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Johanna Stahley’s “I’m Not Perfect” Named August “Best Song
Of The Month”
By Dale Kawashima
Johanna Stahley, a talented, modern pop singer/songwriter
based in New York, NY, has won the SongwriterUniverse “Best Song Of The Month”
Contest for August, for her song “I’m Not Perfect” (which was co-written by
Doron Kockli). This song is the title track from Stahley’s 10-song CD, I’m
Not Perfect, which she released independently in March 2006.
Johanna Stahley
“I’m Not Perfect” is a fresh, appealing pop cut, which
combines a soul/R&B flavor with a glossy, high-energy style. The song
quickly grabs your attention, with it’s rapid-fire vocal phrasing in the
verses, followed by its hooky chorus. The recording showcases Stahley’s
charismatic vocals, and a colorful, inventive arrangement by the production duo
of Yellopop (Assaf Spector on guitars/bass, and Eitan Graff on
drums/percussion). Doron Kockli played the keyboard tracks, and he co-wrote the
bridge section with Stahley.
Stahley grew up in Rutherford, NJ, which is near New York
City. She loved listening early on to Simon & Garfunkel, the Beatles and
Harry Nilsson (particularly his album, The Point). During high school,
Stahley dabbled at piano and sang in several musicals, but it wasn’t until she
attended college (at Rutgers University in NJ) that she began writing songs and
performing in bands. She also learned to play guitar.
After graduating from Rutgers with a B.S. in Environmental
Science, Stahley worked as an industrial hygienist while also singing in a
wedding band. But by 2004, she decided to leave both her day job and her band
gig, to pursue a solo artist career. “I wanted to write and record on my own,”
explained Stahley. “I had a little money saved up, so I invested in making an
album. I found out about the Yellopop production team via their listing in
Craigslist. Their productions were fresh and unique – they stood out from other
producers.”
Johanna Stahley
Stahley worked with the Yellopop team at their studio in
Brooklyn, and the album was completed last November (2005). “I’m Not Perfect”
became one of the key songs for the project. “I wrote ‘I’m Not Perfect’ on
guitar, and the whole song came out in about 20 minutes, except for the bridge,
which I later finished with Doron Kockli.”
Now with the release of her CD, Stahley has been marketing
it via internet and TV exposure, plus some college airplay. “’I’m Not Perfect’
and another song ‘Nothing I Would Change’ were placed on the MTV show, Laguna
Beach. And I’m thrilled with the exposure I’ve gotten via MySpace,” she
said. In addition, Stahley has signed with manager Chris Maltese, and she will
be launching a tour with her band. “We’ve been playing in the area (NY/NJ), and
we’re going on a mini-tour soon, playing several cities in the Midwest, then down to Memphis, Nashville, and Fort
Worth.”