India Ramey

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- You might think the cover art for India Ramey’s new album, “Blood Crescent Moon,” looks cool and creepy, sultry and spooky.
And you’d be right.
The Birmingham singer-songwriter wanted a Southern Gothic feel for her sophomore record, which spins dark tales of love and loss, defiance and pride. The characters in Ramey’s alt-country songs are full of stormy passions, more likely to throw a dagger than toss a bouquet.
“I just wanted to write songs that I wanted to hear,” Ramey says. “As it turns out, I have a really dark taste in music. The majority of the music that I listen to is dark. I’m a big Metallica fan. I Love Neko Case, and she can tell some dark, scary stories.”
Ramey’s 2010 debut, “Junkyard Angel,” was far from a sunny romp, with its material about resilient women overcoming hard times. Still, with “Blood Crescent Moon,” Ramey believes her true voice is starting to emerge.
“I wanted to test my storytelling skills,” she says. “I had to stretch my imagination and powers of observation. I tried to keep my eyes open to the people around me. I didn’t want to do a complete departure from the first one, but it was important for me to dig a little deeper.”
DETAILS
Who: India Ramey, with opener Josh Brown.

What: CD release show for “Blood Crescent Moon.”

When: April 13 at 8 p.m.

Where: WorkPlay theater, 500 23rd St. South, Birmingham, Alabama.

Tickets: $10.

Info: 205-380-4082 or WorkPlay website.

Example: The title track was inspired by a luminous slice of sky, hungry bears invading a campground and the shock of a fatal departure. (Poetically expressed, of course.)
Another Ramey tune, “Get Behind Me Satan,” is a fiery revenge fantasy. ("I always call it my Loretta Lynn song, because it reminds me of something she would say," Ramey explains.)
“Easy Come Easy Go” focuses on a terrible decision -- and the narrator’s inability to stop herself from heading down a ruinous path. (Ramey says she tried to evoke a surreal, out-of-body experience with this one.)

Listeners at the WorkPlay theater can sing along or get the shivers, depending on their proclivities, when Ramey performs a CD release concert on April 13. She'll have a full band on stage for the 9 p.m. show: guitarist Will Cash, drummer Nick Recio, bassist Eric Onimus, fiddler Leo McDermott and backup singer Elizabeth Simmons Geller.

Ramey, 38, was a newcomer on the music scene when "Junkyard Angel" took flight, and she's been building an audience here through performances at nightclubs and festivals. Her former career as a lawyer? Case closed, Ramey says happily. The life of an indie musician suits her just fine, and offers satisfactions aplenty.

Consider, for instance, Ramey's first performance at The Nick, a time-honored dive in Birmingham's Southside. Its walls are plastered with photos of past performers, and its history is rich with famous names that range from Black Flag to the Georgia Satellites.


India Ramey's 2013 album includes one cover song, "Boots or Hearts" by The Tragically Hip. She also wrote a new song about Birmingham, "Rusty City." (Big Swede Inc. Photography)
"I was really excited about playing there," Ramey says. "There's something about that stage, the way it's set up, that makes you feel like a rock star."

With every show, she's been polishing her skills as a vocalist, guitar player and bandleader. That extra savvy came in handy, Ramey says, when she traveled to Nashville to record "Blood Crescent Moon" with producer Brian Irwin.

Ramey's ideas for song arrangements were crucial as she worked with Irwin to create a stripped-down yet powerful sound. Irwin played several instruments during their studio sessions, including bass and banjo. In the end, Ramey says, vocals and drums ruled supreme.

Now she's ready to introduce "Blood Crescent Moon" to the world and make plans for a mini-tour of the Southeast. Ramey and her husband, Shaun, financed the album themselves; she's pondering a Kickstarter campaign to help with the band's travel expenses.

"There's nothing contrived about this record; it's all honest," Ramey says. "I feel that I've grown as a person and matured. I was happy with 'Junkyard Angel,' but this one is way more me." - Al.com

India Ramey



11th Annual Country Song Nominee

Hear More At The Vox Pop Jukebox
Record Label: Self-Released
www.indiaramey.com

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Home Base: Birmingham, AL
Genre: Country
Categories Entered: Country Song
Work Submitted: Don’t Tell Me (It Was Just the Whiskey)
Artists Featured: Indie Ramey
Label: Unsigned
URLs: www.indiaramey.com; www.reverbnation.com/indiaramey; www.facebook.com/indiaramey/129880420376282
Who are your influences? Patty Loveless, Neko Case, Loretta Lynn, Aretha Franklin
Describe your nominated work. It is a heart-felt, honest tale of an estranged father/daughter relationship.
Did you use any unusual effects or instruments in this recording? A bowed bass sets the tone for the pining and tragic nature of the tale.
Were there any happy accidents while in the studio, or did everything go as planned? Everything went as planned although the track almost didn’t make the album because it was written last.
How did you raise the funds for this project? How long do you expect it will take to recoup your out-of-pocket recording expenses? I saved money for 2 years to pay for the project. I feel quite sure it will take the rest of my life to recoup.
Why did you choose to submit this work to The 11th IMAs? This song is my favorite and most personal piece from the album.
What’s your definition of success and how will you know when you’ve achieved it? When my songs are heard by a global audience. To be signed. To tour.
How will you leverage your IMA honors to achieve your career goals? I will include it on my press kits, press releases, posters, one sheets, etc. Every way possible!
Who’s sitting in your audience and what makes your fans unique? My audience is diverse. Rages in age (kids to seniors) and in people who like country, R&B, rock. It has wide appeal.
What is your guilty pleasure on the road? Any close calls or mishaps while on tour?
Fast food. Have not “toured” yet. Not enough $ to tour.
Who are your musical heroes & influences? Pat Benatar, The Tragically Hip, Neko Case, Patty Lovelace.
Are there any songs you wish you wrote and why? “Fancy”, because it is an epic country song that tells a story. Everyone loves it!
What artists are you listening to that would surprise your fans? Metallica, Ministry, Souixie & The Banshees.
How do you discover new music? Do you buy music or are you content with streaming?
Through indie stations, mainstream stations, internet. I buy music.
How will musicians make a living if fans continue to expect music to be free? We won’t be able to make a decent living if music is always free. The only way to recoup that $ would be to charge more at the door or in ticket sales for shows.
What don’t fans/audiences understand about the music industry today? The cost to the artist to make music.
Are digital singles/EPs vs. full albums the future? Unfortunately, yes.
Finish this sentence: The music industry is…changing and will have to adapt to the fact that artists are finding ways to get their music heard without the big records companies.
What do you have in the works for the upcoming year? Further gigging and promotion. I am planning to play more cities and more venues. Branching out to new markets. Also, I’m writing a new album’s worth of material. I hope I get to record it one day! - Independent Music Awards

Congratulations to India Ramey- Finalist in The Songwriters Contest
April 16, 2012 - Filed under Events, Features
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India has been chosen along with 11 other finalists to compete for ultimate winner of The Songwriters Song Contest. She now has the privilage of performing her song at the Texas SongFest music festival in Commerce, Texas on April 28th, 2012. Alongside India, will be guitarist Will Cash, who also is one of our guitar instructors @the Inverness location. Let’s support India as she embarks on this chance of a lifetime! - Bailey Brother's Music

“American Idol” or “The Voice”

But Birmingham’s India Ramey is competing in a national music contest that could earn her a spot at a music festival, recording opportunities and a bunch of other goodies.

Ramey’s performance of an original tune, “Junkyard Angel,” took first place here during an early round for “The Songwriters,” a competition that travels to music stores across the United States.

Judging took place on Feb. 6 at Bailey Brothers Music Co. in Inverness. Benjamin Jones came in second with his song, “Loveless.” Ryan Roddam took third place for “Ready, Shoot, Aim.”

There’s a long road ahead, however, for Ramey and the other hopefuls. The contest is traveling to many other stores before the initial stage ends in March. Also, to advance in “The Songwriters,” performers must gather votes on the Internet during a 21-one period after their local rounds.

That means Ramey (and the two other Birmingham contestants chosen at Bailey Brothers) have until March 4 to curry voters’ favor via the contest website. To watch videos of their performances or cast votes, visit “The Songwriters” website.

When all the votes are cast, 10 finalists will be selected from the first- and second-place finishers. They’ll compete again, this time at the Texas Song Festival on April 28 in Commerce, northeast of Dallas. The winner will be announced there.

Performers in the third-place slots move on to another event, vying for showcases sponsored by Folk Alliance International.

“The Songwriters” and the Texas Song Festival are organized by Blanchard Management Group, a Nashville company. An offer for a management contract is part of the winner’s prize package, according to the contest website.


- Al.com

“American Idol” or “The Voice”

But Birmingham’s India Ramey is competing in a national music contest that could earn her a spot at a music festival, recording opportunities and a bunch of other goodies.

Ramey’s performance of an original tune, “Junkyard Angel,” took first place here during an early round for “The Songwriters,” a competition that travels to music stores across the United States.

Judging took place on Feb. 6 at Bailey Brothers Music Co. in Inverness. Benjamin Jones came in second with his song, “Loveless.” Ryan Roddam took third place for “Ready, Shoot, Aim.”

There’s a long road ahead, however, for Ramey and the other hopefuls. The contest is traveling to many other stores before the initial stage ends in March. Also, to advance in “The Songwriters,” performers must gather votes on the Internet during a 21-one period after their local rounds.

That means Ramey (and the two other Birmingham contestants chosen at Bailey Brothers) have until March 4 to curry voters’ favor via the contest website. To watch videos of their performances or cast votes, visit “The Songwriters” website.

When all the votes are cast, 10 finalists will be selected from the first- and second-place finishers. They’ll compete again, this time at the Texas Song Festival on April 28 in Commerce, northeast of Dallas. The winner will be announced there.

Performers in the third-place slots move on to another event, vying for showcases sponsored by Folk Alliance International.

“The Songwriters” and the Texas Song Festival are organized by Blanchard Management Group, a Nashville company. An offer for a management contract is part of the winner’s prize package, according to the contest website.


- Al.com

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Is India Ramey, a Birmingham singer-songwriter, the next Emmylou Harris? Only time will tell, but Ramey’s original music combines elements the Red Dirt Girl would applaud: country, folk, bluegrass and blues. Ramey’s dominant theme -- a woman overcoming adversity and heartache -- is powerfully expressed in her debut record, 2010’s “Junkyard Angel.” Her background as a lawyer, crusading against domestic violence, gives her subject matter extra poignance. In this video, Ramey performs "Not Gonna Hurt Me" with guitarist Will Cash. Like all videos in The Birmingham Sessions series, it was recorded at the Bottletree nightclub in Avondale, in a backstage area that includes two vintage Airstream trailers. - Al.com

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Is India Ramey, a Birmingham singer-songwriter, the next Emmylou Harris? Only time will tell, but Ramey’s original music combines elements the Red Dirt Girl would applaud: country, folk, bluegrass and blues. Ramey’s dominant theme -- a woman overcoming adversity and heartache -- is powerfully expressed in her debut record, 2010’s “Junkyard Angel.” Her background as a lawyer, crusading against domestic violence, gives her subject matter extra poignance. In this video, Ramey performs "Not Gonna Hurt Me" with guitarist Will Cash. Like all videos in The Birmingham Sessions series, it was recorded at the Bottletree nightclub in Avondale, in a backstage area that includes two vintage Airstream trailers. - Al.com

These days the folders full of legal papers on her desk have been replaced with bins full of press-kits, and her schedule is no longer ruled by court calendars but by the endless promotion of her debut album “Junkyard Angel” that was released in November 2010.

With an ultimate goal of getting signed to a well-established indie label and headlining a national tour, much of her time is spent contacting producers and concert promoters. And when she’s not doing that, she is busy practicing guitar and trying to book local gigs.

“Releasing this album has been the biggest accomplishment of my life. I work more hours and more days trying to build my music business than I did when I was lawyer, which is hard to believe, but i love every minute of it, and I know what I am doing now is what I was always supposed to do,” Ramey says.

Ramey comes from a family of musicians. Her grandfather was a member of a popular bluegrass, gospel quartet on Sand Mountain in North Alabama and her aunt, nicknamed “Tiny Turner,” was lead singer of a doo–wop group in Chicago. Her uncle, her mother and her two sisters are also musical.

Singing was second nature to her and many of her childhood memories are linked to music.

“I’ve been singing since I could talk. Whenever we would meet for holidays or family get-togethers, we would all sit around and sing—our talent, enjoyment and appreciation for music was something our whole family had in common, the glue that held us together,” Ramey said.

Though Ramey first caught the rockstar bug at just eight-years old when her mom bought her Pat Benatar’s “Crime of Passion,” it wasn’t until her college years at Birmingham Southern College that she finally decided to write her own music. From there on out, and into her years at law school in University of Alabama, she wrote a little here and there along the way, and built a file folder full of songs and song ideas.

In 2004, she found out her friend’s folk cover band, Scattered and Smothered, was looking to add a female singer. A full-time civil litigator at the time, she jumped at the opportunity to make music have a more regular presence in her life, even if just in the form of a nights and weekend hobby.


In 2009 she followed her dreams
“This experience is what gave me the confidence as a musician to contemplate doing something on my own. The onstage exposure and the positive reactions I got from audiences whenever i performed, made me realize maybe I could do something like this and encouraged me to start honing the songwriting talent I had begun developing in college,” Ramey said.

Mid-way through her decade-long career as a lawyer, she felt tied to sticking with law as she knew it was a practical career choice and secure way of living. Still her devotion to music continued to make its way to the forefront and by 2006 she started to get serious about the idea of going solo. Any spare time outside of her 8 to 5 job was spent practicing guitar and writing songs.

In 2008, she had already written a full album and begun the pre-production work, so when she was laid off in 2009, she saw it as a chance to finally put her all into a music career. With way more time to dedicate to her music, she was able to finish recording the album and release it in late 2010.

Her debut album Junkyard Angel which was co-arranged and produced by local musician William Barnes, is country with heavy folk, bluegrass and blues overtones. With strong booming, wide range vocals that lean toward the pop-country side and dark lyrics filled with irony and sarcasm that have an alt-country vibe, comes a unique blend of music that sets her apart from others in the genre.

All of Ramey’s musical influences have family ties. She strives to mimic the songwriting and storytelling skills of her father’s favorite, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, the emotional angst and driving beats of her sister’s teenage idols, The Ramones, and the mastery of melody she learned from her mom’s continued spinning of Fleetwood Mac records. To that mix, she brings her personal all time favorite artist Neko Case aboard for vocal inspiration.

An underlying theme of the album deals with the struggles of battered women. Ramey’s drive to speak up on behalf of victims began in her law career when she was a prosecutor for violence against women, and continues with this album.

The songwriting on this album weaves together upbeat songs with songs of heartbreak and takes listeners on a journey through tough times and hits a point that announces times do get better.

“I was able to take something that is so personal to me and talk about it in such a way that anybody, even if they haven’t had the same experience as me, can find a way to identify with and relate to the lyrics through their own experiences,” Ramey says.

“I’ve poured my heart into this album. I address my father in a lot of the songs, speaking to and out against him about what my mother had to endure. When - B Metro Magazine

When India Ramey stopped practicing law in 2009, she decided to start a music career. "Singing is the way I want to spend the rest of my life," she says. Birmingham online magazine "You Hear This" describes Ramey's music as "country, with heavy folk, bluegrass and blues overtones, with strong booming, wide ranging vocals that lean toward the pop-country side and dark lyrics filled with irony and sarcasm that have an alt-country vibe."

#Now, Ramey has her own touring band, and will be in Jackson at Hal & Mal's on July 13. Her band features Sue Nuckols on fiddle, Ramey and Will Cash on guitar, Nick Recio on drums, Taylor Propp on bass and Elizabeth Geller on background vocals.

#Ramey released her debut album, "Junkyard Angel," in 2010 and is working on her second, currently in pre-production stages. "Junkyard Angel," which is comprised of all original songs except for a cover of Crystal Gayle's "Ready for the Times to Get Better," reflects her time growing up in a dysfunctional family. "I've poured my heart into this album. I address my father in a lot of the songs, speaking to and out against him about what my mother had to endure," she says.

#Her early life led to a life-long passion to speak out against domestic violence. She volunteered to help battered women while in college and prosecuted violent crimes against women as a county prosecutor in Montgomery.

#Some of the songs she wrote are about happier times in her family. She sings about her grandfather's courtship of her grandmother in "Red-Headed Girl." She describes another song, "One More Shot," as being just for fun and "an old-school honky-tonk song."

#India Ramey performs at Hal & Mal's (200 S. Commerce St., 601-948-0888) on July 13. Visit indiaramey.com. - Jackson Free Press

.#When India Ramey stopped practicing law in 2009, she decided to start a music career. "Singing is the way I want to spend the rest of my life," she says. Birmingham online magazine "You Hear This" describes Ramey's music as "country, with heavy folk, bluegrass and blues overtones, with strong booming, wide ranging vocals that lean toward the pop-country side and dark lyrics filled with irony and sarcasm that have an alt-country vibe."

#Now, Ramey has her own touring band, and will be in Jackson at Hal & Mal's on July 13. Her band features Sue Nuckols on fiddle, Ramey and Will Cash on guitar, Nick Recio on drums, Taylor Propp on bass and Elizabeth Geller on background vocals.

#Ramey released her debut album, "Junkyard Angel," in 2010 and is working on her second, currently in pre-production stages. "Junkyard Angel," which is comprised of all original songs except for a cover of Crystal Gayle's "Ready for the Times to Get Better," reflects her time growing up in a dysfunctional family. "I've poured my heart into this album. I address my father in a lot of the songs, speaking to and out against him about what my mother had to endure," she says.

#Her early life led to a life-long passion to speak out against domestic violence. She volunteered to help battered women while in college and prosecuted violent crimes against women as a county prosecutor in Montgomery.

#Some of the songs she wrote are about happier times in her family. She sings about her grandfather's courtship of her grandmother in "Red-Headed Girl." She describes another song, "One More Shot," as being just for fun and "an old-school honky-tonk song."

#India Ramey performs at Hal & Mal's (200 S. Commerce St., 601-948-0888) on July 13. Visit indiaramey.com.
- Jackson Free Press

Birmingham's India Ramey tests her wings with 'Junkyard Angel'
Published: Friday, December 03, 2010, 5:30 AM
By Mary Colurso -- The Birmingham News
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India Ramey has two role models for her music career: indie darling Neko Case, 40, and 1980s hitmaker Pat Benatar, 57. "Neko Case is just hitting the mainstream," Ramey says. "Pat Benatar is my other idol, and she's still out there rocking with Neil Giraldo." (Special / Claudette Powell)
Like many ambitious singer-songwriters, India Ramey is willing to suffer for her art.
When a trip to Texas became necessary for the production of her debut disc, "Junkyard Angel," Ramey, 36, packed up the car and spent a few nights sleeping on the floor of a recording studio.
Nestled in sound baffling material and covered with quilts, she braved the prospect of a resident ghost, rumored to haunt Palmyra Studios near Dallas.
Of course, the Birmingham musician had her husband, Shaun, and her trusty dog, Daisy, at her side. Both have been willing to sacrifice creature comforts — vacations, house repairs, fancy clothes, squeaky toys — to help her fund the independent project and realize her dreams.
"I always thought this bug I had in my head — I want to be a rock star — was impractical," says Ramey, a University of Alabama law-school graduate who spent several years working as a lawyer.
"But now it really, truly feels like this is what I should be doing."
Ramey’s not a starving artist, but she’s not rich, either, with student loans still to pay and a career history as a prosecutor in Montgomery County, crusading against domestic violence. She also spent time at a small private firm in Birmingham, working on civil litigation.
"There were parts of being an attorney that I did enjoy," she says. "But I always felt something was missing."
A couple of years ago, Ramey says, she began saving one-third of every paycheck and stashing it into a music fund, hoping to bankroll her first recording.
At the time, she had nothing elaborate in mind, just a three- or four-song demo that would reflect her skills in country music. Ramey, the granddaughter of a Sand Mountain bluegrass performer, Rufus Clayton Turner, comes by those talents honestly.

India Ramey was born in Rome, Ga., and moved to Birmingham to attend the Alabama School of Fine Arts. She earned a bachelor's degree at Birmingham-Southern College and a law degree at the University of Alabama. (Special / Wes Frazer)
She’d also been singing with a local cover band, Scattered and Smothered, and writing a batch of heartfelt tunes.
The recession gave her a big push — Ramey got laid off from her job in August 2009 — and after a round of soul-searching, it was time to get creative, dig into her roots and give grandaddy’s profession a try.
"He was a big inspiration," Ramey says. "After his glory days in the Sand Mountain music scene, he was a piano tuner for about 35 years. He was an accomplished singer, and he played guitar and banjo. He could play two harmonicas at the same time."
Ramey, who sings and plays guitar by ear, says her late grandfather never could understand her reluctance to read music or learn about the shape-note tradition. Chances are, though, he’d be beaming at the sound of "Junkyard Angel," released in October and dedicated to his memory.
Country, folk, blues and bluegrass influences are evident on the 15-track disc, and the majority of the songs (including one about Turner’s courtship with Ramey’s grandmother, "Red Headed Girl") are Ramey originals.
Personal themes abound in her material, from the title song to "Blame Yourself" to "Not Gonna Hurt Me" to "Ready for the Times to Get Better." A recurring motif, Ramey says, is the idea of a strong woman overcoming tragedy, leaving sadness behind and rising above hard times.

Some photos gracing the liner notes of India Ramey's new CD were taken at the Garage Cafe in Southside. (Special / Claudette Powell)
"This was a cathartic experience for me," she admits. "My mother was a battered woman for about 17 years, and a lot of these songs are about my biological father. My parents divorced when I was 4, but he was ever-present in our lives for about three more years. These are the things I wanted to say to him, like that letter you’re going to write, but never send."
Ramey says her producer, William Barnes, was an extremely important collaborator, fleshing out her rudimentary versions of the songs and developing polished, professional arrangements for the album.
"William has a way of hearing things like a real, live composer," Ramey says. "He was a huge asset and a huge help. I think the more we got into the project, the more we worked on layering and instrumentation. I would sing the song the way I was hearing it in my head, and he’d make that a reality."
The two hit it off when Barnes, who lives in Wetumpka, sat in with Scattered and Smothered, playing Dobro and pedal-steel guitar.
Ramey decided to ta - Birmingham News

Bruce Cockburn, Melissa Ferrick, JD McPherson, Girl In A Coma, Birdy Nam Nam, RuPaul, Ellis Marsalis and Larry Carlton
Among Nominees Of The 11th Independent Music Awards

More Than 300 Self-Released & Independent Label Artists Honored

For Immediate Release

March 7, 2012 – More than 300 exceptional self-released and independent label artists, as well as former major label acts were named by Music Resource Group (MRG) today as Nominees in The 11th Annual Independent Music Awards (The IMAs), the influential awards program for independent bands and fans.
The 11th IMA Nominees are an eclectic mix of established artists and artists on the rise including Bruce Cockburn (Folk/Singer-Songwriter Album), Ellis Marsalis (Concept Album and Cover Song), Girl In A Coma (Indie/Alt. Rock Album and Song), Larry Carlton (Tribute Album), April Verch (Americana Album and Acoustic Song), Birdie Nam Nam (Dance/Electronica Album and Short-Form Music Video), Melissa Ferrick (Folk/Singer-Songwriter Album and Acoustic Song), RuPaul (Social Action Song), and retro-rock recording artist JD McPherson (Rock/Hard Rock Album).

Representing the broad spectrum of today’s global independent music scene, the Nominees in over 70 Song, Album, Music Video and Design categories were culled from thousands of submissions from North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe.

Winners will be determined by a panel of 77 influential artist and industry judges including Keith Richards, Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, Suzanne Vega, Joshua Redman, Tori Amos, Michael Franti, Bettye LaVette, Del McCoury,
Ozzy Osbourne, Shelby Lynne, Alan Light (Live From The Artists Den),
Kevin Lyman (Warped Tour), Bill Bragin (Lincoln Center), Sara Beesley (Joe’s Pub) Chris Diaz (Knitting Factory Entertainment), and Evan Schlansky (American Songwriter) and will be announced in April, 2012. In addition to industry-determined Winners, music fans from around the world have until Friday, July 20, 2012 to cast their votes at The IMA Vox Pop Jukebox to determine the fan-selected IMA Winners.

The Independent Music Award Winners will be promoted to more than 50 million music fans worldwide.

Details and complete list of Nominees and Judges available at TheIndependentMusicAwards.com



Artistry Has Its Awards

Celebrating the democracy of creativity and meritocracy of talent, The Independent Music Awards honor exceptional independent artists traditionally ignored by mass media and big box retailers.

For the past 11 years, artists and labels from around the world have found new fans and prominence through The Independent Music Awards. Produced by Music Resource Group, publisher of the popular industry networking database The Musician’s Atlas, and producers of the webTV series, Grooveable Feast, The IMAs uses its unrivaled access to performance, promotion & distribution opportunities to connect Winners and Nominees to new audiences and revenue opportunities.

Winners of The 11th IMAs will receive active promotions, distribution and performance opportunities that will place them in front of 50 million music fans. Artists, managers and labels credit The IMAs with increasing recognition among music fans and industry gatekeepers.

Submissions for The 12th Independent Music Awards will open in later this month. More information is available at: www.TheIndependentMusicAwards.com
- Independent Music Awards

These days the folders full of legal papers on her desk have been replaced with bins full of press-kits, and her schedule is no longer ruled by court calendars but by the endless promotion of her debut album “Junkyard Angel” that was released in November 2010.

With an ultimate goal of getting signed to a well-established indie label and headlining a national tour, much of her time is spent contacting producers and concert promoters. And when she’s not doing that, she is busy practicing guitar and trying to book local gigs.

“Releasing this album has been the biggest accomplishment of my life. I work more hours and more days trying to build my music business than I did when I was lawyer, which is hard to believe, but i love every minute of it, and I know what I am doing now is what I was always supposed to do,” Ramey says.

Ramey comes from a family of musicians. Her grandfather was a member of a popular bluegrass, gospel quartet on Sand Mountain in North Alabama and her aunt, nicknamed “Tiny Turner,” was lead singer of a doo–wop group in Chicago. Her uncle, her mother and her two sisters are also musical.

Singing was second nature to her and many of her childhood memories are linked to music.

“I’ve been singing since I could talk. Whenever we would meet for holidays or family get-togethers, we would all sit around and sing—our talent, enjoyment and appreciation for music was something our whole family had in common, the glue that held us together,” Ramey said.

Though Ramey first caught the rockstar bug at just eight-years old when her mom bought her Pat Benatar’s “Crime of Passion,” it wasn’t until her college years at Birmingham Southern College that she finally decided to write her own music. From there on out, and into her years at law school in University of Alabama, she wrote a little here and there along the way, and built a file folder full of songs and song ideas.

In 2004, she found out her friend’s folk cover band, Scattered and Smothered, was looking to add a female singer. A full-time civil litigator at the time, she jumped at the opportunity to make music have a more regular presence in her life, even if just in the form of a nights and weekend hobby.


In 2009 she followed her dreams
“This experience is what gave me the confidence as a musician to contemplate doing something on my own. The onstage exposure and the positive reactions I got from audiences whenever i performed, made me realize maybe I could do something like this and encouraged me to start honing the songwriting talent I had begun developing in college,” Ramey said.

Mid-way through her decade-long career as a lawyer, she felt tied to sticking with law as she knew it was a practical career choice and secure way of living. Still her devotion to music continued to make its way to the forefront and by 2006 she started to get serious about the idea of going solo. Any spare time outside of her 8 to 5 job was spent practicing guitar and writing songs.

In 2008, she had already written a full album and begun the pre-production work, so when she was laid off in 2009, she saw it as a chance to finally put her all into a music career. With way more time to dedicate to her music, she was able to finish recording the album and release it in late 2010.

Her debut album Junkyard Angel which was co-arranged and produced by local musician William Barnes, is country with heavy folk, bluegrass and blues overtones. With strong booming, wide range vocals that lean toward the pop-country side and dark lyrics filled with irony and sarcasm that have an alt-country vibe, comes a unique blend of music that sets her apart from others in the genre.

All of Ramey’s musical influences have family ties. She strives to mimic the songwriting and storytelling skills of her father’s favorite, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, the emotional angst and driving beats of her sister’s teenage idols, The Ramones, and the mastery of melody she learned from her mom’s continued spinning of Fleetwood Mac records. To that mix, she brings her personal all time favorite artist Neko Case aboard for vocal inspiration.

An underlying theme of the album deals with the struggles of battered women. Ramey’s drive to speak up on behalf of victims began in her law career when she was a prosecutor for violence against women, and continues with this album.

The songwriting on this album weaves together upbeat songs with songs of heartbreak and takes listeners on a journey through tough times and hits a point that announces times do get better.

“I was able to take something that is so personal to me and talk about it in such a way that anybody, even if they haven’t had the same experience as me, can find a way to identify with and relate to the lyrics through their own experiences,” Ramey says.

“I’ve poured my heart into this album. I address my father in a lot of the songs, speaking to and out against him about what my mother had to endure. When - B Metro Magazine

India Ramey on Music From Home August 7 and July 3 editions - Carroll Dale Short

India Ramey at Ona's Music Room on NBC 13 - NBC 13