It’s one thing to hear a polished, produced song, and it’s an entirely different experience to hear and watch talented musicians perform an acoustic version of that same song.

Opening with the song “Fight,” the crowd went crazy as the band chanted the hook, “fight, fight, fight!” The high energy song was the perfect opener, and if screaming fans and a packed house were any indicator for the success of a band, then Oleander’s come back fits the bill.

It was an energy-filled day when Oleander band members Thomas Flowers, Doug Eldridge, Ric Ivanisevich, Rich Mouser, and Steve Brown showed up at Ash Gupta’s studio while they took a break from recording their new CD, Something Beautiful.

Oleander’s fifth album SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL has just the right number of ballads, including two heart-wrenching power ballads; several high-energy, driving tracks; and really “vibey” mid-tempo songs to just sit back and zone out to. Something about this album really resonates.

As an artist your image is everything. Photographers, stylists, and the makeup artists are a big part of that. When people see your image they can better relate to your sound. If you can visualize the look you’re after, then it’s all a matter of getting that on to print.

Writing a song can be daunting. First, there are the drums, then the rhythm, chords, and so on. In spite of all that, you still have the lyrics, and you’d better sing them with some feeling! Why would anybody tackle such a task? Many songwriters ask themselves the same thing when they spend so much time in the studio writing and producing a song, only to get it rejected. So what is the secret to writing a good song? Naturally, there’s more than one way to do anything, but seasoned producer Rich Mouser helps to shed a little light on this very complex art of songwriting.

Agenda Magazine’s Indie Hotspot interviews record producer, musician, and studio owner Rich Mouser. (Video)