Celestial

Celestial is one of the top five finalists in the Guitar Center Singer-Songwriter V Competition which is taking place Friday, March 4, 2016 at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. OneAvenue.tv got the opportunity to ask Celestial to share her experience, inspirations, and how it feels to be selected as a finalist out of nearly 14,000 entries.

Celestial is constantly evolving and reworking her sound. Celestial believes in hard work so she works tirelessly to gain experience and find inspiration for her music

How has being named a finalist in the Guitar Center Singer-Songwriter V Competition changed your life? And, what has surprised you the most about this experience? “Being a finalist in the Guitar Center Songwriter 5 Contest has been a dream! Who knows what will happen this Friday, but if I win, it will really be a huge opportunity and leg up. The music industry is difficult and intense to navigate, but having an EP with Ariel’s name on it and the support of Guitar Center will be a big help in kick starting the momentum my career needs. I’ve been surprised by the whole thing, really! I was amazed by how supportive my friends and fans were throughout the first stage of the contest, and I honestly went in with no expectations – but here we are!”

Was there a moment in your life when you realized you wanted to be a singer, songwriter, and musician, and if so, what was it? “I’m sure there was some magic moment way back, but honestly, I’ve always wanted to be a performing artist. I’m really lucky in that, I’ve never had to question what I want to do. Since I can remember, my dream has been to become a legendary and influential songwriter and musician.”

Working with legendary Ariel Rechtshaid will be like? “Working with Ariel Rechtshaid would be an incredible experience! I’ve been a fan of his for a few years, as he’s produced some of my favorite records. My favorite band is Vampire Weekend – it’s probably unhealthy; I’ve seen them live eight times – and he produced their most recent (and my favorite) album, Modern Vampires of the City. He’s also worked with some of my other favorite artists including Sky Ferreira and Brandon Flowers, so adding my name to that list would be surreal.”

Are you working on any new music projects that you’re excited about? Are you planning to tour this year? What venues are on your schedule? “I am! I’m currently putting together a band for my live sets, so I can really showcase my music’s full potential when I perform. I love performing alone with a guitar or piano, but there’s something magical about having a band and letting the songs really sound the way I hear them in my head.””I am also planning a tour for this summer! I haven’t booked it yet, because I’m waiting to see what happens this Friday and where I can go after that depending on the results – I can say that I’ll be hitting up some hot spots like LA, San Francisco, and Nashville.”

Which musical artists have been an inspiration to you? “It sounds horribly cliché, but everyone I listen to inspires me, whether it manifests itself in my sound, or it’s simply emotionally. Some artists who I really look up to include Sara Bareilles, Fleetwood Mac, Katy Perry, Vampire Weekend, U2, The Killers, The 1975, and Florence and the Machine. Florence’s live show actually left me feeling more inspired than I’ve ever felt in my life. I saw her headline Lollapalooza in 2015, and it was insane. Her energy on stage, paired with killer vocals and an eerie storm brewing on Lake Michigan, left me with an intense feeling to perform and let my spirit be free on the stage. It was amazing.”

Do you have any insights or advice for others interested in being a singer songwriter? “The main thing I can say is work hard, be nice to everyone you meet, and live. I write everyday and work tirelessly to perfect every song and get it right, but in the end, I know I have a great song if it means something to me and came from an experience. Go out and do things. Find inspiration and run with it.”

If you could work with anyone on the planet who would it be and why? “I would love to work with Brandon Flowers. He has this unique ability to write like a singer/songwriter and tell a story, yet, have it fit so well in rock and upbeat music. I think that’s what really stands out to me about both his solo work and his stuff with The Killers. Plus the fact that the music it is paired with gives me chills. The Killers at Outside Lands was actually another one of those live shows that left me with this crazy euphoric high.

Do you have a favorite inspirational quote that you’d like to share with your fans? “You’re the voice I hear inside my head, the reason that I’m singing. I need to find you, I gotta find you.” – Joe Jonas in Camp Rock. My number one inspiration. Just kidding. One of my favorite quotes is “Don’t dream it, be it.” I was in the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the University of Miami every year, so this quote, the song it’s from hold a lot of nostalgia for me, but they’re also words to live by. Be the person you want to be. Make it happen. Be it.”

Is there anything that you would like other singer/ songwriters and musicians to know about your experience with Guitar Center Singer Songwriter V? “I think if there’s one thing I want people to see, it’s that even though I was picked as a finalist, it’s kind of the same thing like anything else in music – you have to work really hard! I promoted my contest channel like crazy throughout the fall. I asked people to view, had my friends share it, and probably annoyed everyone like crazy. But it was worth it, because now I’m at the next stage and get to show everyone what I can really do. It’s the same lesson I’ve learned every time – work really hard, and know your worth as an artist. You deserve to be heard so let people listen.”

What you would like music lovers to know about you and your music? “I guess the main thing to say is that, like any artist and songwriter, I’m constantly evolving and reworking my sound. And I think I’ve found something pretty cool that will hopefully come to fruition if I get to work with Ariel! For now, anyone who’s interested in my music and what I do with my life can check me out at these links:”

www.celestial-sounds.com

www.facebook.com/celestialsoundsofficial

www.soundcloud.com/celestialsounds

@clstlsounds (Twitter and Instagram)

Can you give us a preview of what you’re planning for your Finale at the Troubadour? “I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I can say you’ll be hearing one familiar song from the contest website, and one you haven’t heard before, which is my personal favorite song of mine. My goal is to move the audience emotionally, so as long as I achieve that, I’m happy!” - OneAvenue.TV

In less than a month, one of the five amateur finalists for Guitar Center’s Singer-Songwriter 5 Competition will be recording an EP with a Grammy winning producer. Out of 14,000 applicant, five singer-songwriters were chosen to perform in front of a live audience and Ariel Rechtshaid, the program judge and aforementioned producer, on Mar. 4 at the Troubadour in L.A. for a chance to be crowned this year’s winner. The night will also conclude with a performance from City and Colour.

The five finalists for this year’s competition are:

Celestial from Los Angeles, CA

Daena Jay from Costa Mesa, CA

JC Minton from Dallas, TX

Kate Brady from Boulder, CO

Sarah Barrios from Torrington, CT

Among the prizes awarded to the winner is the opportunity to record an EP with Rechtshaid. The L.A.-born producer has worked with Usher, Diplo and HAIM, and won a Grammy as the producer of Vampire Weekend’s Modern Vampires of the City. In addition, the contest winner will receive a songwriting session with City and Colour, a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, $25,000, new gear and a write up in American Songwriter.

Check out the finalists’ performance videos at www.guitarcenter.com/songwriter. - American Songwriter

Celestial is the project of pop vocalist and pianist Celeste Tauchar, a young talent (only twenty years old) who was born in Germany, raised in California and currently residing in Florida. Asphyxiate is the debut EP from this young artist, containing four tracks, each of which is also being released as a single on her web site and Soundcloud. The first two tracks are currently available.

The first, “Tidal Wave,” begins with a strong rhythm on keys, the other instruments soon adding to that rhythm. There is an intensity to this song which is felt almost immediately, and an intensity to Celeste’s performance, an urgency, like it’s a matter of life and death. There is a sense of danger and need in her voice, and there’s no holding back in this young woman. “I would swim as fast as I can/But you are a tidal wave.” And later in the song, she relaxes a bit when repeating the line, “I choose to swim,” which works well thematically. I love the strings on this track. That's Elijah Kirkland-Andrews on violin, and Vienna Sa on cello

The second, “Rag Doll,” has a cool, groovy vibe helped by the presence of horns. Alec Aldred joins Celeste on trumpet, and Chris Palowitch joins on trombone. This is one of my favorites on the CD. It’s about the strong, sometimes detrimental effect someone can have on us. At the beginning, the woman at the center of this song tells us: “Once I was a real girl, made of skin and bone/My teeth were tough, my fists enough/To protect my soul.” But at the introduction of the touch of the man, she becomes soft, his plaything, and tells us, “I am fraying, falling apart/I can’t get nowhere if you’re not there/I am tattered, torn at the seams/And the only cure is to be yours.” She maintains the metaphor of the rag doll throughout the song.

“You Soul Belongs To Gin” describes another troubled relationship, this one with a man who relies on alcohol. This is a really strong track with some excellent lyrics. “You won’t call unless there’s a bitter taste in your future/You’re pulling me apart/Because you only touch me if you’ve downed a bottle first/In fact, your heart won’t open unless it’s with a corkscrew/Pouring itself another night of blues.” She realizes she’s wasted so many nights, but it’s almost like she’s jealous of his drink: “You don’t really dream of me.” This is my other favorite track.

“Medicate Me” is an interesting track, and is really all about the vocals. Celeste’s vocal approach on this one begins more in the jazz realm, which I really like, and then as the song builds, it gets closer to what these days is called R&B. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “No bandage, no stitches could sew me up/I was terrified of dying/But not in your arms.” This song also provides the EP with its title in the line, “I’d asphyxiate when you were gone.”

CD Track List
Tidal Wave
Rag Doll
Your Soul Belongs To Gin
Medicate Me
Musicians

Celeste Tauchar is on vocals, piano and keyboard. Joining her are Matthew Clinkenbeard on guitar, Koa Ho on bass, Chris Schreck on drums, Elijah Kirkland-Andrews on violin, Vienna Sa on cello, Alec Aldred on trumpet and Chris Palowitch on trombone.

Asphyxiate is scheduled to be released on July 24, 2015. - Michael Doherty's Music Log

CELESTIAL TALKS TIDAL WAVE AND O,RAL RECORDS
A few months ago, we partnered with O, Miami and Miami-Dade Transit to produce O,ral Records, a project in which we collected Miami-Dade Transit riders’ stories and handed them over to artists to create new works. As most projects are, it was a learning process. We quickly realized that getting people to share their stories is not as easy as you might think. We also gained new respect for our local artists who devoted their time and creative energy to telling a story that was 1) not their own and 2) about transit, not the most interesting topic in the world. Through the weeks of collecting stories and watching the creation of new works, we learned even the simplest of human experiences holds a story. And there is no better place to find a good story than on public transit. We were so inspired by this project, we decided to not only share the finished product with our Buskerfest Miami family, but we decided do go a little deeper and introduce you personally to the artists that worked on creating our O,ral Records.

First up is Celeste Louise, also known around town as Celestial. She just released a new EP with four new singles, definitely worth a listen.

Buskerfest Miami: Can you tell me a little about your new EP?

Celestial: I officially released my new EP on Friday, July 24th, but unfortunately a lot of people don’t listen to albums in full anymore. So, I experimented a bit with this new release and shared it as four separate singles – one every Friday in July. The first single is also the main song I’m promoting from the EP: Tidal Wave. It’s one of my favorite songs I’ve written, as it presents a departure from my old material both stylistically and in terms of content. It’s taking me in a more indie-rock/alternative direction, and is about something besides relationships – it’s my personal experience as a woman in the music world (and social situations in general). Being in music school and navigating that culture as a whole has been really interesting – I play four instruments and sing, as well as write my own songs, yet I’ve had my musicianship and abilities questioned an innumerable amount of times. It’s the way it is and it means that I have to work that much harder as a student and musician, but there came a point where I felt the need to say something. It’s my reaction and expression of these experiences that you hear in this song. The song also feels pretty amazing to sing.

Buskerfest Miami: Do you write all your own songs?

Celestial: I do! I collaborate with others occasionally, but you’ll never hear me sing a song I didn’t have my hands in at least a little bit. All of the songs on the EP were written exclusively by me.

BM: In regards to songwriting, do you prefer writing on your own, or collaborating with others?

Celestial: This is a tough one. In my opinion, nothing beats those moments of pure, personal emotion when you sit down and crank out a new tune that you didn’t even know you were capable of writing. That is the pinnacle of my songwriting existence. However, I love collaborating when you really click with someone and are able to bring out the best in both writers. When that happens, you create something that neither of you would be able to create on your own, and often (at least for me), collaborating helps me write in new, unexplored styles and genres. So there is merit in both techniques.

BM: Can you briefly describe the process of creating the O,ral Records song from the submitted story?

Celestial: This was a fun experience. My friend and fellow writer/artist, Liam O’Brien, have played at Buskerfest together for the past few years and were asked to write a song for O,ral Records together. The story we chose was one a woman submitted about an old man who was desperately on the phone with the manager of a hotel he had stayed in. He was trying to get the contact information of a woman he had met at the bar there, convinced she was his soulmate. Sadly for him, the manager wouldn’t give him the information, so we’ll never know if he was ever able to figure it out. When Liam and I were writing our song, we tried to look at different angles and perspectives of this story. Who was this man? What was his interaction like with the woman at the bar? Was she just as infatuated with him? We decided to take write about the story of their meeting, and how the night progressed. It was really liberating to take myself out of the song and be able to make up a story and write whatever came to me, as opposed to trying to truthfully express my own emotion or experience.

BM: Who are some of your favorite songwriters?

Celestial: Ben Gibbard, Brian Wilson, John Mayer, Marina Diamandis (of Marina and the Diamonds), and Ezra Koenig and Rostam Batmanglij (of Vampire Weekend) would have to be my top five writers/writing pairs. There are so many, though. I’m influenced by everything I listen to, and kind of fall all over the place in terms of who influences me most – it changes with every song. Whatever mood I’m trying to create also influences who I look to when writing.

BM: Who were your guitar influences?

Celestial: This is kind of a funny question, in that while I originally started writing on guitar, I’ve pretty much started writing solely with piano in the past two years or so. I mostly play guitar just for the sake of playing, and for gigging because it’s obviously easier to transport than a keyboard. However, when I started to play I really wanted to be the cool girl playing Fall Out Boy songs – even though they really don’t have any impressive guitar parts for the most part, haha. I played a lot of The Edge’s solos, which was good because of their simplicity as I was starting out. Since then, though, I’ve been self-taught and lean more towards playing my own songs out and about. As of late, I’ve slowly been getting back to it, so we’ll see where it takes me and whose style of playing resonates with me.

BM: How did you get into songwriting/music?

Celestial: It’s just always been a part of my life! My parents are both musical in their own ways, and made a point of giving me a musical education – I grew up listening to Queen, U2, Led Zeppelin, essentially anyone that was important when my parents were younger. I think knowing a lot of music by these artists sparked a lot of interest and awe, and as I saw the singer/songwriter and pop acts rising when I was young, I related and realized that I could do that too. Since my dad started teaching me piano when I was four, and I had picked up guitar, cello, and ukulele, I was a confident musician. I knew I could do that. I figured it couldn’t be that hard to play my own music instead of someone else’s. So I just did it. And somehow it ended up sounding good.

BM: What are your dreams/goals for songwriting in your personal future?

Celestial: I have some pretty big goals. My plan is to continue writing and releasing my music and really just pushing it as far as I can go – my end goal is to be the best at what I do, whatever that means. I want to have a successful career as an artist, where I am able to support myself entirely from my music and have an influential voice in the music and pop culture world. I would also love to write for other artists, as I really find a lot of value in consistently pushing myself and writing in styles besides my own. It’s pretty lofty and bold, which is absolutely terrifying most of the time, but I’m actively working towards it and don’t plan on stopping ever.

To stay up to date on what Celestial is up to you, we suggest you follow her online at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/celestialsoundsofficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/clstlsounds
Instagram: https://instagram.com/clstlsounds/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/celestialsounds
Website: http://www.celestial-sounds.com/

Stay tuned next month for our next O,ral Records artist!

Much Love,

The Buskerfest Miami Fam - Buskerfest Miami

[Celestial] has captured the essence of what it means to be a pop singer who has
not been tainted by the contrived sounds of the day. Her latest single, ICE IN YOUR
BONES, is an amazing song that puts her in close quarters with artists like Sarah
McLachlan, and a young lady I've reviewed a few times named, Kristin Errett. ICE IN
YOUR BONES embodies that perfect blend of passion, whit, and moxie one would expect
from a strong young woman who's unafraid to be honest about how she feels.

This song is a great representation of Celeste's talents in the area of vocal arrangement
and delivery. Unlike many artists who seem to wrestle with finding a comfort zone/range
for themselves vocally, Celeste sounds very comfortable with every note and never falls
short in key areas. I was glad to hear her use the proper backing vocals to compliment
the main chorus line in the song; something too few artists these days are doing. As
someone who spent many years recording and studying some of the best pop and R&B
vocalists to ever record, I was also excited to hear Celeste not abusing her vocals with
AutoTune and Melodyne. I could truly appreciate her artistic decision to let the variations
in the vocal stacks remain when singing in unison because it makes the performance feel
much more real.

Overall, ICE IN YOUR BONES is a great single to introduce [Celestial]'s upcoming
EP release. It's a strong mid-tempo track that has excellent songwriting and a nice track
that's not overdone. Celeste has gained my respect both as a songwriter and vocal purist
who enjoys the sounds of a minimally processed recording. I would absolutely
recommend this single to anyone who has an affinity for alternative pop music that
incorporates slight hints of jazz and acoustic instruments. - I Am Entertainment - Shaine Freeman

A 2012 Folsom High School graduate, Celeste Tauchar, has been selected as a finalist in this year's Guitar Center Songwriter competition. She was selected from over 14,000 contestants across the nation.

"As Celestial, she performed two songs at the finals show on March 4 at the famous Troubadour Club in Los Angeles," said Rich Tauchar, her father.

After graduating in December from the Creative American Music program at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music, Celestial is now residing in Los Angeles while pursuing a music industry career as a performing artist.

For more information visit www.celestial-sounds.com. - The Folsom Telegraph