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“She’s right. There’s a lot more going on. We have a week or so to decide about the tour, but I have more to discuss.” Mike breaks in. “I’ve been contacted by a local music magazine that wants to do a spread on Sayge. Not a puff piece or blog; a whole exposé. The reporter has asked for one full week with the band, and this includes some time with Raven. We also have several requests for shows around town, blogger interviews, and radio appearances. There’s no way we can accommodate everyone’s request, so we need to iron out the details.”
“Why do I feel like everything in our lives just took a drastic turn?” Nate asks.
“Because it did. I told you guys last fall the aggressive approach was the way to pave your road. Well, now we’re here. You are nationwide for fucks sake. This is what we wanted. Now is the time to seize these opportunities. Expand on every chance we get to publicize you. Think of other local talents that have hit the scene; Kings of Leon, Ke$ha, Lady Antebellum to name a few. This is it boys, time to play in the big leagues. Once decisions are made we stick to them and bring your music to the people. We have to make a choice.”
“Fuckin’ A.”– Blake
“Motherfucker.”– Cooper
“Hell Yeah.”– Nate
“Babe?” Declan looks at me with concern. “What’s your take on all this?”
My mind is racing but in a good way. I take a second to pull myself together. My business sense kicks into gear, and I grab my notebook from the table behind me.
“Can I speak freely?” I look at all the guys and get nods and grins. Nate rubs his hands together and smiles like he just won the lottery.
“Okay, let’s think of this from a business prospective. I think you should try and take every interview possible even if you have to break into pairs. I can work with Amber to try and schedule them together but the requests are too great to promise all four of you can be together. As for the radio interviews, I think you should take every request. Everyone loves the story of a local group with the success y’all are getting.
“I have no problem doing the magazine article but I request they do not release the story until after I graduate. I’m sure they will want a photo session too. We should cut Sayge’s stage presence to two shows a week around town, maybe even less. It may even be time to call Ryan and see if Knight’s Dream has any shows they can add a group. ”
Mike and Jay smile widely at me while Declan and the guys stare at each other. In a flash Nate has jumped at me but Declan catches him midway and they fall to the ground wrestling. Since Declan is occupied, Cooper comes over and lifts me out of my chair and sandwiches me between him and Blake. They hug me so tight, I almost can’t breathe.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Declan growls trying to get me.
“Safe to say, Raven’s business sense came through again. Mike and I already discussed it and felt the same as her. Everyone in agreement with what she said? If so, we’ll get started tomorrow morning.” Jay confirms.
Over dinner, we talk about the advantages of the two tours. LiveNation will kick off Memorial Day weekend in Central Park with six other recording artists. Throughout the summer, the tour will fluctuate between four to six artists at each show. It’s a thirty-five show commitment over a fourteen week period. The other choice is only three bands together for a six month commitment. If they sign, they want Sayge in LA in May. My stomach knots but I keep quiet. Thankfully, Declan picks up my vibe.
“Guys, I’ve got a really big conflict with this. May is a huge month for Raven and me. I don’t want to be in LA while she’s here by herself. Plus, it sounds like this group isn’t too keen on us flying back for Bonnaroo.”
“I think that made our decision. LiveNation it is!” Cooper claps his hands together.
Everyone agrees, and I smile around the room. I want to argue, but in my heart I know this isn’t really about me. This is about the best choice for their career.
I clean up the kitchen and decide to go to bed. I leave a group of very excited rockers in my living room on their way to inebriation.
Chapter 43
Slander
EXLCUSIVE! SAYGE’S GOLDEN GIRL NOT SO GOLDEN!–Music City Enquirer
~ Article written by A. Reeves
The hottest news around the last few months is local band Sayge’s rise to stardom. Rumor has it that landing on the American Top 40 last week secured them a spot on a nationwide tour this summer with some of the hottest bands in the country. There’s no doubt this group is HOT, and their sound is in demand¸ but what do we really know about them?
Earlier this year, SCENE magazine did a spread on Sayge spotlighting their humble beginnings and pathway to success. In that same interview we learned lead singer, Declan Collins was off the market and engaged to be married to Ravenel ‘Raven’ Hayes. You may remember Raven as the beautiful object of desire in their hit single, “Surviving.” Brenda Brown did a great job painting this relationship as a fairytale fantasy. Almost too good to be true. Here at MCE, we wanted to know more about this muse. Once we started digging around and talking to sources close to Raven, we learned this Golden Girl is not so Golden!
On the surface, she may look like the quintessential good girl, but she’s anything but. Sources tell us when she first met Declan Collins, he was in a relationship. She was relentless in her pursuit, even moving in with his sisters to keep tabs on him. Once they started dating, she took over all control of their shows around town and even banned fans from coming backstage during performances at local bars. Loyal fans of the band from the beginning were turned away from social events unless Raven approved them.
Months later when Sayge became a local favorite and started branching out to local and regional sta
ges, Raven took over their web presence insisting that she handle all fan interaction. She even told the guys what to Tweet! Friends of the band say Declan fell hard and deep and had severe jealousy issues. Raven would parade guys in front of him all time threatening to leave him unless he married her. Once she had a ring on her finger things got worse.
We spoke to Declan’s ex-girlfriend. For privacy reasons, we have chosen to keep her name anonymous but our hearts go out to her. Shortly after hearing about the engagement, she became so distraught, her parents have placed her in a facility in order to make sure she doesn’t hurt herself. Her doctors say her depression is a day to day battle and medication and therapy are needed.
Sources claim that things became too much for the members of Sayge, and they refused to have Raven join them last summer on tour. As retaliation, she left the country and spent the summer in Europe in the arms of another man. Declan’s heart was broken, and he almost drank himself to death until his friend Ryan Knight stepped up to save him.
