Friday, January 27, 2012

Sliding doors

Taking chances on the unknown reveals destiny

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By JENNIFER LIEBRUM
Express Staff Writer

San Diego songstress Anya Marina will open for England’s Scars on 45 (pictured here) at the Sun Valley Brewery on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 6 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 on the day of the show.

Anya Marina took her chance at fame when she hit a fork in the road and had to decide whether to remain in the security of a job as a DJ doing open mic nights or "hop on the full-time musician train."

"Right when I got into radio is right when I got into writing songs," the San Diego singer explains in a video interview on her website. "I was doing really well in radio, I had a 401(k) and a salary. ... One eventually outweighed the other and became more demanding."

Danny Bemrose was a professional soccer player nursing a broken foot, entertaining himself while strumming an acoustic guitar when he had the revelation to put his feet into a different game.

Now, the two are joined through their contracts with blockbuster Atlantic Records and partnered for a month-long coast-to-coast tour that makes a stop in the valley Sunday, Jan. 29, for a show at the Sun Valley Brewery in Hailey.

Marina has a unique vocal style reminiscent of the vampish Rickie Lee Jones, but with more verve and energy, like a strong, sweet tea. Vampire fans will recognize Marina's "Satellite Heart" from the soundtrack for Twilight's "New Moon" and "The Vampire Diaries." Her songs have also been on the career-launching "Grey's Anatomy" and other popular sitcoms.

She's the anecdote to Katy Perry—similarly playful, but with more depth and allure.

Where Perry gets her emphasis being anti her strict upbringing, Marina, like Jones, enjoys a more vaudevillian-like life, drawing her inspiration from the colorful characters she has met from touring and working in radio.

Her latest album, "Spirit School," represents her goal of making effortless and low-maintenance music. And that's how it feels to listen to it.

Similarly, the melodic music of Bemrose and Scars on 45 reminds one of an easy Sunday afternoon, with the sun shining and nowhere to be.

Bemrose, who shares vocal duty with Aimee Driver, said in a video interview that's because his songs are "simple and honest" and often deal with "heartbreak, something we all know."

The band's name came from an interview in which music legend Emmylou Harris said she got in trouble for playing with her father's records, leaving scars on his 45s.

Bemrose credits kismet with his career switch and his ability to rally a team to greatness off the playing field. The group claimed January as their month in the sun as VH1's You Oughta Know Artist, and like Marina, Scars on 45 got a boost playing on soundtracks for shows like "Grey's Anatomy."

They've been compared to Keane and Snow Patrol. They are currently touring their 10-song debut album called "Heart on Fire."

Tickets are available from the Brewery by calling 788-0805. They are $8 in advance and $10 on the day of the show.

Scars on 45 has a special contest for ticket holders who buy in advance; visit www.scarson45.com for more details.

Double bill at Sun Valley Brewery in Hailey

Who: Anya Marina and Scars on 45

When: Sunday, Jan. 29, at 6 p.m.

Why: The Indie Rock Review listed Marina in its Top 50 Female Vocalists of All Time. VH1 declared Scars the You Oughta Know Artist for January 2012.

Previews at: www.anyamarina.com and www.scarson45.com

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