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Saturday: Skyler Stonestreet at Spring Tavern

By Kim Douglass in Inquiring Minds, Playbill

Friday, Jun. 26 2009 @ 3:00PM

Skyler Stonestreet is so cute. She started her singing career at a young age singing along to the Olsen twins. This multi-talented young woman who writes her own lyrics and plays everything from the piano to the drums; she's so damn loveable we're still trying to get the taste of unicorns and rainbows out our mouth.

This is by no means an insult, because she's too charming to insult. Stonestreet may be sweet as sugar, but her lyrics deliver just the right dose of sass to know let you know she's no pushover, either. Rocks Off bent the Hollywood dweller's - her music has appeared on One Tree Hill and MTV's Laguna Beach - ear earlier this week to advance Saturday's show at the Spring Tavern. (Actually, it was an email exchange, which explains all the exclamation points.)

Rocks Off: What first got you interested in singing?

Skyler Stonestreet: I was doing a lot of musicals in school, and I could never get the main part - I was really short, and was scared to sing - and I really wanted to sing, but I didn't know if I was any good, so I took lessons to get better roles but ended up ditching the drama circuit and writing my own tunes!

RO: We were reminded of Ingrid Michaelson, Feist and Yael Naim on many of your songs. Are you a fan of theirs?

SS: They are all very very talented. I haven't gotten to listen to them as much as I would like, but they all have great voices and lovely tunes.

RO: Is this your first tour? If not, where else have you toured?

SS: This is not my first tour, this is the second bigger tour I have been on, and I have done many other mini tours. The first bigger tour I did was with another singer-songwriter, Brian Benham, and we toured throughout the whole US, covering over 25 states and 18 cities - it was crazy! We piled in my car for a huge adventure!

RO: What music do you listen to when you're on the road?

SS: We play lots of different stuff, from pop to blues to stuff I listened to in 8th grade! My drummer, Asher Pudlo, has a huge collection of experimental music that I have never heard, so sometimes we put that on shuffle, but if it is my turn to change it, recently I have been listening to a lot of Johnny Cash, and always James Taylor and Carole King, they are my favorites.

RO: Have you ever been to Houston before? If so, is there anything memorable about your last trip here?

SS: I have been to Houston several times before! My last trip we went to the Aquarium, rode the Ferris wheel, and played all of the basketball games (I don't know why!). We pretty much ran around the town and acted like little kids, and it was so fun! On another note, Houston has delicious food.

RO: Is there any specific musical style you're going for?

SS: I want my record to have an older sound. I am working on getting my new EP done, and I want to add lots of horns, harmonies and have a 20's and 30's feel to it. I want it to feel like you are in a saloon but in 2009. I want my record to be pop, but with an older charm, but still have elements and a good balance of acoustic songwriting.

9 p.m. Saturday, Spring Tavern, 24401 Aldine Westfield Rd. #J, Spring, 281-350-2122 or www.springtavern.com.