Amanda Lopez

Unspoken and Hanging Her Heart On Her Fret Board A seasoned, self-taught guitarist, Amanda Lopez has been around more than a few corners and is fluent in the language of life—a dialect that is the heartbeat of her music. “It’s life experiences that often bring out the best songs one could write,” she reflects, “and I've experienced things like that in life, things that moved me so intensely I actually couldn’t help but write about them. I had to because some of the feelings were so deep that the only way I could let them out was to put them to music.” Like the realities she sets to song, Amanda’s music is as tough as it is tender; painting the sheer grit of the human landscape with the shades and colors of music and lyrics. Totally unscripted, canny, and relatable—if the eyes really are a window to the soul, then it’s no surprise that what she sees is what you get in “Unspoken,” track after track. Her voice resonates with conviction and leaves you feeling strangely haunted as if she has just walked barefoot through the hallowed ground of your dreams. “Singing is almost like breathing for me,” explains Amanda. “It allows me to dream and believe everything’s okay even if it’s just for a moment. Singing is my friend in lonely times and in sad moments. It's mostly my release. I can let negativity out through singing. I can express joy. I express many emotions through it and because of this it makes me feel alive.” Born into a musical family, her artistic heritage is so prominent that you could say she’s just doing what comes natural. And though Amanda didn’t pick up a guitar until she was 13, she had been absolutely enamored with the instrument from the time she was a child. “There was something about the sound of the strings that would soothe me,” she recalls. “There was also something beautiful about music coming from a hollowed out piece of wood. It really called me. My father taught me just three basic chords and from there I was able to teach myself the rest.” She hasn't put it down since... There is no shortage of musical influences in Amanda’s artistic pedigree. As eclectic as music itself, it is impossible to stuff her in to a box as rigid and obstinate as a fixed genre. Shaped by a playlist that reaches from groundbreaking luminaries like Joni Mitchell, the Beatles, or even classic Motown icons, to more contemporary pillars such as John Mayer, Brandi Carlile, and Citizen Cope, Amanda goes soul to soul with the performers she embraces. Consequently, her songwriting might be wrapped in supple tones of electric, folk, or soul, or could even reprise the feel of all three… “I never listened to just solely one type of genre,” she says, “I never could favor one over another, and there are way too many amazing artists so I listened to everything really. If it had a good melody and rhythm I would just soak the music in. There is nothing that I don't listen to—I even enjoy Arabic, Indian, and Gypsy music.” Amanda’s artistry is absolutely honest. She doesn’t mind the risk and raw vulnerability required to write and perform a song that connects her with the audience. She hangs her heart on her fret board unconditionally, and when it comes to her music, the phrase, “Look but don’t touch” isn’t in her vocabulary. She is wide open, lives impressively deep in a pathetically shallow world, and sets it all to music. “Its life experiences that sometimes bring out the best songs one could write,” she recounts philosophically. “From the painful moment that lent itself to a beautiful masterpiece, to that euphoric moment that inspired a painting so vivid one feels like they were there.” A case in point is her watershed ballad, “Talk to You” featured on the CD, “Unspoken.” Pouring her heart out, she cries soulfully, “Sometimes I talk, talk to the wind/I hope it will carry my voice to you/Sometimes I send, I send out my heart/Hoping the ocean will bring it to you/I say oh my love where are you now?/I miss you so/I'm scared without you, a love like this I've never known/Cause I talk to you, I talk to you/Can you hear my voice? I'm calling/I talk to you.” Its haunting imagery and poignant melodies linger in the heart and make for a deeply affecting song. Capturing the imagination as enduringly as a sonnet, “Talk to You” embraces the cutting edge so grandly that filming is slated to begin on its music video in the near future. Though she is somewhat of a new kid in town, Amanda has a lot to look forward to as she turns the page into a new chapter. And if anything, tomorrow’s dreams are waiting impatiently, almost jealous of the dreams that have already come true. She has enjoyed international airplay on the radio and her music can be found on iTunes and on Pandora at Amanda Lopez Radio. Additionally, the spotlight had no problem spotting her when she appeared on Chuck Leonard's show; “Central Valley Buzz,” in Fresno, CA, where she hit a musical homerun and made it look easy. Amanda also delivered a great interview and an awesome performance on KMPH Fox's show; “Great Day,” where she slipped effortlessly into her comfort zone and left no doubt that she was made for the camera. And for an encore, "Unspoken" has garnered radio airplay on New Rock 104.1, also in Fresno, CA. So as her day begins to dawn and her “tomorrows” start to overflow with promise into her “todays,” it’s obvious that Amanda Lopez has got it going for her—she has the whole package! And with the support of her management agency, Legacy Bound Entertainment, LLC, and the guidance of her Manager, Elizabeth Maletta, those who don’t know Amanda’s name soon will. At this writing her schedule for the 2015-16 season is being developed, and everyone has high hopes for an impressive roster of venues, events, and bookings—such as her upcoming photo shoot and the filming of her music video for “Talk To You.” For Amanda, music and life are forever intertwined and her amazing journey is just playing the opening notes of its intro. “I hope that my artistry takes me to places I've never been to or seen—touring the world is one of them,” she announces with eyes aglow. “I also want to continue writing and recording stories, and playing them for the world. But mostly, I hope that through all this people are able to take something away from my music... A moment in time? A memory perhaps? Inspiration to confront something they've been trying to hide from for so long? Maybe get in touch with a lost love? Maybe a realization? If I can touch people then you can say my goal has been accomplished. Everything else would just be icing on the cake.”​ Written by - Rick Kern