Whisky Melody: Rock Star Romance, New Adult College Romance (Tennessee Romance Book 2) (17 page)

“That’s bullshit.”

Charlie shook his head. “It’s not. It’s the flat-out truth. You’re the only one of us who even comes close, the only one with a real chance. Don’t blow it, dude. Nobody’s gonna be mad at you for takin’ your shot.”

“
I’d
be mad at me.”

“Then you’re crazier than I thought,” Charlie said. “Man, if that had been me, I woulda signed so fast you guys wouldn’t even have time to say goodbye before I was gone.”

Logan glared at him. “What?”

“You don’t have to worry about that, ’cause nobody’s knocking down my door for the next star bass player. I’m a good musician, but I’m never gonna be in the Hall of Fame, man. Hell, I’ll probably wind up working a regular job during the week and playing gigs on the weekend, if I’m lucky. If I’m real lucky, I’ll be able to stop washing those damn pizza plans and make a living as a studio musician, but I don’t even think that’s a possibility.”

Logan knew he was right, but he certainly wasn’t going to say so. As far as Logan was concerned, he would never be a success unless Whisky Lullaby was, and he wasn’t about to walk out on them. “I’m not breaking up the band,” he said emphatically. “I know you think I’m the kind of person who would, but I’m not.”

The door opened, and Lisa, Zip, and Mike walked in. They all looked tense and nervous but excited, too.

Great
, Logan thought, not at all excited to repeat the story of what had happened at the studio. They were all expecting good news, and he had none to give them.

“So? What’s up, dude? Are we gonna be signing on the dotted line?”

Logan signed and opened his mouth to speak, but Charlie cut in. “He’s an idiot. They offered him a deal, either for a duo act for him and Ashley or for him as a solo artist, and he turned both down.”

“What the hell?” Zip said, plopping down in a chair.

Lisa’s mouth hung open, and Mike actually blinked several times.

“So they don’t even want the rest of us?” Zip asked.

Logan sighed. “I don’t wanna go into it right now. I told him we’re a package deal, period. It’s Whisky Lullaby all the way or nobody.”

No one spoke, and Logan just stared at them.

Finally, Mike nodded and asked, “Okay, so now what?”

Logan shrugged. “Beats me. I mean, I know what I’d like to do, and since we’re all here—”

“Except for Ashley,” Zip added.

“Right, but she’s heard this already. I’d like us to go into the studio and make a record. Maybe we can do some gigs in other cities around here or tour over the summer or something. I know that might impose on everybody’s summer plans, and some of us would have to find a place to live.”

Charlie frowned. “That actually sounds good, but what if we don’t make it, man? I mean, we gotta be realistic here. Is it fair for us to hold you back?”

“You aren’t. I need you guys,” Logan said, trying to convince them of what he was sure he already knew.

Ashley walked in after a brief knock. “Oh, hey, everyone,” she said, looking around at her bandmates.

Charlie grinned. “Yeah, we’re here…and we already know. I agree with you. He should do it.”

Ashley looked at the others. “Anyone else agree?”

Zip looked down at the floor and shook his head. “I don’t know. I mean, where does that leave the rest of us?”

“Behind,” Charlie said cheerfully, “but we gotta suck it up and accept that it just might need to be that way.”

“It’s nobody’s decision but mine, and I’m not doing it.”

Ashley leaned against a wall, Lisa took Zip’s hand, and no one said a word.

“Anyway, we need to start a website,” Logan continued. “I think it will help us land more gigs. We can make a contact page, so our fans can—”

Charlie interrupted. “Man, are you sure?”

Logan really wasn’t sure at all, and the more time that went by the more unsure he was. His eyes went to Ashley. He had no idea what was going to happen with the band, but he loved Ashley and knew they could make it, no matter what anyone else said or felt. He also knew she loved him, too, because if she didn’t she never would have told him to take the deal. She loved him too much to selfishly hold on to him, and she wasn’t in it for her own fame and desires. Her smile broadened as she looked at him, and his heart nearly exploded in his chest. As much as he wanted Ashley, though, he also wanted Whisky Lullaby.

He lifted his hand when she approached, and she wrapped her fingers around his. “No matter what that bastard said today, music isn’t a business. It’s about something totally different, at least for us.”

Ashley sat down on his lap, and he rested his hands on her waist. “What is it for us then, Logan?” she asked softly.

His head rested against the small of her back for a moment, and then he looked up and at Charlie. “Family.”

She leaned against him as he wrapped his arms around her.

“Now, let’s do what we do best.”

She giggled, and his smile grew wider as he read her dirty little mind.

“Let’s make some music, Whisky Lullaby!”

“Hell, why not?” Charlie said.

Within moments, they were all standing in a circle.

“Okay, so we’re all in…all the way?”

“All the way and forever,” Ashley said, then put her hand in first.

“Always and forever?”

“Yes!” they all cried, in perfect harmony, of course.

From
Up-n-Coming
magazine:

Rock Star Royale left everyone drunk with excitement for Whisky Lullaby, the group fronted by cellist and musical prodigy Ashley Slater and hottie music genius Logan Murphy. We got an exclusive look inside what the band’s doing next, and wow, are they really taking full advantage of the win!

Whisky is on the Web, with their site up and running, complete with tour dates. They’re booked almost every weekend from now through the summer and will be gracing venues and clubs in Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, and even New Jersey. Not only that, but they’ve also teamed up with former child actress-turned-rock-crooner Tawny Wyld and her Down East, the band that came in second at Royale. Obviously, there are no hard feelings, as the two talented bands are collaborating for a few dozen club dates, with both bands taking turns as openers and headliners.

It seems the two bands have hooked up in a few other ways as well. The rumor mill has it that Whisky bass player Charlie is currently making sweet music with Tawny offstage! Rumor also has it that we may see some recordings from both groups working together. Fans are demanding it, because two great bands like these, with so much star power between them, can be nothing short of pyrotechnic.

Whisky Lullaby has also landed a few festival gigs, most notably in Memphis this May and down in ’Bama, for a three-day jam. They may even play a few spring break festivals at Panama City Beach.

It’s exciting to watch this band onstage. It’s even more exciting to watch them break out, skyrocketing as they deserve to. As of late, they’ve added a unique spin with Ashley’s cello onstage, giving us some serious power melodies that go perfectly with their already funky and raucous vibe. The songs are getting better all the time, and the band has begun selling their music through a few streaming services. Their “Breaking Down” has become a regional and college radio hit, and it’s just a matter of time before Whisky Lullaby takes the music scene by storm! Keep your eye on them, folks, because they’re not just up and coming. Whisky Lullaby is up and going places, cello and all!

THE END

Whisky Harmony

Amazon:

The band is growing every day but Logan’s ego and need for fame and fortune quickly begin to drive a wedge between him and the rest of the band. It doesn’t take much to break up the band as well as Ashley and Logan. As new wishes and desires come to light and the members find themselves realigning Logan ends up with a major contract. But is the contract worth not having Ashley?

Interview in Nashville Beats:

Today we sat down with the winners of the Rock Star Royale, Whiskey Lullaby. Headed up by Logan and Ashley, who share the lead vocals and are dating, if you believe the rumors, and rounded out by Zip, Mike and Logan’s brother Charlie, the band has made serious waves in Nashville.

I met up with the band at their favorite haunt, The Cave, where they were doing a sound check and preparing to play for a sold-out crowd in their first appearance since last week’s Rock Star Royale.

So let’s start with you Logan. How do you feel about the victory?

Logan: I feel great about it. I knew we were good and while it was nice to win I don’t think we needed the win to know we have something special here.

Okay, Ashley, how about you? How are you feeling about the whole thing?

Ashley: It’s a little overwhelming and really humbling. All the bands that were there were so incredibly talented and it was an honor just to be able to play on the same stages as them.

Charlie: I’m just jumping in to say you, as a band member, don’t always get to actually appreciate other people’s music. It’s not something awful, it’s just when you’re so focused on your own it takes your attention away from all the great music being played around you so being there and being able to see bands doing stuff so different from ours but doing it so well, it was an eye-opening experience and it really inspired me too.

Zip: I have to agree. It was crazy watching so many talented people working so hard and it was insane to know that we were there and considered to be just as talented as so many others were.

Charlie: I got a few new favorite bands now too.

Logan: Whiskey made a lot more fans too.

Charlie: Yeah.

Ashley: I think some of my favorite memories of the Royale were just standing behind the curtains and watching some bands I had never had the opportunity to see live before. I had heard them on the radio station at the college but seeing them live was really amazing. I think seeing anyone live is great actually because the energy of the crowd and the band sort of combines and make sit a whole different experience that just hearing it on the radio.

Interviewer: Do you guys always sort of free wheel out things like this?

Mike: We try, especially in songwriting but really Logan and Ashley are our songwriters. They do the lyrics and the melody and the rest of us just work out the harmonies but we always sort of sit around and break out ideas together for that.

Interviewer: You mean you do that for the harmonies but not the lyrics?

Logan” No pretty much me and Ashley write those alone and then bring them to each other and then the band.

Charlie: I have some songs I’d like to bring to the table. We are about to go to the recording studio in a few days so we might have to rethink how we write.

Logan: yeah maybe.

Interviewer: How about you Mike?

Mike: I just play man. Writing isn’t my thing.

Zip: Mine either.

Interviewer: How is it for those of you still going to college? Balancing it all I mean?

Logan: It’s not a big deal.

Ashley: It can be tricky, at least for me.

Charlie: It can get a little weird because now we have so much to do where before we were just basically finding our sound and coming together and sort of gelling.

Interviewer: The lineup changed a bit over the year but now it’s pretty solid. Is it going to stay like it is?

Logan: I think we all agree that this is the best lineup.

Ashley: I think we all want to be in this band and we all get along and we all like what we do and doing it with each other so yeah.

Interviewer: You said you’re doing an album. You want to talk about that?

Logan: we all agreed to use the money from the Royale to book some studio time. We have to hurry because it was not that much money. (Laughs)We’ve got some songs already written and we have to get the rest written before we get in there or we are going to waste recording time writing and we can’t afford that but the record will be just the prequel. We have a lot of dates lined up for the summer and we are really looking forward to getting out there and playing live all up and down the East Coast.

Ashley: We’re doing some cello in there, and some great four on the floor punk beats mixed in. We’re doing all kinds of cool stuff on the record and we are really looking forward to it coming out.

Interviewer: Is it true that Black Soul records VP Bert Collins offered you and Logan a deal Ashley?

Ashley: Wow. What? (Laughs) I don’t want to discuss that. Like at all. We’re a band and a band we’ll stay. That is all I am going to say about the matter.

Logan: I’m dying to know where you heard that one.

Interviewer: Oh sources. So it isn’t true?

Ashley: I think that’s all we are going to say about it.