Aug30
I’m very excited about a lot of things right now. Going to see Band of Horses on Wednesday here in Spokane. Working on lots of new songs, trying to stretch my creativity in that department. Constantly having a genre crisis. Bought my ticket for Boston in October and have been working with my friend Kimber Ludiker on setting up some shows out there while I’m in town. Thanks to her, it looks like I will get to play three or four times during my stay! I haven’t been to the east coast since I was little and I’m very excited to experience a new music scene and a new culture. I love seeing new places.
November holds another tour, probably my last for a while as I will be trying to go back to school this winter and am extremely tired of being my own booking agent. West coast tour is what I’m shooting for…although venues attention seems to be harder and harder to grab hold of these days. Right before the tour I’m thinking about releasing a 4-song EP that I’ve had up my sleeve since Kory and I recorded The Breaking of Our Days. It’s a pretty neat EP, somewhat melancholy and ambient. I really like it. More details on that to come.
Fall is my favorite season. Always full of excitement and color and the fresh briskness of incoming winter air. An album that I think is a great new accompaniment to fall is by a little lady named Sarah Jarosz. A Song Up in Her Head is the title. I bought it just before my long drive back to Spokane from Denver and I just can’t get enough. I recommend it whole-heartedly. Inspiring song-writing, impeccable instrumentation, a sweet buttery voice and very forward moving emotions through the whole project. For fans of good, in the pocket, pleasing to the ears music. Be sure to check it out!
Jun26
Zac and I are twins, it’s true. We’ve grown up doing everything together from being homeschooled, playing basketball, taking piano lessons, learning to play guitar, playing church music, going to hard core shows, starting bands, to now drinking whiskey together at the swinging doors by our house. Zac gets Makers Mark and I get Jameson. Zac’s always been the talented one and I’ve always been the disciplined one. His musical skills have forever surpassed mine in prowess and I have here and there maybe appeared as good because of my dedication.
These days he’s beating me at both. He practices 3-6 hours a day, takes guitar lessons, gigs every weekend for several hours at a time with his blues band and when he’s not doing those things he’s sitting at his laptop watching youtube videos of Danny Gatton. He wants to be the best his fingers, mind, body and soul will allow him to be. And there’s no doubt his endless research and habitual gear shopping routine has led him to some of the most amazing guitar tone that can be mustered out of six strings.
I post this today because Zac just did some recording with his blues band. Kory Kruckenberg (VU.recording), who made my newest album, came over for a weekend to do live sessions with Zac and the Booze Fighters. Kory is a genius and was able to capture the high energy, equisite tones and down ‘n dirty vibe that the Booze Fighters possess and still make the album sound like studio work. It’s really good stuff. Neither Zac, nor I grew up singing, in fact we were both deathly afraid of it. It has taken a lot of work and encouragement to get us to sing in front of people, Zac more recently. I’m really proud of how far him, David and Alex have come as a team. I think they are stellar.
Check out the tracks on their myspace. I think Born Under a Bad Sign is my favorite new one they have up. It’s super dirty. And they have a sweet gig this week opening for Robin Trower at the Knitting Factory where you should be able to pick up a hard copy of the new songs.
May18
I’ve done some demo recording for friends over the past year. Noah Gundersen and his sister Abby came over to Spokane last month and we recorded an EP together with the help of Scott Ellis on the pedal steel, Bruce Pearson on the bass and Patrick Toney on some drumming. Noah just put up one of the new songs (Oh Death) on his myspace…check it out. I really love the violin parts that Abby came up with and the group vocals at the end.
