Two local musicians, Jason Whisman and Travis Haskins, complied a CD containing works from other local music artists.
“All the tracks were recorded by the artists themselves,” said Haskins, “The only common thread is that all the artists are in someway tied to the Portsmouth area, either they’ve lived here or they’ve recorded here.”
Released on December 30, 2015 the CD “You Are Here” features 18 tracks by 15 different artists.
“It was a lot of fun putting the lineup together. Every artist is unique,” said Whisman.
The duo titled the CD “You Are Here,” after deciding that it fit the CD’s mood, leaving the meaning ambiguous and to be determined by the listener.
“It is meant to inspire, maybe people will listen to this and say “that’s awesome!” or “I can do better than that!” and send in something to compete, and hopefully makes them press record,” Haskins said.
“The store wants to do releases and help any musicians and artists out,” Charlie Haskins, brother to Travis and owner of Haskins House, “and as Travis was throwing out different titles out and seeing what was best, “You Are Here” seemed like it fit the mission statement. You are here, other people are here, share your music. I think a lot of people complain about the area, they say “well there’s nothing to do,” and this goes against that. You are here, here’s a CD, go out, make music with this people, try something new.”
The genres encompass a variety of styles, from country and folk, to experimental and electronic music.
“It is a very inclusive project as far as having different genres, I believe there will be something on this CD for everyone,” Whisman said.
The main goal of the CD was aimed at inspiring its listeners and performers to get involved, whether it be through support or actively involving in creating the music itself, Whisman said.
“This was really Travis and Jason’s project, but I want to try and help and tie other things into it like live shows, maybe let this grow into another CD or figure out a way to make this into a publication with visual arts and poetry, using the retail space of the store to get in touch with the art community and use it as a way for them to distribute what they make and inspire them to make more,” Charlie Haskins said.
Both Whisman and Travis Haskins are anxious to see what the future holds for the CD and the continuation of the project.
“I hope this is the first of many projects to help build a music scene and to get people networking, or just making new friends in general. New, creative and motivated friends, who value entertainment and want to enrich our community with art,” Whisman said.
The CD’s are available for purchase at Haskins House, located on 536 2nd Street in downtown Portsmouth.
Submissions can be sent to [email protected] or dropped off at Haskins House.
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