Single Release: "Money Where Your Mouth Is" by Fame Cartel
This #HAMONT alt-rocker wrote a motivational bop to help give him the kick-start he needed.
Fame Cartel is the title of this alt-rock project from multi-instrumentalist, Hamiltonian musician Eric Diodati, or "Dio" for short. Hailing originally from Niagara Falls, the artist describes his music as alterative rock with modern, electronic textures. "My major musical influences include; Arctic Monkeys, Royal Blood, The Strokes, Tame Impala and Jack White," said Cartel. "I also really enjoy rap, hip-hop and certain genres of EDM. I like to think that I have great taste in music, which then bleeds into my personal songwriting and production concepts."
Fame began writing his latest single during the summer of 2021.
"The original idea happened very quickly actually, probably a day and half of time in the studio," said Cartel. "The lyrics for the chorus had been in my notes for a long time, I just needed to find a way to create a world around it." The song took about four months for the artist to create, including the recording, adjusting, production, experimentation, and lyrical edits. "I perform and arrange all the core ideas myself so it can be quite time consuming for one person," said Cartel. "But that’s what I love about this project- the arrangement decisions are completely autonomous." Fame took inspiration for his lyrics from a conversation with a friend. "I was telling them what I planned to do with my career, but I had been procrastinating and making excuses as to why I wasn’t doing it yet," said Cartel. "It was essentially a wake up call for me, I really pondered this for a while. I had to look introspectively and say to myself, “Alright, kid. Time to put your money where your mouth is and get to work”. It’s crazy how one conversation can give you a boost or offer a different perspective on a situation." Most of the production on "Money Where Your Mouth Is" was done from Dio's home studio, including the guitars, bass, and synth parts. However, the artist felt that vocals and drums needed to be done in a nicely treated studio for the best results.
"The drums and vocals were recorded at Stonehouse Recording with engineer, Russ Donohue," said Cartel. "He really understood what I was going for sonically- I now consider Russ an important part of Fame Cartel's recording methods. Dan Nicoletti, my touring drummer, performed the drums you hear on this single. For the mix, I used a fantastic mix engineer named Chris Creglia. Chris runs his operation out of Toronto. He also did a fantastic job in terms of realizing what the finished song should sound like. Overall, I learned a lot of very important production techniques that I will use for all future projects."
The musician feels as though he's coming into his own, really honing in on that signature Fame Cartel sound. "I think this tune will grab people’s attention- it’s gritty, honest and dark," said Cartel. "I want them to realize that this project has some weight to it, and that the Fame Cartel brand is about quality and class. I’m in it for the long haul here, growing organically is my goal." You can help support Fame Cartel by purchasing his merch, streaming his music, and following his socials linked below. "Fame Cartel merch is really just an extension of the brand," said Cartel. "I want people to be able to feel like they are a part of the “Cartel” world that I’m creating."
Upcoming gigs:
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