I was just in Key West FL with some of the worlds greatest songwriters gathered for a music festival with a difference!

You see, most of the performers were not artists but the actual writers behind some of the biggest songs in history and if the mood was right you would hear the real stories of how these songs came about and just what it took to get them heard. There were live shows from Jeffrey Steele who’s written smash hits for Montgomery Gentry, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Rascal Flatts. Liz Rose (Taylor Swift “You Belong With Me”) which scored a Grammy in 2009. Writers Paul Overstreet  who penned the little tune “When You Say Nothing At All”(with Don Schlitz), new time hit writers who penned Lee Brice’s number one “A Woman Like You”, Phil Barton, Johnny Bulford and Jon Stone and many many more (see below). I had some of the best moments playing some of these songwriter stages, sharing my songs with other amazing writers and hearing under the radar tunes from some great talents. My on-the-spot fave being a tune called “Emily’s List” by Bruce Wallace which could easily be a classic timeless track for the right artist.

My heart was stirred and I was truly inspired by the honesty and depth of some of the songs that I heard this week and it was such an awesome feeling to play under the key west sunshine! I was a guest artist for Cynthia Anderson’s amazing Key West debut where she knocked it out of the park with a song we wrote “Defeated”. Claire Wyndham invited me up to play her incredible debut Key West show with two songs that we wrote (that just happen to be my favorites) “Home Bittersweet Home” and “Ordinary Words” (Wyndham/Lavelle/Snape ) Claire knocked me out again with a song she co-wrote called “Come Out”(With Emily Shackelton and Jennifer Zuffinetti) which was a show stopper. Both Cynthia and Claire have the unfair advantage in a songwriter festival of being incredible singers and writers, so the shows were awesome!! Keep an eye and an ear out for new material from these guys in the near future.

The week was topped off when Phil Barton invited me up to play “Gravity” a song we wrote with Marty Worral (Aussie Idol). Such a great bunch of people in a beautiful atmosphere sharing what I think is one of the greatest gifts in the world. The ability to create music. Note the sign that a local hotel put out for all to see above. It could only happen at The Key West Songwriters Festival 2012

See a complete list of writers and links below

You just finished reading Key West Songwriters Festival 2012 on Official Anthony Snape Website. Please consider leaving a comment!

PICTURES
A song inspired by Instagram Users.

I had a few weeks between shows and I was inspired while using a photo sharing app Instagram. It made me feel the same way as when I saw the movie “UP” for the first time. These pictures neatly arranged in the Instagram app, raised on a pedestal and propelled into the public consciousness had so much emotional charge that it lead me on a two week bender to bring this song to you.

Instagram is used by thousands of iphone and ipad users and I thought why should they have all the joy. I wanted to share my experience with the rest of the world too.

The whole process was a lot of fun and I’m excited to share it with you.  You can download “Pictures” for free and share it with the people you care about. I’d love to record a new album so if you can afford to leave me a tip it is greatly appreciated. Thank you for being a part of my life…

“Pictures” – The Instagram song.

Read on below for a detailed explanation of the creative process I went through to bring this song to you.

The Writing
The song idea was rolling around in my head for a couple of days before I finally got a chance to lock myself in a room and let it come out. It was written on a guitar in open tuning. It was finished in about 2 hours. See the music for me, is the easy part

The Recording
I enjoyed making this recording in my project studio. 

I really wanted this recording to be an audio “snapshot” of the moment. It’s very raw intentionally. I made sure that I didn’t dampen any of the neighbourhood noise while I was recording so there may be dogs, planes, chipmunks or anything on there if you listen closely enough.
I played two of my cole clark guitars on this record, the brushes sound are recorded by placing a mic close to a piece of paper and tapping the paper with steel brushes. There is a small kick sound that comes in on the second verse which is my cajon, it helps drive it along.
Vocally my approach was almost like talking, I wanted it to feel emotive in whispery tones and give the listener that “voices in your head” feeling rather than music that is being sung. The whole recording process took about 6 hours. The best way to listen to it is through set of Bose headphones or on computer speakers.

The Video
Here’s where I have the least experience…. I had a vague idea of what I wanted to achieve visually, but no formal training in any sort of video editing. It took a little under two weeks to put the video together I estimate about 110 hours spent editing. In that time I contacted and received a reply from more than 200 individuals through Instagram asking for permission to use their photographs. Because there is a lot of reflagging going on I also had to be sure that their pics where an original work and not copies from elsewhere. I also posted a number of pics myself like the quote “Tell someone you love them. it might change their life….. and yours” I made that one up wrote it down and took a photo of it and posted it under my instagram username @snapeshots. From there That quote been reposted on tumbler and other photo sharing blogs hundreds of times. Its amazing how amplified the things you put into the world can become.

Lyric
Pictures – Inspired by Instagram
by Anthony Snape (APRA SESAC)

You like my picture
I like yours too
even though the lights are going down
even from the other side of town
I see you

All our friends are here
and through the lens we share
even though the walls keep us apart
even through the oceans are so large
I know you

oh wouldn’t it be good if all this could teach us something
and oh wouldn’t it be grand if everyone could feel the way we feel
the way we feel

you take your pictures
I take mine too
somewhere in the middle they all meet
float around and settle at our feet.
and only then I know I am complete
I love you.
I do.

You just finished reading PICTURES – A Song Inspired By INSTAGRAM on Official Anthony Snape Website. Please consider leaving a comment!

In Dec 2011 Danielle Blakey took on the gigantic task of releasing a single to Australian Radio. She was up against the December holidays, (lots of people in the music industry radio ect were going on a break) the Christmas music rush, (a time when all the major label artists release their albums for the Christmas sales period.) and the simple fact that she was practically an unknown artist competing directly with every other major pop act in the world.  But the enormity of the task ahead didn’t dim her spirits it made her want it even more! Armed with Twitter and Facebook Danielle set out to make an impact, and making an impact she is!After winning the New Artist To Radio competition Danielle set out on a campaign to be heard. With the help of her growing fan-base (that is you) FEARLESS jumped into the itunes charts teasing and encouraging the efforts. In the first week at radio FEARLESS was one of the most added songs on Australian radio. Danielle appeared on National Television “The Morning Show” (Channel 7) for a beautiful TV debut performance and was called in for interviews for local print media outlets and radio stations as interest across the country grew.

Monday the 6th of Feb Danielle posted on her facebook that Fearless had broken into the top 20 on the Australian Top Twenty Countdown. A radio program distributed by the Today Network! The Today network is a network of contemporary Hit Radio stations run by Southern Cross Austereo that include 2DayFM Sydney, FoxFM Melbourne, B105 Brisbane, SAFM Adelaide, 92.9 Perth, NXFM Newcastle, 104.7 Canberra, SEA90.9 Gold Coast and SEA 100.9 Hobart. Fearless is currently at number 13!

This story started on a regular morning in music city when friends got together over coffee to write a song. Little did any of them know that this song would end up on all of the major radio stations in Australia and launch the career of an amazing independent artist. FEARLESS was written by Danielle, Lindsay Rimes, Phil Barton and yours truly on one of Danielle’s writing trips. It’s an amazing feeling to finish a song like this one, there was definitely a creative energy and magic in the room. Fearless on the surface is about being able to fully open up to a new relationship, while on a deeper level its about human venerability and how sometimes we try to protect our emotional-selves with barriers and veils that attempt to hide what we really need or how we truly feel. The song was produced by Lindsay Rimes, arguably one of the greatest music producers on this planet today and was brought to life by Danielle’s beautiful performance and amazing vocal ability. Lindsay has numerous production credits to his name including writing and producing Australian Idol Shannon Noll’s latest record for Universal Records but you can only truly experience Lindsay’s brilliance by hearing it for yourself.

Danielle Blakey and FEARLESS is a real life success story and I wanted to tell it from my perspective so you can see what a huge effect YOU as a listener have on us as artists. One of the most exciting parts to this story is that YOU helped take FEARLESS into the TOP 20 on the Australian Radio charts and to the Austereo network, which is a HUGE feat! Thank you for downloading the single from itunes, requesting Fearless on Radio and for sharing links on facebook/twitter.

SO is there anything more I can do, I hear you ask?

Yes! Go now to your itunes and buy FEARLESS as a gift for 5 of your friends. Request FEARLESS on your favourite radio station, post this article on your facebook page and tell everyone of how YOU helped take an unknown song and artist to the lofty heights of the Australian music charts and in doing so made a positive difference in the world that will potentially effect thousands.

Take a leaf out of Danielle’s book and do something in your own life that you feel might be impossible. It pays to be FEARLESS!

You just finished reading Danielle Blakey FEARLESS a real life success story on Official Anthony Snape Website. Please consider leaving a comment!

After an amazing Christmas in Australia I had the biggest day ever flying back to the US. I left Sydney at 3pm on the 19th for a 14 hour flight and arrived in LA at 11am on the same day!! (That’s right, I went back in time.) On arrival I  grabbed a hire car and head straight to NAMM!!  It may have been my fatigue but I was totally overwhelmed by NAMM in LA it blew me away, what an amazing event! I was so stunned that I only took these few photos ha ha…

I then went and finished a song with producer/writer JJ Farris, and sang on a track for another movie submission that we’ll hear about later this month. Finished at 11pm not bad for a days work!

Talking about movies, I had the pleasure of working with super talents Bryce Jacobs and Fiona Kernaghan writing for the up coming action-thriller “Bad Karma” for Zero Gravity Prods.  Starring Ray Liotta and Dominic Purcell, Liotta plays a con man who turns his life around after a near-death experience only to be forced to come to terms with his shady past. Set for release in Australia and abroad 2012.

If you’ve been following my facebook or twitter feeds you would know that Danielle Blakey released FEARLESS to radio in Australia I wrote the song with Danielle, Lindsay Rimes and Phil Barton on one of her Nashville Trips. Danielle was on the Morning show in Australia this morning.  Click here to see the video.

If you know me you already know that I love Cole Clark Guitars because they sound incredible and that Cole Clark have been a huge supporter of my work. I thank them for their belief in me as a writer and artist, I will be playing their amazing Triumph model Fat Lady and their concert series UK.E.LADY this week when I perform with Tommy Emmanuel in KY on Thursday for the Acoustic Guitar Masters Tommy Fest Concert Series.

I’m also happy to announce that I have teamed up with my favorite string manufacturer D’Addario and Planet Waves for future shows and I’m in discussions with a great Australian clothing label DEACON, they have some amazing designs. Right now I have a superstar jacket that I LOVE…

So the year is off to a great start! I wonder what it has in store for us all?

You just finished reading Music in the Movies and on Radio, Cole Clark, D’Addario and NAMM in LA. on Official Anthony Snape Website. Please consider leaving a comment!

WOW, where did the year go?
Time flies when your having fun..

I’ve been on the road touring with Tommy Emmanuel and Pam Rose through the midwest. We had a great time, played some beautiful old theatres and wrote some cool new songs along the way. I’ve had some awesome shows in Virginia and Oklahoma with my TN band, playing for the NACA college crowd. A big thanks to Cole Clark Guitars and D’Addario strings who kept me in top shape…
I’m heading to New York City this weekend to play for The NYC Marathon and at The Living Room. Aside from battling the bitter cold that has just hit the north east, I can’t wait! Thousands of New Yorkers and people from all over the world will be running the streets. It’ll be a sight to see. Tell your NY friends to COME TO THE SHOW and if they mention your name, I’ll give them a FREE COPY of the Disappearing Day album, Yes FREE! Then I’m off to LA for a few weeks writing songs with some amazing musicians and writers before I head to Australia. Early Dec I’ll be playing a series of intimate private concerts in QLD and NSW the best way to get involved is to visit my facebook. The latest Live in NY CDs will be available at live shows.
I’m excited to be involved in a number of recordings this year including being featured on Tommy’s latest CD “Little By Little” and Pam’s new record, “Here Take This”.

You just finished reading TE Tour, NY Marathon, LA, Vegas and a Summer Christmas. on Official Anthony Snape Website. Please consider leaving a comment!

I’m just back from Australia and its been like a whirlwind, no time for jet-lag, which suits me fine…

The Namm show has been fantastic, I met quite a few amazing players after playing at the Cole Clark / Nik Huber (check out these guitars) site at the event.

It was great to try out all the latest gear! The super talented Adam Miller layered his magic on a few songs and Ben Thompson and Claire Wyndham joined me on the last crazy Namm day.

I was able to fit in an amazing sold out show at the famous Bluebird cafe with some really great writers in town Kelly Archer, Phil Barton and Adam James which was a real treat. here were some great people in the audience who were visiting Nashville for the first time, it was good to be a part of their first Bluebird experience.

I can’t wait to play the SESAC pop showcase at 12th and porter coming up on the 1st AUG. That will be one to see! I’ll be onstage at 8pm followed by  SESAC writer/artists Rex Schnelle, Josh Holiday and Jenny Petite.

I love to hear from you, so be sure to text your burning questions to 630 557 6273

cheers Anthony

You just finished reading NAMM Bluebird Cafe and getting down to business on Official Anthony Snape Website. Please consider leaving a comment!

When guitar virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel throws a party for his talented friends, the result is musical magic. More than half of the PBS stations across the USA will broadcast the Tommy Emmanuel and Friends concert this coming June 2011.

Considered one of the finest acoustic guitar players in the world, Emmanuel is celebrating his 50th anniversary as a performer. For this special, he invited some of his favorite musician friends to join him on stage for a once-in-a-lifetime concert, taped before a sold-out audience at the historic Balboa Theater in San Diego and featuring an international cast of musicians. Performers include Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Pam Rose, Frank Vignola, Vinny Raniolo and Anthony Snape.
Excerpt From the PBS website: http://pressroom.pbs.org/Programs/t/Tommy-Emmanuel-and-Friends-Live-from-the-Balboa-Theatre.aspx

More than half of the PBS stations across the USA will broadcast the Tommy Emmanuel and Friends concert this coming June 2011. The Concert features guitar virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel and his friends Pam Rose, Frank Vignola, Vinny Raniolo and Anthony Snape recorded LIVE on stage at the Balboa Theater in San Diego, CA. The concert broadcast will spark a series of live shows that will see these artists performing at a wide variety of locations as individuals and as a part of the Tommy Emmanuel and Friends Concert series. Check your local PBS station for broadcast times in your local area. The complete DVD and CD live recording will be available at live shows and via PBS pledge drives.

You just finished reading PBS TV in JUNE 2011 on Official Anthony Snape Website. Please consider leaving a comment!

At soundcheck I made friends with the local mascot, a happy looking camel at Campbell University North Carolina…. who swiftly stole my guitar.

It was a fun gig, cool people in North Carolina

Loved playing “Beautiful World” live for the first time since it was born, there’s nothing like that feeling…

You just finished reading A Camel Stole My Guitar on Official Anthony Snape Website. Please consider leaving a comment!

I had a 5am start yesterday and today for some some Radio (Xtra 99.1FM) and TV (Fox43) in Virginia. Had an awesome time!! Great people Here’s some footage from the Hampton Roads show segment “Live Music Fridays” Fox 43 TV Virginia

You just finished reading FOX43 TV and Xtra 99.1 Virginia on Official Anthony Snape Website. Please consider leaving a comment!

There has been so much going on since getting back to the US in Jan, I have a song “Everlasting” that is now being used on the ABC network in the USA, I spent two awesome days recording a live concert show with Tommy Emmanuel in San Diego for PBS. The show is set to air all over America in June so be prepared for some serious touring dates, as I’ll be going into some uncharted territory I’ve also been having some really great writing sessions in LA and Nashville! There are so many new songs now I may have to start up another run of “Kitchen Sessions” to share them with you.

I’m loving my My new Cole Clark Ukelady — very special

What is going on with the world right now? First QLD floods then New Zealand is hit and now Japan! Its devastating. It’s hard to make sense of things like this, why so many people have to lose their lives. For me, it reinforces the need to make the most of the time you have with the people you love. The world is mostly unpredictable and the only time you really have is now.

Other than that, my head has mainly been in website creation land for the last few weeks and I’m excited to give you the results http://bit.ly/4FCZJh. The really cool parts I want to mention are;

• This is the first time that all the merchandise that you can get at my live shows is available online! And we’ve made shipping free to anywhere in the world!!
• I’m giving away an MP3 of “On Fire” (recorded live in NYC) and google my phone number to everyone who signs up for my mailing list. (those who are already on the list will also get the song via email)
  

Random info bit… I’ve been going through a bit of a Tea craving… Its very weird I’m liking lots of green tea and I’m not sure what has brought this on… Share your latest cravings or thoughts? Post your reply to facebook or at the end of this post.

Its great to catch up and share this all with you, don’t forget to download your a FREE MP3 by signing up for my mailing list.

You just finished reading PBS Tommy Show, ABC Network, Cole Clark , New site, merch and more. on Official Anthony Snape Website. Please consider leaving a comment!