Skylar Grey CXCVII :: San Gabriel Valley Tribune, July 29 Article

Ms. Grey will be performing in Pomona, CA tomorrow evening (July 30) at The Glass Shop, and Wes Woods of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune talked with her about the upcoming performance – read the full article regarding the performance below, including information on the opening act Curt Phillips.

It’s Like Skylar Grey Is A Whole New Person | SGV Tribune ::
POMONA – Headlining act Skylar Grey performs here Saturday to warm up for Lollapalooza on Aug. 6. And here’s another reason for local fans to check out the show at Glass House. The warm-up act, Curt Phillips, has area ties.

“I’m basically previewing the songs off my album for the first time in these shows,” said Grey, whose real name is Holly Brook Hafermann. “So it’s going to be a lot of material people haven’t heard before, but also mixing in things people have heard.”

Grey, who performed at the Grammy Music Awards with Eminem and Dr. Dre, was featured on their hit song “I Need A Doctor” and was featured other hits like Lupe Fiasco’s “Words I Never Said” and “Coming Home” with P. Diddy’s Diddy-Dirty Money group.

Her latest songs include the Internet-released video “Dance Without You” and “Invisible,“ which has been featured on the Ryan Seacrest radio show.

Grey said her hour-long set will not include songs from her previous alias Holly Brook, who was featured as a guest on Fort Minor’s “Where’d You Go” and released an album of her own.

“No, Holly Brook is dead. I’m not that person.”

Now 25, she released her album “Like Blood Like Honey” in 2006 and has completely changed her outlook from “mistakes” she said she made previously.

“I’m stronger, I’m actually talking to people now,” Grey said. “I was a recluse, shy and didn’t want to talk to people. Now I’m promoting myself. I’m realizing there’s a certain way to play the music industry game so it works to your benefit.”

Grey said her soon-to-be-released November album “Invinsible,“ a combination of the words invisible and invincible, would showcase the transfer from Holly Brook to Skylar Grey.

“Not only for myself because I hated Holly for being such a weakling but also I didn’t want people to have preconceived notions of what I do,” Grey said. “It sounds completely different. Everything is different.”

Her website can be found at www.skylargreymusic.com.

Meanwhile, opener Phillips works as a maintenance employee at Western Christian Schools in Claremont.

He is currently at Biola University in La Mirada majoring in organizational leadership scheduled to graduate in December.

“I’m really stoked about the show,” Phillips said, adding he went to Upland High School, Pioneer Junior High and Pepper Tree Elementary all in Upland.

He used to be guitarist in the Orange County band Rudiger, who performed on the Vans Warped Tour, but when the band broke up he went solo and later decided to go to school, too.

“I’ve learned you can sell a million records and not make a dime,” said Phillips, 30. “That’s what I learned from the artists I’ve played with. But I love playing music and using music to touch people and inspire them.”

His music can be found at www.myspace.com/curtphillips.