Hello Everyone!
While, in a technical sense, this is not my first News post, this is the first one made since the creation of the site. The reason for that is simple: unlike the looser requirements I impose upon Blog posts, I feel that news articles should be reserved for particularly big or important announcements regarding upcoming projects – for the foreseeable future, this would mean Forbidden Dish. So, as both the preceding paragraph and the title of this article might indicate, I do have some exciting news!
Background
Over the past few weeks I have been corresponding with a pair of artists very near and dear to my heart – vocalist Pamela Tegtmeyer and guitarist Aaron Straub. If you haven’t heard of them, don’t worry – I’m here to rectify that. You see, both Pamela and Aaron headlined a female-fronted rock band by the name of Without a Whisper. The band operated out of Arkansas in the mid-2000’s and gained moderate success, opening for many national acts over the years. This culminated in 2006, when they finally released their debut album, Caught in the Fire. The album itself consisted of 13 incredible songs, each marked by powerful vocals and masterful guitar playing. If you’ve not had the pleasure of listening to them, then you’re in for a treat. Do yourself a favor and check them out! [The songs can be streamed on YouTube or purchased on Amazon.] Unfortunately, both for the band itself and for fans of their music, their first album would also be their last. Members of the band went their separate ways and continued creating music in other avenues.
As luck would have it, despite living halfway across the country from where Without a Whisper began, in 2009 I stumbled across one of their tracks online. From that moment, I was hooked. I quickly tracked down the full album and replayed it again and again. The songs, each being distinct and memorable, coalesced into a cohesive whole that was somehow even stronger than its individual components. To say that I was both floored and disappointed when I found out that the band was no longer together would be an understatement. How such a talented group of individuals could have done anything but rise to prominence was a mystery to me. Nonetheless, with only one album, the band has always managed to remain in my personal Top 3 of female fronted rock, alongside Halestorm and The Pretty Reckless.
Today
All of this brings me up to now: After being a fan for so long, and pouring my heart and soul into Forbidden Dish, I realized how special it would be for me to be able to include music from one of my favorite bands in my first feature film (the music itself not only being wonderful, but tonally appropriate for certain sequences). With little more than a hope and a prayer, I proceeded to reach out to both Pamela and Aaron to see if they would be interested in being involved in this project. Much to my absolute delight, not only were they both extremely receptive, they are some of the nicest people you could hope to meet. While they always say not to meet your heroes, lest you be disappointed, in this case “they” couldn’t be further from the truth.
As a result, I am proud to announce that select music from Without a Whisper will now be featured in Forbidden Dish! I am so excited to be able to not only enhance the film with these inclusions, but to be able to share the amazing work of these talented artists with an even wider audience. It really is a dream come true to be able to work with people whose work you admire and their support in bringing this project to life means a lot. I can’t wait to be able to continue this journey with them by my side.
I look forward to keeping you all abreast of all Forbidden Dish related progress as it develops! Until then, keep an eye on the blog for a new article every two weeks. Talk soon!
Chris
P.S. – If you are interested in checking out some of their more recent projects, Aaron can now be found making music alongside pianist Patti Unruh in his new band, Rhythm of Mars. To find out more, visit their website. Likewise, Pamela is the founder and lead singer for the band Eye for a Lie. Check out their music at ReverbNation!