Terra Naomi Englebardt[1] is an American indie folk singer-songwriter, who rose to fame through a performance of her song "Say It's Possible" on the video sharing site YouTube.[2] Originally from New York State, but currently based in Los Angeles, she writes and performs her own songs, and plays the guitar and piano.
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Biography
editNaomi was born in Saratoga Springs, New York, and raised on a farm for the first couple of years of her life. The family then moved to Cleveland, Ohio where they lived for six years before finally settling in upstate New York, from where her father, a plastic surgeon, originated. Her mother is a social worker. Naomi has one older brother and one younger brother.
Classical beginnings
editNaomi studied classical piano and voice, attending Interlochen Performing Arts Camp in Michigan and Belvoir Terrace Summer Camp in Lenox, Massachusetts. Teachers convinced her to pursue a degree in opera from The University of Michigan.[3] During this time, Naomi also participated in the Aspen Opera Theater Program.
Change in direction
editNaomi moved to New York City after college and began writing songs. During this time, she also started playing guitar. She played at various clubs in Manhattan, including The Bitter End, The Sidewalk Cafe and The Living Room. Following a tour of the US in 2003, which started in New York and ended at the Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle, she moved to Los Angeles to work with the producer Paul Fox (XTC, 10,000 Maniacs, Sixpence None the Richer, Edwin McCain, Phish, The Sugarcubes).[3]
Naomi has come to prominence in the international YouTube community where she broadcast her own "virtual" summer tour during 2006. The program included live performances from her apartment in Hollywood and question-answer sessions entitled "Ask a Wanna-be Rockstar". Her song, "Say It's Possible", filmed in Terra's Hollywood apartment, recorded on a Sony Handycam, appeared on YouTube in June 2006, causing an instant explosion of interest.[2] "Say It's Possible" has inspired adoring fans to post hundreds of personal "YouTube covers" in a wide range of styles.[4] This includes versions from countries in South America, North America and Europe. Fans have also translated and performed the song into Spanish, Italian and Mandarin Chinese and one used a sock puppet. In March 2007, she received one of the inaugural YouTube Video Awards in the music video category for "Say It's Possible", earning her appearances on NBC's The Today Show and CBS' The Early Show, as well as coverage on several international news programs.[5]
Naomi has also been featured in articles for CNBC, Reuters, The Los Angeles Times, The LA Weekly, The Washington Post, Salon.com,[6] and The Sunday Times (UK).[7]
In fall 2006, Naomi was signed to a publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group. This was followed in January 2007 by the announcement that she had been also signed to the major record label, Island Records.[8]
After releasing Under the Influence, Naomi left Island Records. She released her new album, To Know I'm Ok, independently in June 2011. It was funded through fans via Pledgemusic, an "international Direct-to-Fan platform for raising funds".[9]
Tours and notable performances
edit
Naomi headlined national tours in the United States in 2003, 2004, and 2005, which included dates at the Chicago House of Blues, NYC's Irving Plaza, The Trocadero in Philadelphia, The Abbey in Chicago, The Gypsy Tea Room in Dallas and The Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles and has also performed shows in Canada and the United Kingdom.[10] Shows in the United Kingdom included an appearance at the In The City festival in Manchester [2]. She has also opened for Tyler Hilton,[11] Michael Bolton,[12] Jay Brannan,[13] The Fray,[14] Martha Wainwright[14] and Natasha Bedingfield.[15]
In 2007, after being invited by Al Gore, Naomi performed "Say It's Possible" at the UK leg of Live Earth at Wembley Stadium in London.[14] Later that year, YouTube Russia was launched and Naomi was invited to perform and help launch it.[16]
In November 2009, Naomi began a two-week tour of India playing shows in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi culminating with a headlining performance at the Mercy Corps Say It's Possible Climate Change Concert in Srinagar, Kashmir. This tour was sponsored by American Center, Levi Strauss & Co. India, Fabindia and Mercy Corps. Naomi's Indian tour was followed by two weeks in Italy playing shows in Fabriano, Perugia, Rome, Imola, Bologna, Rimini, Monte Castello Di Vibio and Montesilvano.[17] During her stay in Italy she also recorded a duet with Italian singer Elisa.
In early July 2010, Naomi performed at Lilith Fair's San Francisco show after winning a competition sponsored by OurStage.com.[18] In August, she toured Italy again, playing in Rimini, Milano, Padova, Montepulciano and Castiglione del Lago.
In June 2011, Naomi performed the inaugural show for the Haus of Hipstamatic Unplugged Summer Sessions in San Francisco.[19] The event was the first in a series of unplugged sessions featuring other singer-songwriters such as Michelle Branch and was hosted by Hipstamatic at their office space in SoMa. The music video for "You For Me" also debuted at the event, which is archived on Ustream Archived August 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. A video for "I'll Be Waiting" was also shot.
In January, February and March 2012, she toured Europe, doing more than 30 concerts. The European countries she toured include UK, Italy, France, Germany and Switzerland.
Record label
editNaomi published an essay in 2015 called "How Signing A Major Record Deal Nearly Destroyed My Music Career"[20] in Digital Music News. The article told the detailed story of Naomi's experience at Universal Island Records.
2018
editIndiegogo
editIn 2016, Naomi announced an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for her first album since 2012.[21] The campaign exceeded its goal of $35,000, ultimately raising $51,000 from 600 people.
Album release
edit"Machine Age" single
editNaomi released "Machine Age," the first single from the album, via Bandcamp on January 19, 2018. It was described as both a "protest song" by INTO magazine[22] and a "peaceful plea" by Broadway World.[23] Billboard called the song "A poignant reflection on Trump's first year in office",[24] Jubilant wrote "'Machine Age,' by singer-songwriter Terra Naomi may be the first truly great song to come at the expense of the world's collective sanity",[25] Women In Rock wrote "Terra Naomi is the voice that all women need right now".[26]
"Nothing To Hide" single
editNaomi released "Nothing To Hide" the first single from the album, via Bandcamp on March 9, 2018.[27] The song premiered on Popdust.[28]
Discography
editAlbums
edit- Terra Naomi (2002)[29]
- Virtually (2006)[30]
- Under the Influence (2007)
- To Know I'm OK (2011)
- Live & Unplugged (2012)
- Secret Songs (2018)
Extended plays
edit- Live & Free (2004)
- Terra Naomi (2004)[31]
- 8-Track (2005)[32]
- Go Quietly (2009) [33]
- You For Me (2009)
Singles
edit- Machine Age (2018)
- Nothing To Hide (2018)
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Notes | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Airplay | UK Sales | ||||
| 2007 | "Say It's Possible" | - | - |
|
Under the Influence |
| "Not Sorry"[34] | 53 | 184 |
| ||
| "Up Here" | - | - |
| ||
Other appearances
editThese songs have been released on albums that were not a studio album released by Naomi.
| Year | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | "Ghosts of Happy Endings" | Interlude Magazine: Compilation 1.0 |
| 2006 | "Flesh for Bones" | Coffee House Music 2006 Female Artists |
| "Clean" | Sherrybaby OST | |
| 2007 | "The Moment" | Because I Said So OST |
| "Flesh for Bones"[35] | The Word: Now Hear This! (July 2007) | |
| 2010 | "Billie Jean"[36] | MJ Acoustic Covers – Tribute to Michael |
| 2011 | "Nobody Knows You Anymore" | Super OST |
Songs in other media
edit| Year | Title | Type | Song |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | American Idol | TV series episode: "Chicago Auditions" | "Up Here"[37][38] |
| Junior Year Abroad | Web series | "Flesh for Bones"[39] | |
| "Go Quietly"[39] | |||
| "Say It's Possible"[39][40] | |||
| Sherrybaby | Film | "Clean" | |
| Because I Said So | Film | "The Moment" | |
| 2007 | Diamonds in the Rough | Film documentary | "Babuzze Lwaki?" (with Bataka Squad)[41][42] |
| "Diamonds in the Rough"(with Saba Saba & Okai)[43] | |||
| Private Practice | TV series episode: "In Which Sam Gets Taken for a Ride" | "Say It's Possible"[44] | |
| 2009 | PG Porn | Web series episode: "Squeal Happy Whores" | "Song for a Squeal Happy Whore"[45] |
| 2011 | Life in a Day | Film promos | "Close To Your Head"[46] |
| Super | Film | "Nobody Knows You Anymore"[47] | |
| 2012 | Coldwater Creek Mother's Day | Commercial | "You For Me" |
| 2018 | So You Think You Can Dance | TV series episode | "Less Talk More Art" |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Nominated Work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | YouTube Awards | "Say It's Possible" | Music Video of the Year | Won[48] |
| 2010 | Lilith Local Talent Search | Terra Naomi | San Francisco | Won[49] |
| 2011 | Billboard Song Contest | "I'll Be Waiting" | Best Pop Song | Won[50] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "BLEED FOR YOU". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Heawood, Sophie (September 8, 2007). "The unlikely life of Terra Naomi". The Times. London. Archived from the original on May 17, 2011.
- ^ a b "No 79: Terra Naomi". The Guardian. London. April 10, 2007.
- ^ "YouTube singing sensations". Archived from the original on November 5, 2013.
- ^ Канал користувача ytawards07 – YouTube
- ^ "YouTube killed the MTV star". Salon.com. June 26, 2006. Archived from the original on July 3, 2006.
- ^ Verrico, Lisa (November 19, 2006). "Me and you and everyone we don't know". The Times. London. Retrieved May 25, 2010.[dead link]
- ^ Herstand, Ari How Signing A Major Record Deal Nearly Destroyed My Music Career Digital Music News. September 14, 2015
- ^ Singer/songwriter Terra Naomi Partners With Pledge Music To Create New Album @ Top40-Charts.com – Songs & Videos from 49 Top 20 & Top 40 Music Charts from 30 Countries
- ^ "Terra Naomi". Archived from the original on June 12, 2007. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
- ^ "Archived". Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
- ^ Michael Bolton | ValleyFirstTix.com
- ^ Jay Brannan + Terra Naomi Tickets at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco, CA – Zvents
- ^ a b c "Terra Naomi | Sanctuary Artist Management". Archived from the original on June 1, 2010.
- ^ Natasha Bedingfield – West Hollywood – Troubadour – 17 November 2010 | Songkick
- ^ terra naomi « The Utube Blog
- ^ Terra Naomi: To Know I'm OK released 21st June Archived November 21, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Lilith Local Talent Search Winners Announcement for San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Portland and Seattle! | OurStage
- ^ Terra Naomi streaming live at the Haus of Hipstamatic
- ^ "How Signing a Major Record Deal Nearly Destroyed My Career". Digital Music News. September 9, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- ^ "Terra Naomi's New Album!". Indiegogo. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- ^ "Terra Naomi's New Protest Song Inspired Her To Love In The Face of Trump-Induced Hate". INTO. Archived from the original on March 20, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- ^ BWW News Desk. "Terra Naomi Releases Peaceful Plea 'Machine Age' via Bandcamp". Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- ^ "Gay Agenda, Jan. 22: Oprah Winfrey Network Star Ruba Gets Steamy With 'Havana' Video Lead; Plus Cub Sport, Terra Naomi & More". Billboard. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- ^ "New Protest Music and Terra Naomi's "Machine Age"". Jubilant. Archived from the original on March 20, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- ^ ""Machine Age" by Terra Naomi". Women in Rock. January 21, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- ^ "Nothing To Hide Single, by Terra Naomi". Terra Naomi. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- ^ "RELEASE RADAR | Premieres from Ryan Innes and Ladychild". Popdust. March 9, 2018. Archived from the original on May 8, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
- ^ [1] Archived June 4, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Virtually by Terra Naomi : Reviews and Ratings – Rate Your Music
- ^ Terra Naomi EP – Terra Naomi – tunesBag Online Music/MP3 Storage
- ^ 8-Track (Explicit) | Terra Naomi Album | Yahoo! Music
- ^ "Terra Naomi | PledgeMusic". Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
- ^ Chart Log UK: Nadanuf – Michael Nyman
- ^ VA – Now Hear This! The Word Magazine 2007
- ^ MJ Acoustic Covers -Tribute to Michael- R.I.P (1958–2009) V.A. [CD]
- ^ "American Idol Episode 1 – Chicago Auditions – Review | American Idol 2011 Review". Archived from the original on July 9, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
- ^ Idol Contestant Sings 'Up Here' By Terra Naomi on YouTube
- ^ a b c Terra Naomi | 901am
- ^ JYA Premiere Episode (1 of 13) on YouTube
- ^ 1 on 1 with Krazy Native aka Saba Saba, Slowly Conquering the USA
- ^ Diamonds in the Rough – feature length doc coming in Dec on YouTube.
- ^ "at Soprupradio.com". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2010.
- ^ Terra Naomi's "Say It's Possible" feat. on Private Practice on YouTube
- ^ Terra Naomi – IMDb
- ^ Cinedigm Digital Cinema, YouTube, and National Geographic Bring Fans the Ultimate User-Generated Theatrical Event, Featuring Hipstamatic and Terra Naomi
- ^ SUPER! | Terra Naomi: Singer Songwriter in LA Archived March 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "YouTube presents awards to its first stars". Reuters. March 26, 2007.
- ^ Lilith Local Talent Search Winners Announcement for San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Portland and Seattle!
- ^ "main". Archived from the original on August 12, 2011. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
Further reading
edit- Heawood, S (September 8, 2007). "The unlikely life of Terra Naomi". The Times. London. Archived from the original on May 17, 2011. Retrieved September 8, 2007.
- Verrico, L (September 25, 2007). "Terra Naomi". Live reviews. London: The Times. Archived from the original on May 17, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2007.
- I Like Music interview with Terra Naomi 2007 – ilikemusic.com
- Terra Naomi winning an online video award
- Non-Official French Website of Terra Naomi
- Terra Naomi collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive
- Sunday Times Article[dead link]