Arts
www.SanTanSun.com
June 21 - July 4, 2014
57
Chandler singer aims for top with forthcoming EP BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
The energy is palpable when Chandler singer Levi Waskom walks into TallCat Studios in Phoenix. With a wide smile, he slaps hands with Grammy-nominated producer Ben Franklin, and welcomes any chance to talk about his forthcoming EP, which he is wrapping up at the facility. Long gone are the days when Waskom, a two-time “Arizona Idol” finalist, would play acoustic songs behind his guitar. Now he’s a certified frontman of a band that is headed toward pop and R&B. “We found that that’s where I’m most comfortable, where I can really do my best—singing and performing together,” Waskom says. Fans can get the chance to hear Waskom’s new sound, along with selected covers by the likes of Tracy Chapman, Maroon 5 and OneRepublic, at the July 4 Tempe Town Lake Festival. His 45-minute set begins at 6:05 p.m. Last year, he sang “Stand By Me” as part of the “Arizona Idol” competition. “I’ve been known as an acoustic artist, just playing guitar and singing on stage,” Waskom says. “I’m really more of a performer than anything. I’m kind of tired of being strapped to a guitar, actually. I’m ready for it to be just me and a microphone. I like to be able to
move around, do something on stage besides just standing there.” The first single from his EP is “Roll With Her,” which he is hoping will hit radio soon.
Humble beginnings A fan of John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Bob Marley and Maroon 5, among others, Waskom traded a promising sports career for music while in high school. “I picked up my first guitar around freshman year of high school,” says Waskom, who works at Starbucks. “I was definitely not a good singer at that point. I could not sing a tune for my life. I really practiced at it because I really enjoyed playing my guitar. I wasn’t good at that, either. It became something I really loved doing. I ended up quitting everything and devoting my time toward becoming a musician and perfecting what I love to do.” The Basha High School graduate, who also attended Williams Field High School in Gilbert, worked hard to perfect his craft, playing gigs at SoZo Coffeehouse and other smaller venues around town. But now he’s going for the national stage with the EP he hopes to have out in July. “We want to take our time with this
WRAPPING UP: Chandler singer Levi Waskom is putting the finishing touches on his debut EP at TallCat Studios in Phoenix. He has recruited some high-profile help for the collection, which is due out in July. STSN photo by Kelli Tresgallo.
project and make sure every little detail is perfect,” he says. “We’re taking our time with it to make sure it fits us and fits me and where I want to take the music.” Waskom, with the help of Franklin and co-producer Kay Boogie, has been working on the EP since December. Collaborating with the duo has been inspirational, as Franklin’s credits include Usher, Booker T. Jones and Snoop Dogg. “He’s so creative and he has an ear for where to put things musically within a song,” Waskom says about Franklin. “We’ll just bounce ideas off each other
back and forth until we find a common medium that works. He’s a musical prodigy. He’ll sit down and play any instrument he can get into his hands.” Franklin has aided Waskom with vocal production, such as deciding if he should extend words or throw vibrato in the mix. The two are also collaborating on songs. Franklin, a performer in his own right, releasing a self-titled album next week. He is also tentatively slated to open for Keith Sweat at the AVA Amphitheatre in Tucson on July 26. SEE LEVI WASKOM PAGE 58