Our Future - The Concert," a globally televised and digitally streamed concert special. Presented by international advocacy organization Global Citizen and the European Commission, the event aimed to highlight the "disproportionate impact COVID-19 has on marginalized communities," according to a press release announcing the event, and to advance the development of and access to coronavirus tests, treatments and vaccines.

Global Goal featured both intimate and grandiose performances from some of music's biggest stars, including: Jennifer Hudson, who opened the show with a cover of Gladys Knight & The Pips' 1973 hit "Where Peaceful Waters Flow" while floating atop a boat on the Chicago River; Miley Cyrus, who performed a cover of The Beatles classic "Help!" in an empty Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, Calif.; and Lin-Manuel Miranda who reunited with the original Broadway cast of "Hamilton," alongside late-night host Jimmy Fallon and "The Tonight Show" house band The Roots, for a rare performance of musical number "Helpless."

Hosted by Hollywood superstar Dwayne Johnson, Global Goal also included appearances and video messages from TV and film icons including Hugh Jackman, Kerry Washington, Charlize Theron, Chris Rock, Billy Porter, Ken Jeong, Salma Hayek Pinault and several more.

The event also included a summit, which featured panel discussions and interviews with global leaders, experts and thought-leaders like Angelique Kidjo, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Melinda Gates, Dr. Vin Gupta, NAACP President Derrick Johnson, Executive Director of UN Women Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and others.

Airing in more than 180 countries and streaming globally online, Global Goal raised a total of $6.9 billion in pledges, according to a press release from Global Citizen.

Watch some of the musical highlights from "Global Goal: Unite for Our Future - The Concert" below, and learn more about Global Citizen's COVID-19 campaign.