ONE WORLD (R)EVOLUTION
Transitions
It's always a dynamic, organic experience when singer/songwriters—after a period of creative transition—awaken their higher consciousness, lock in on the next level of their musical journey, and emerge with a vibe that transcends all that came before. Believing that one must first evolve before experiencing a true revolution of conscious awakening, Astrum, the Austin, Texas based lead singer of One World (R)evolution, emerges from the indie shadows as "The Green Vegan Rawker" to release her band's appropriately titled debut album Transitions.
Reflecting her commitment to a healthier lifestyle and the preservation of Mother Earth, Transitions includes remastered versions of songs she released as a solo artist, plus the explosive mission statement anthem "Get Your Green On." The kickoff track is about greening up the planet by greening up your diet—conveying her belief that the most significant thing you can do to help the environment is to go vegan. Emotionally and spiritually, Astrum has experienced a deeper connection to The Universe and her Higher Self since becoming a vegan raw foodie, consuming mainly raw plant foods (fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds) in their most natural state.
The spiritually expansive, musically compelling 14 track set focuses on her longtime artistic focus of self-empowering listeners, but taps a deeper emotional aesthetic because of her recent personal transformation that led her to start "walkin' her talk." Balancing heartfelt and deep thought provoking lyrics, with edgy guitar driven pop rock hooks, Astrum brings to her One World (R)evolution a sense of raising her personal consciousness, her fascination for the law of attraction, and a unique approach to lyrics involving conscious language (choosing positive present tense wording).
No stranger to Transitions throughout her career, Astrum—who counts her greatest early influences as 80s metal--started out as the drummer for San Francisco based punk band Private Outrage. After receiving a business degree from the University of Miami, she began performing in South Florida before moving to Nashville for a few years, where she established herself on the local scene and gigged everywhere from Kentucky to Mississippi and the Atlanta Pride Festival. She also lived in NYC for a spell and has gigged in California and Hawai'i while releasing well-received independent albums under her given name Cheryl Hill. While gearing up with the release of Transitions to do more live dates with the band, she is also currently showcasing as a solo acoustic performer.
"The songs on Transitions are about real life emotions and situations I have experienced, presenting problems and finding solutions and putting them all together to make sense of my world," says Astrum. "I like to get people to think, go deep within themselves to create paradigms which will help them be more consciously awake. People have forgotten their inner power to create and choose. We have a choice and we are in control of our lives. I like to explore why we make certain choices. This collection is a gateway to how I will evolve musically. 'Get Your Green On' is about who I am right now, explaining that you think you feel good until something happens to make you really feel good. It's hard to explain that unless people feel that for themselves. There's a deep connection between physical cleansing and spiritual awakening."
Another personal song is the jangling pop/rocker "Voice Is Calling", which she wrote about a time in her life when she was emerging from a very dark period. At a time when she hated the world, she heard that voice inside her head which she calls "my Higher Self knocking on the door of my heart, telling me to love myself for who I am." A key line is "If you take the time, learn to love yourself, you just might find, that you can change the world." "Dare To Be Different" finds her challenging people to question their beliefs, be true to themselves, and be proud of their differences.
"Every artist loves a different part of the musical process," Astrum says, "and for me, that's when I perform live. Even when I'm very inspired, sitting down to write a song seems like work to me, and being in the studio recording it and making it perfect is also a long process. But I love becoming this alter-ego super star on stage, because in my day to day life, I am pretty introverted and shy. Being up on stage, whether now with the acoustic guitar, in the future with One World (R)evolution, or way back when I played in Private Outrage, is always the place where I feel most alive."
