No, don't get excited, we don't have a nine piece band. Elana, Ira and I have managed to get down a 9 song set of songs that is sounding stronger and stronger each week. I've just had songs pouring out of me lately and they are really working well with this lil outfit so far. If we could just get our mits on a drummer we would be set and good to go. We have tossed the idea around about adding a second guitarist but no until we can solidify a drummer.
The two new songs went over REALLY well w/ the other two. The first, one called "She Wished On Stars" was inspired yet again by a line that a good friend of mine wrote in a blog entry once. It came out sounding very Neil Young-ish which actually worked out really well. The second, called "Ghost Town" is something old turned something new. I wrote the "Ghost Town" song for the CD "Postcards From Ghost Town" about 6 years ago and even since it's conception I just haven't been that fond of the song. Well, after years of listening to Neko Case & Her Boyfriends, the song just took on a whole new life actually sounding like a "haunting", or better yet "haunted" number. Again, it just really seemed to gel so well w/ the other material, even though it's pretty different from the rest.
Growth, you gotta love it. We just seem to be growing by leaps and bounds and I learning how these two work is just an amazing experience. I'm feeling like I'm really hearing Elana PLAY for the first time. She's really letting it rip on these songs and has really blown me and Ira away. Ira has been playing with a really great flow and is really adding his thing to each of the songs which I love. On top of that, the three of us have been working as a team to arrange these songs and put them together. Once again, things are going well and we continue to move forward!
OH DRUMMER WHERE ARE THOU????
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Saturday, December 1, 2007
... and yet another...
Lady E. and Ira were back on Wednesday for our THIRD rehearsal and once again, I had to pick my face up off the floor and put it back on my head a few times! They were just killing me. We ran through our set of 6 songs and pretty much nailed them better than the last few times. It was absolutely amazing. The songs sounded confident and tight and we just really are having so much fun playing together. It's got such a great and positive vibe and it's just killer to me to look around the room and see everyone smiling!
Again, all the songs sounded great and really tight. I had all intentions of running thru the set and making notes about what we needed to work on but those notes never got taken beause we played so well. I feel like we are really gelling as a group. Without a doubt though, the tightest song of the night was "Drought County" which actually just about had me tearing up it was so awesome! I'm a lucky dude!
So we've managed to nail 6 songs and just keep tightening them up. We added two new songs and quickly ran through them to see if they were even do-able and again, we were excited to hear that the songs will work out just fine. One of them is a new composition titled "She Wishes On Stars" and the other is a song I wrote while in Shades of Winter called "Winds Of Home". Both songs, even though we ran thru them quickly, really complimented the set we have so far. We are going to start working on them on Wednesday as a unit and see how htey go.
Our search for a drummer is still underway. We haven't had any biters yet but we are STILL staying strong and keeping our eyes and ears open!
Again, all the songs sounded great and really tight. I had all intentions of running thru the set and making notes about what we needed to work on but those notes never got taken beause we played so well. I feel like we are really gelling as a group. Without a doubt though, the tightest song of the night was "Drought County" which actually just about had me tearing up it was so awesome! I'm a lucky dude!
So we've managed to nail 6 songs and just keep tightening them up. We added two new songs and quickly ran through them to see if they were even do-able and again, we were excited to hear that the songs will work out just fine. One of them is a new composition titled "She Wishes On Stars" and the other is a song I wrote while in Shades of Winter called "Winds Of Home". Both songs, even though we ran thru them quickly, really complimented the set we have so far. We are going to start working on them on Wednesday as a unit and see how htey go.
Our search for a drummer is still underway. We haven't had any biters yet but we are STILL staying strong and keeping our eyes and ears open!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Into The Mystic
What a great rehearsal last night. Lady E was definitely missed but I was so glad that Ira and I got together anyways. We had a great time just catching up, getting to know each other a bit more. That was really cool to do. I even learned that he's a HUGE Blind Melon fan so he'll be joining Spoob and I on the 2nd at the Lincoln Theatre.
We ran through the set of originals that we've been running through and they sounded great. I can even begin to explain how good this kid is. He's got such a great flow to him and he really knows how to work these songs in his own way. The way him and Elana mesh is just what I've always wanted to hear but playing w/ just him last night really let me hear what he could do. He didn't disappoint. For those that are curious, it's not a huge secret but here is the list of songs we're working on so far:
We placed our ad for a drummer over at Craig's List. You can check it out by going to http://raleigh.craigslist.org/muc/482983467.html. If anyone knows ANYONE that fits this description, please send them our way! I'm so excited to get this thing off the ground but damn, we are off to such an amazing start in such a short period of time. This band is truly gonna be something magical. Hell, it already is...
We ran through the set of originals that we've been running through and they sounded great. I can even begin to explain how good this kid is. He's got such a great flow to him and he really knows how to work these songs in his own way. The way him and Elana mesh is just what I've always wanted to hear but playing w/ just him last night really let me hear what he could do. He didn't disappoint. For those that are curious, it's not a huge secret but here is the list of songs we're working on so far:
- The Rain
- I Wish I Could Run Away
- Another Cowboy Song
- The Road Is In My Blood
- Drought County
- Take Me Back Home
We placed our ad for a drummer over at Craig's List. You can check it out by going to http://raleigh.craigslist.org/muc/482983467.html. If anyone knows ANYONE that fits this description, please send them our way! I'm so excited to get this thing off the ground but damn, we are off to such an amazing start in such a short period of time. This band is truly gonna be something magical. Hell, it already is...
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
...and we're off!
Elana, Ira and I had our very first rehearsal tonight and I can't even put into words how amazing it was. I'll be honest, the fact that the last time we played together was Ira's last audition two weeks ago made me a bit nervous. But we all sat down, had a beer, and it was like second nature. We just started catching up with each other and next thing, the instruments came out and we were off!
We spent most of our time tonite working on the new song "Drought County". They really impressed the hell outta me on this one. I loved the fact that they both totally stepped up to the plate and played their asses off. We made a few revisions, worked on the actual arrangement. This was really great. We all talked about parts and how we could make things work better and mesh together. It was such a positive experience and to see us actually working, playing and laughing together was so uplifting for me.
Once we ran through "Drought County" a few times, we tackled "Another Cowboy Song" and just killed it first time through. We played "The Rain" and again, nailed it. I mean, while they weren't "perfect", they were way better than I thought they would be, especially at our first REAL rehearsal. They practice at home and come up w/ parts to add their own lil flair to it. THIS is what it's all about!
We also decided to go ahead and start looking for a drummer. I will be working on putting the ad together and then checking in w/ them to see what they think. Then I'll post it to Craig's List and we'll see what happens!
Ahhhh, things are good and they will only get getter!
We spent most of our time tonite working on the new song "Drought County". They really impressed the hell outta me on this one. I loved the fact that they both totally stepped up to the plate and played their asses off. We made a few revisions, worked on the actual arrangement. This was really great. We all talked about parts and how we could make things work better and mesh together. It was such a positive experience and to see us actually working, playing and laughing together was so uplifting for me.
Once we ran through "Drought County" a few times, we tackled "Another Cowboy Song" and just killed it first time through. We played "The Rain" and again, nailed it. I mean, while they weren't "perfect", they were way better than I thought they would be, especially at our first REAL rehearsal. They practice at home and come up w/ parts to add their own lil flair to it. THIS is what it's all about!
We also decided to go ahead and start looking for a drummer. I will be working on putting the ad together and then checking in w/ them to see what they think. Then I'll post it to Craig's List and we'll see what happens!
Ahhhh, things are good and they will only get getter!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Just an update...
So as I said in my last post, Elana and I now have a bassist named Ira. Getting to this point was a pretty exhausting process so getting the other two needed elements I'm not really looking forward to. I mean, I am looking forward to getting them but not looking forward to the process. At least this time, with three of us, it won't be so grueling!
We ended up taking two weeks off before we re-group to work on our 6-song set list. This week for Halloween and next week because Don will take a much needed vacation. But in this time off, I've had time to really think of where I'm going, where I've been, and even move a couple of songs. I've been listening to Mark Lanegan's "I'll Take Care Of You" and Neko Case's "Blacklisted" a lot lately. That whole haunting, minor key style of writing that are showcased on these albums just stuck with me so I just went with it. So far, all I have is music but what happened was that I stopped there. Why? Because this is where I want the "band" thing to come in. I want people to collaborate and offer input. I want everyone to feel like a piece of themselves are in the song. This is an exciting feeling. I've never seen Elana so upbeat and excited about playing and this really fueled me so when Ira came aboard w/ the same attitude, they both showed serious interest in being involved and doing what they could. This is a great feeling and this is EXACTLY what I wanted and want out of a band!
Well, we regroup on the 14th and have our first official rehearsal as a three piece. I'm hoping we'll nail these 6 songs down and start working on this new, as of yet untitled piece. From there, we will post for a guitarist and start auditioning them as a BAND! Wow, this is exciting. I see really great things ahead for this soon-to-be band! I can just feel it!
More to come folks... more to come!
We ended up taking two weeks off before we re-group to work on our 6-song set list. This week for Halloween and next week because Don will take a much needed vacation. But in this time off, I've had time to really think of where I'm going, where I've been, and even move a couple of songs. I've been listening to Mark Lanegan's "I'll Take Care Of You" and Neko Case's "Blacklisted" a lot lately. That whole haunting, minor key style of writing that are showcased on these albums just stuck with me so I just went with it. So far, all I have is music but what happened was that I stopped there. Why? Because this is where I want the "band" thing to come in. I want people to collaborate and offer input. I want everyone to feel like a piece of themselves are in the song. This is an exciting feeling. I've never seen Elana so upbeat and excited about playing and this really fueled me so when Ira came aboard w/ the same attitude, they both showed serious interest in being involved and doing what they could. This is a great feeling and this is EXACTLY what I wanted and want out of a band!
Well, we regroup on the 14th and have our first official rehearsal as a three piece. I'm hoping we'll nail these 6 songs down and start working on this new, as of yet untitled piece. From there, we will post for a guitarist and start auditioning them as a BAND! Wow, this is exciting. I see really great things ahead for this soon-to-be band! I can just feel it!
More to come folks... more to come!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
...and then we were THREE!
I can’t even being to say how exciting of a place I am in my musical life right now. First off, not having to start at this alone was a great plus. My former Shades of Winter band mate Elana Scheiner really showed an interest in joining me for this new adventure so to have a partner going into this made it less scary. I placed an ad in Craig’s List for bassists and thus the adventure began. I got about 10 replies and by the time I weeded them all down to those that had their own car, place to live, a job, and even a bass/amp, I was down to four that really sounded promising.
I auditioned them all, one a week. All of them were good, one was great and one was absolutely what we were looking for! Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Ira Poplar-Jeffers! Ira is a great bassist and his personality and musical tastes are a perfect compliment to this group! When Ira came back for his 2nd audition w/ Elana and I, he had learned a set of four songs and played them with the enthusiasm and emotion that I really was hoping to hear out of a bassist. Lady E and Ira just locked in together and played together beautifully. I can’t even begin to explain the goosebumps I got hearing them play and watching them occasionally look over at each other and me and all of us just smiling as we were playing! This was a pretty magical feeling and that’s when I knew I’d found our man!
So what next? Well, we keep working on songs and tightening up the rhythm section and then the search for a guitarist will begin. Baby steps here. I just don’t want to make any mistakes here. I want to make sure we take our time and find the right people and build a nice, solid foundation. Then we’ll look for a tasteful yet sane and responsible drummer. I haven’t had the best of luck with drummers in my life but hey, so far I’ve done well so there’s gotta be one out there!
Rehearsals w/ Elana, Ira and I will begin next week so I’ll be sure to post an update! And for the many that have asked… NO! We don’t have a band name yet. This “band” is just really staring to formulate. I want to make sure the name we pick will compliment us as a full band and compliment the sound and the songs. While we are doing mainly songs I’ve already written, we will be doing new material so why date it ya know? And no James, the band WILL NOT be called "BOHICA".
More to come soon folks!
I auditioned them all, one a week. All of them were good, one was great and one was absolutely what we were looking for! Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Ira Poplar-Jeffers! Ira is a great bassist and his personality and musical tastes are a perfect compliment to this group! When Ira came back for his 2nd audition w/ Elana and I, he had learned a set of four songs and played them with the enthusiasm and emotion that I really was hoping to hear out of a bassist. Lady E and Ira just locked in together and played together beautifully. I can’t even begin to explain the goosebumps I got hearing them play and watching them occasionally look over at each other and me and all of us just smiling as we were playing! This was a pretty magical feeling and that’s when I knew I’d found our man!
So what next? Well, we keep working on songs and tightening up the rhythm section and then the search for a guitarist will begin. Baby steps here. I just don’t want to make any mistakes here. I want to make sure we take our time and find the right people and build a nice, solid foundation. Then we’ll look for a tasteful yet sane and responsible drummer. I haven’t had the best of luck with drummers in my life but hey, so far I’ve done well so there’s gotta be one out there!
Rehearsals w/ Elana, Ira and I will begin next week so I’ll be sure to post an update! And for the many that have asked… NO! We don’t have a band name yet. This “band” is just really staring to formulate. I want to make sure the name we pick will compliment us as a full band and compliment the sound and the songs. While we are doing mainly songs I’ve already written, we will be doing new material so why date it ya know? And no James, the band WILL NOT be called "BOHICA".
More to come soon folks!
Monday, October 1, 2007
With a change of seasons...
...come seasons of change!
I used to hate the thought of change. Sometimes I still do but as we all know, sometimes change is necessary for growth. Whether it be spiritual, physical, artistic, etc, change is necessary for growth.
The idea of forming a band has been heavy on me for sometime. It's kind of like being in a relationship. Regardless, you expect for all involved parties to give equally in order to complete as a whole. When that stops happening and you stop getting what it is you need, you have to look elsewhere to get it. I just felt that in order to get out of my artistic self what I wanted, this is what needed to be done.
Stepping out of Shades of Winter was a tough and scary thing to do. Doing so I feel like I am finally free to really open up as a writer, musician, and performer in a way that I never thought I could do. Fronting a band is a scary thought but I have been doing this kind of music for years and doing it solo at that for 10 years. I finally feel ready to take this next step towards making my dreams reality.
So far, I have been having auditions for bassists and they have been going great. Unfortunately, TOO GREAT! So far, they have all been fantastic people w/ a desire and determination to make and perform good music. All have stated to me that they really enjoy and like the material so that alone is a great feeling. I am really looking forward to auditioning the next round of bassists and then making a decision in the next week or so. After the bassist auditions, I have a guitarist trying out and then if I can get this solidified, I will have the core of my band with a bassist, guitarist, and my good friend Elana on cello. The plan is to then tighten up as a unit and then start auditioning drummers as a band!
Wow, even as I type this I can feel the excitement and the anticipation of what lies around the bend. This is a good road to be on. Thank you to everyone who has been sending me words of encouragement and support in my new venture. It's been heartwarming and inspirational that so many are behind me on this! Hopefully, soon, I will be back out there delivering this new slice of goodness to you all!
Again, thank you all! I couldn't do it without you!
I used to hate the thought of change. Sometimes I still do but as we all know, sometimes change is necessary for growth. Whether it be spiritual, physical, artistic, etc, change is necessary for growth.
The idea of forming a band has been heavy on me for sometime. It's kind of like being in a relationship. Regardless, you expect for all involved parties to give equally in order to complete as a whole. When that stops happening and you stop getting what it is you need, you have to look elsewhere to get it. I just felt that in order to get out of my artistic self what I wanted, this is what needed to be done.
Stepping out of Shades of Winter was a tough and scary thing to do. Doing so I feel like I am finally free to really open up as a writer, musician, and performer in a way that I never thought I could do. Fronting a band is a scary thought but I have been doing this kind of music for years and doing it solo at that for 10 years. I finally feel ready to take this next step towards making my dreams reality.
So far, I have been having auditions for bassists and they have been going great. Unfortunately, TOO GREAT! So far, they have all been fantastic people w/ a desire and determination to make and perform good music. All have stated to me that they really enjoy and like the material so that alone is a great feeling. I am really looking forward to auditioning the next round of bassists and then making a decision in the next week or so. After the bassist auditions, I have a guitarist trying out and then if I can get this solidified, I will have the core of my band with a bassist, guitarist, and my good friend Elana on cello. The plan is to then tighten up as a unit and then start auditioning drummers as a band!
Wow, even as I type this I can feel the excitement and the anticipation of what lies around the bend. This is a good road to be on. Thank you to everyone who has been sending me words of encouragement and support in my new venture. It's been heartwarming and inspirational that so many are behind me on this! Hopefully, soon, I will be back out there delivering this new slice of goodness to you all!
Again, thank you all! I couldn't do it without you!
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