Monday, September 24, 2007

Recording with Gigi Edgley. Issue #16

Like I said last week, the plan was to let everyone know what was going on with the project with Gigi Edgley. Well, after another very productive weekend I'm even more excited than I was before. I am producing her E.P. to be released in early November, and it's been a very rewarding experience. The E.P. will serve as a sort of "unofficial soundtrack" to a comic book she also has in the works to be released soon after. Earlier in the summer, my friend Brian Meredith told me that he was in discussions with her to work on the mentioned comic, and that she was interested in putting together some new music as a follow up to her single, "Poison", which she had released a few years before. Brian gave her some of my music
to sample, and she decided that we should get together to see if the chemistry was something that would work.

Since this was to be a co-writing situation I began to research her earlier work to get a sense of what her new songs could like by watching video clips of interviews as well as gaining a better sense of her personality (fun, sweet person), and what she likes by talking over the phone and via email. Technology really is a wonderful thing as we've been sending song ideas back and forth online, and as she would leave voice messages with vocal lines written for me to put music to. I had never written with someone this way before, and it surprisingly worked really well. In the first weekend she was town, we finished writing and recording one song, and we got a lot of good work done this past weekend as well. She will be flying back up in a few weeks to finish recording and I'm expecting we'll be really thrilled with the finished product. It has been really interesting and a stretch as a songwriter for me to write in a completely different style than my own for these songs, and I feel very thankful to be involved with the project. I can't wait for people to hear it, and without giving too much away, expect something in the vein of Bjork, Sade, and The Sundays. More news on this later...

I'm in the process of building my new website from which you will be able link to my blog as well as the myspace page, so that will surely keep me busy this week. Now that my album is done (and being printed as we speak), it's time to do a lot of P.R. stuff (like the website) that I haven't had to do for a while (my last official release was 5 years ago). Obviously writing and recording is a lot more fun, but everything else you need to do to let people actually know you have a record coming out is just as necessary.


Thanks to my Aunt Jamie for thinking of me at the store and bringing me one of last week's mentioned "Night Owl" pumpkin ales. I now have four, and that must mean I own twenty-percent of the Seattle's stash...

On Friday, I went to see my friend Greg Garcia's band 17TH CHAPTER play at The Tractor for what was an much overdue viewing. A cool fun band, and check them out when you can...

COLLIDER rehearsals continue to go really well as we seem to have hit a songwriting stride in the the past month with what we can almost say is a fully functioning set of songs. A demo is currently being put together to put up on a myspace site in the next month or so...

Next week I'll share the track listing for "Songs From The Orange Room", as well as talk more about the tour TJ SHERRILL and I will be embarking on the following week.

Finally, today is an independence day of sorts for all young men across this land as HALO 3 hits the shelves. Three years ago when HALO 2 came out, I swear it wouldn't be long until someone did a documentary on the hysteria and obsessiveness it can generate (I might know something about this). In fact, if someone does, the title might go something like this..."Halo: A Peek Into The Mind Of The American Male Via Conversations Translated From Xbox Live". Oh, how I've missed hearing 12 year-olds screaming in my ear to have me give them the shotgun...

Until then, be well!

Friday, September 14, 2007

Drinking Pumpkins. Issue #15

With the first day of Fall greeting us on the 23rd, my favorite season has shown glimpses lately of arriving early in very untraditional forms. The most important one being from which I have had a spiritual battle stemming within regarding if I should tell people about or not. Not that I don't like sharing the love, but more from a selfish standpoint from which I fear not being able to find any once I get others (if anyone listens to me) on the in and in. What I'm talking about here is the first sighting in the wild of Elysian Brewery's seasonal "Night Owl" Pumpkin Beer. Finding this stuff is like watching General Patraeus give his review on the progress in Iraq, and believing that Bush wasn't going to give him a cookie afterwards. Not easy.

I don't care if you don't like flavored beers, you'll like this unless you don't good things, Fall, or babies. Everyone likes babies. Seriously, this stuff is REALLY hard to find but has been spotted in the wild in the last week at Thriftway in Lake Forest Park, and the organic co-op in downtown Everett.
Also, it should be on tap at one of my favorite places, The Old Town Alehouse in Ballard. Not to sweet, not to spicy, just right with that hint of pumpkin amongst all the yeasty goodness. I myself grabbed 3 (they're big) last week and felt like I scored the whole day. Oh no, maybe I built this up to big to deliver (kinda like watching The Blair Witch Project after those Domino's commercials). Really though, it's AMAZING and I don't throw that word around just for anything like many annoyingly do, but that's for another blog rant (time and place...time and place). If anything, take it on faith...you'll love it! Patrick, am I lying?


I'm really looking forward to Gigi Edgley flying up this weekend to continue work on "The Project I Can't Talk About Yet". It's interesting how you can go about your daily life with one had constantly covering you mouth.
I don't have to much longer though because during her visit she will be having a Q&A/signing at THE COMIC STOP in Lynnwood to announce what she's been working on and then I can let everyone know. She'll be there on Saturday from 3:00-5:00 talking with people and answering questions if anyone is interested in attending. I'm pretty excited to talk about it next week and I think you'll like it too.

I also spent a couple of days last week finalizing booking the dates for the mid-October tour that TJ SHERRILL and I will be embarking on starting in Idaho on the 11th. We've been trying to come up with a tour name, and so far they only thing that sounds good is The "Those Aren't Pillows" tour Fall 2007 (R.I.P John Candy). Any suggestions? If so, leave me a comment! We're also throwing around some ideas for songs that we can do together at the end of the night, and the only one I can think of at this point is "500 Miles" by The Proclaimers. I don't know if it will work though because only one of us wears glasses some of the time and it just wouldn't be right.

Speaking of "right", I forgot to mention that Penal Code #8675309 in the state of Washington says that it's illegal to enjoy a pumpkin beer before the first day October. Some things are right, and that's just not.

See you next week!

-Kyle

Monday, September 10, 2007

Get Your Dance On! Issue #14

The CD is done! Yep, Brian (who did the design) and I just got back from meeting with the wonderful folks down at Discmakers and it's officially off to the printers. YEAH! Last Thursday I met with Mark Guenther for the final step at Seattle Disc Mastering to add that little bit of shine that mastering provides. It was good to see him again as he did a LT album back in 1999. We both couldn't believe that it had been 10 years, but also had to believe it as time seems to be flying by at a record pace these days. Wouldn't you agree? Needless to say he did a great job and I'm VERY pleased with the results of what will be my first solo release. Currently, I am working on a release show for you all to attend in the near future to get your rock on...keep and ear to the ground.

I'm thinking now would be a good time to let you know that the E.P. will be called
"SONGS FROM THE ORANGE ROOM". Yes, that is a real place, and yes you need a treasure map to get there so start digging...

It was nice to cap off a couple of months of staring at the walls of the studio by getting away this past weekend to attend the wedding of my good friend Rich Harrison or "Rich-Lovin". And yes, we did have this name years before SUPERBAD'S "McLovin" so don't front...

Anyways, early Saturday morning Mandi and I caught the ferry at Anacortes and caught up on some X-Men on the way (Wolverine is gonna go crazy next month...not to be missed (snort, snort)) The wedding was at Rosario for those of you who have been near there, and started at 4:00 atop a beautiful bluff surrounded by water. Short, sweet, and beautiful was the ceremony and then it was off to get our dance on. When I say dance on, I mean DANCE ON. No joke, I'm still sore from dancing for what I swear to God was at least 5 hours straight. It reminded me of my days dancing in Pioneer Square in booty shorts for free fries at the J&M. It seems like a lifetime ago really...


I really like weddings because it's kinda a reminder of why you did the do in the first place, but REALLY like it because it's the guaranteed place where I know FOR SURE/REALS that I'm gonna hear mass amounts of early-90's R&B in a row. For those of you who don't know that about me, it's kinda a fetish. I can't get enough TLC, Montel Jordan, Adina Howard, Wrexx-N-Effex, Blackstreet (any Teddy Reilly really), Early Snoop, Onyx, Shai...When these groups come on THIS WHITE BOY WILL MOVE. I promise you that. I think I'm hearing a playlist in my future...


I woke up the next morning feeling great after sweating out a good amount of wine that would normally put me in a "Hot Mess" (thanks Noah for the update on the slang the kids are saying these days and helping me move on from "Sike"), and went to breakfast with my other good friend Noah Katka and his girlfriend Shannon. Noah and I go way back from when he used to date Mandi's sister (now in Greece), and I also used to live with him and Richard. The only time in my life when I thought it was a good idea to shave my head was when I lived with these guys, and once every other week we would buzz each other on the weekend. It was very brotherly...

After breakfast we hiked to the top of Mt. Constitution (I'm sorry, I mean drove) for what was a breath-taking panoramic view of the San Juan's and parts of Canada. It was really pretty, and I was glad my Grandma said she'd yell at me if I didn't go see it. See pictures below (not of my Grandma yelling at me)...

All in all, it was a great weekend and a good feeling of accomplishment in finishing what I feel is a mile-marker in my career.

Now I just have to see if you like it... :)

More album news next week!

-K




Sunday, September 2, 2007

Labor Videos. Issue #13

Hey Everybody, not what it sounds like...I just thought that since it's Labor Day weekend I'd keep it a little light this week and let you to enjoy some of my favorite videos of late! You don't want to be inside on the computer on a "day off" do you? Detach from the nets kids...detach...
This week I finish mixing my album, and have a mastering date on Thursday to get the final product before it's sent off to the printer. Will update in detail next week...
It's a good feeling over here, and I'm looking forward to sharing it with you...have a good holiday!

-Kyle