Thoughts

The Important Stuff

2008-07-01T20:39:00.000-07:00

As a musician, it's important to keep playing. That's what it's really about at the end of the day. All of the other stuff, marketing and promotion, and expanding your fan base- all of that stuff doesnt really matter if youre not actually working on music. Maybe it doesnt always have to be "creating" new songs- but playing...that's what really matters. It could mean maintaining your chops, it can be working out new ideas, it can be discovering another instrument, it can be learning a new technique, or maybe just generally exploring another music direction. But you have to play.

Recently, a good friend of mine passed away. His name was Red Shea- he was an iconic Canadian musician and guitarist with a huge list of achievements including being Gordon Lightfoot's lead guitarist for over 15 years. He went on tours with acts like Bob Dylan and the Band, and hung out with some pretty neat company in guys like Kris Kristofferson and Jack Nicholson. A couple of years ago, our back fence started breaking down and I was approached by the man on the other side of the fence about fixing it...and so Red and I sat down in his backyard, had a glass of lemonade and started talking about music and the rest is history. After learning who he was, I was compelled more than ever to pepper him with questions and pick his brain whenever I could. So the backyard chats became more regular. We were forty years apart- but I can assure you, it never, ever even occurred to me.

I learnt quite soon that it didn't have to take a lot of work to pick Red's brain. Red was an ocean of common-sense, practical wisdom. He could talk about anything under the sun, and give you something new to think about in a flash.

He had a lot of interesting things to say about music, the music industry then and now, and what it means to be a musician. He was the first to remind me that despite everything that's going on in the world, in the music industry, and in my life...if im not playing and im not writing, im not much of a musician. All of the other stuff is only slightly relevant, if at all. When I asked him about his best memories from being in the business and his career, he always said (other than hanging out with Jack Nicholson), "Playing. Playing- that was the only thing that mattered. And writing of course, and creating...but everything revolves around playing."

Sounds obvious doesn't it, but it's amazing how easily we forget. As a songwriter, it's important to keep writing songs. If youre not actually "songwriting", youre not much of a "songwriter" are you? I read once in a book of interviews of Bob Dylan, when someone pointed out to him the various opinions of the critics on his latest album, he responded with, "Well, at least Im out there writing songs. What are they doing?" It wasn't said defensively (this was very clear when reading the full interview), but more matter-of-factly and semi-humorously. And it's a good point- it's not his job to worry about what every Tom, Dick, and Harry has to say about his music. He's imposed upon himself the job to just continue to write and create.

If after umpteen albums and hundreds of songs, this truth is not lost on Bob Dylan himself, why is much of the independent music community full of fresh, raw, and developing artists (us included) at such a loss to accept this? I dunno, maybe it's point that is only better understood with maturity and stability.

Unfortunately, with the nature of the business changing so rapidly and massively, the new DIY (Do-it-yourself) approach for indie artists has utterly confused and paralyzed many of us. There is no map, much less a compass, and so the most important truths of all are being forgotten. We are struggling mightily for validation - to feel acknowledged and to feel heard. One industry executive told me that before, people were trying to get their 15 minutes of fame; now, they're focused on already managing their 15 minutes of fame- among 15 friends. What's worse is that most of us believe that the 15 minutes of fame among 15 friends will translate into something more.

Much has been said about this already, so I wont dwell on it, but the stark reality is when you look at the end goal of being a touring artist who sells enough and makes enough to enjoy a full-time career, almost all of us in the independent music community will fail. It's a incredible amount of work, an incredible amount of luck, and an incredible amount of work (yeah, I know I said that). Only a few get through to that kind of success, and credit to them.

But what's the worst part...it's not that so many of us will fail in that one picture of success...it's that most of us are forgetting what the point of all this actually is/was in the first place. It used to be that you had a song to sing, and had to find a way to get it out. And so you would learn to play it and sing it wherever you could. Nowadays, the mediums to get music out -- the internet revolution, the digital revolution, the myspace revolution, the independent music revolution -- have completely overwhelmed an essential part of the process. We are trying to walk, run, and sprint all at the same time...flocking from one revolutionary medium to another to ensure we are on the cutting edge of what is happening in the "community". Dont get me wrong, it can be a lovely community and an important one, but nonetheless a community of no use if we still havent defined who we are ourselves, individually. Let's face it- we're more concerned with how many people viewed our MySpace profile in the last three hours than investing the time and energy it needs to become better musicians and write better songs. And so really we're investing a whole lot of time and energy into a giant cyber black hole. We're scrambling from one thing to another to make sure that we dont miss anything- except we're placing into jeopardy the most basic truths of all! In our search for validation from the business and from others, we have lost sight of the basic requirements and focuses we need for ourselves- to continue to develop and hone our craft, and play and enjoy music! No wonder the public can't sift through the mess...because that's what we are- a very, very large disorganized mess of people drifting in and out and of a "music business" with no real sense of purpose, understanding, or direction.

Does this sound gloomy? Well, when you think about the positives- that within that enormous network of people there is an incredible amount of creative energy, drive, and talent - there is much to feel good about. And there are songs...tons and tons of songs, many of which are already good or have the potential to be good.

So youre wondering why I'm saying on the one hand we're all doomed to failure but on the other hand we've got so much potential? Well that is kind of what I'm saying. But mostly, I'm saying, as a music community and as an individual, it's important to accept the reality of what we are dealing with.

And it's even more important that once we accept that reality, we remember why we're actually doing this in the first place- to play, to write, to create, to realize an idea- because, ladies and gentlemen, that may well be all we have left in the end.

If months go by and you've forgotten this truth, then slap yourself in the face. Nowadays, I know I try to remind myself constantly. I also think its a good thing for us to do other things to manage the risk and do the work without having any expectations. So many of us are moonlighters and that is a good thing. It gives us options, it gives us balance, and it gives us the ability to create and play music without living in cardboard boxes. I know im so lucky that I have a day job and that i like it and am thankful for it every day. As Red told me, "Just enjoy playing. And challenge yourself constantly. Don't worry about everything else. It may work out this way or that- but this is the only thing that really matters."

Red loved his aphorisms. He loved to tell me, "Show me a genius, and I'll show you a man who work ten times as hard as anyone else", and "Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration." He always told me how those people out there whose work we are aware of - the Bob Dylans, the Gordon Lightfoots...even dating back to the Da Vincis of the world...the body of work that we saw from them was just a fraction of what their actual output was. He was very quick to point out to me that what we don't see- that's of a volume that's 100 times greater than what we do see. "Their waste paper baskets are full 50 times over, even for just a short period of work", he would say. The point is they never stopped playing. They never stopped writing. They never gave a shit if anyone was listening. They never forgot why they were doing this. It's something for us all to learn from.

Red Shea was a musician and a person from another era, and yet at the time of his death was the youngest 70 year old I knew. He was very active, extremely full of ideas and excitement and he could talk a mile a minute. He was from an era that represented a different generation of music, of values, and of "musical values". I feel lucky and cheated- lucky that our fence broke and that I got to meet and befriend this great man; cheated because our friendship was only a couple years old and there was so much more I wished to share and listen from him.

My favorite memory of Red, was sitting on his front porch last summer talking about music- he was explaining to me how to work in modes. After a little while we started talking about other things and I asked him if he still found time to practice, to which he immediately retorted, "Oh geez, no i dont touch the stuff", He went on to explain how his fingers would hurt, and he couldnt practice for as long anymore and he had already played some that day and was feeling tired from it, and on and on and yadah yadah...and then all of a sudden he stopped abruptly and said, "Ill be right back." He went in the house and emerged with one of his acoustics, and what happened next was sublime. That fine summer evening, I sat quietly on the steps of his front porch and listened to the incomparable Red Shea play his guitar- he played Bach and Mozart, he played the blues, he played jazz...he seemingly played everything and he played for a while. And I just remember feeling so happy sitting there listening to him. It was typical Red- starting off saying one thing and then doing the exact opposite. It's an hour of my life I'll remember forever.

Maybe most of all, I'll miss his wicked, wicked sense of humour. He was sharp, wickedly sharp. One of the lines he'd always throw into our conversations was, "My doctor asked me how well do I sleep? So i said, I don't sleep too well in the morning, nor too well in the night...and I toss and turn all day." I'm so thankful for getting to know him - I'll miss my friend.

Magic Filter

2008-01-27T20:28:00.002-08:00

I abstained from posting any new entries in this for a period of one year, semi-purposely. I think it takes a year to digest sometimes. If you have something to say, then you find a way to say it. Till then, think about it.

Not surprisingly, the impetus to write came at the beckon of a song. There are certain times that as a music fan, you have the aesthetic experience of connecting with a piece of music that says something new to you. Maybe not something "new"- maybe just something that speaks to you.

So ive been listening to this song for two days straight now. I then did something a bit different- instead of having a look at the lyrics, or picking up a guitar, i sat down at the drum kit with my headphones on tight. What happened next I was unprepared for. I will say there is both a groove and a build to the song that thoroughly seduced me. As I was playing (the rhthym was basic enough, but was as right as rain), it aroused in me a very different connection to the song. By the third time, I wasnt thinking about what I was playing anymore as I knew the piece well enough, and started to listen intently to the other instruments (as any musician should progress to do in a song). If you dont listen to music on headphones, try it...and turn it up loud. It's as if the whole universe was echoing with this sound. Its crystal clear and engulfs you with a towering majesty- you can hear everything...all the stars and planets. The rest is...

Listening to the other instruments while playing an instrument that im not usually playing was something special. It was a very different kind of absorption- of the song I mean.

There are times when you are playing with musicians (or along to a recorded piece) and you achieve a sort of zone- a oneness. It's a brief disconnection with reality; it's euphoric and its quite emotional. It's as if the whole universe was echoing with this sound. It's as if someone took all the voices and beeps and horns and buzzes and explosions, every kind of sound imaginable, and blasted the whole thing through a magic filter...and this song is what comes out on the other side. Unfortunately, it's brief, but its purity leaves a lasting impression- not unlike the right kind of kiss.

So it is on that note that I return to posting. Ive had some time, a year in fact, to think about what next to say. It turns out there's lots to say. And so songs are being written.

They are many...and they are in various phases. Some are fragments of ideas, some structured compositions, but all are are still in some part of their infancy, that terribly delicate and exciting stage. And they're different...they seem to be taking on various other qualities we may not have discovered in previous writing phases. One discernible difference is in letting it come to us. I think for the songs that were written between 2003 and 2006- we really went after them. We worked to shape them and had some pre-determined ideas of what direction we wanted to go in.

That really doesnt seem to be the case this time around. This time it seems to be more about discovery. Yes, its still work. But it feels different...it feels more like exploration. Instead of having a set idea and building a framework around it, its more like hanging out in a zero gravity chamber for long enough to bat around and pick at morsels floating by. Maybe some of them fit together...maybe they dont need to. The point is that what needs to be said will surface.

You Deal With It

2007-01-17T20:47:00.000-08:00

It's nice to be in 2007. There is a feeling of lightness now that wasnt there for all of last year. I know this is no coincidence. This is directly related to the completion of our first EP.

Im not going to whine or complain. But I will say it was hard. It was a hard task from start to finish. If you factor in all of the previous years of work that allowed us to even get to a position where we could even attempt it...wow...it was hard. But trust me- Im not complaining. Not in the least.

For one, I no longer have this thing eating away inside me, gnawing at every inch of my body and mind, demanding satisfaction. My friend once told me, "When you listen to your soul, it whispers. When you don't, it screams." Well, as much as I tried listening, I guess I wasnt listening hard enough, and it screamed. Over and over. It wailed. It sobbed and moaned, begged and pleaded. And frankly, it made sick...not just sick...ill. Songs have such rich personalities- would you ever guess that if you cage them long enough they can turn into monsters? But now...now, they're buzzing about like bees around flowers, looking back at us with smiles on their faces. See the thing is, I know this is temporary- this, after all, is only an EP. Soon, the rest of the songs will start making noise. But right now...right now, this feels good.

It feels good to finish. And it feels absolutely great to be in a place where there is no expectation. I cant speak for Dev, but I just dont expect anything now. Really. And its not that I dont care - I care very much. I would love for all of this to open up new doors. But the truth is I have absolutely no idea where we go from here. But that doesnt bother me one bit- its exciting. Sure, anything can happen...maybe we will even get a song played on a college radio somewhere in sudbury...that would be neat. But the reason that it is exciting is because I dont expect a single thing. For these four songs, theyve already given me everything ive wanted.

Personally, I learned something really important about putting a record out. Once its out there, its not our problem anymore. We already did what we have to do. YOU suss it out. YOU figure out whether you like it or not. YOU decide whether to give it another listen or to put it in the back of your CD collection. Honestly, you wont offend us no matter how disinterested you are in it, or if you even (gasp) loathe it. We thank you and respect you for even trying, and the same even if you dont. Because at least for these four songs, its not our problem any more. You deal with it.

"It" Is Not So Simple

2006-10-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

Nice little story to share. Steve and I were working hard last night on some of the vocal harmonies for Climbing Trees. We had tried doing this a few weeks ago but it just didn't pan out the way we had hoped- they just didn't sound very good, don't know if it was the ideas or the performance- I guess, really, it was both. So Steve called me about a week ago and said he wanted to scrap all of those harmony parts we had previously worked on- in his words, "It's just not there". "It" is the operative word, but is no simple task to define. Simply, you know when "it" is there.

We tried to take a different approach, leaving alone for a moment those parts that were posing such a challenge. We decided to take a crack at the last part of the second chorus, leading into the outro- a pretty signicant part in the song in terms of the energy that has been established in the song. It actually comes right on the heels of the apex of the song- so its pretty loud and proud in its purpose of showing the listener to the way out of the song.

We had already found a harmony that sort of worked, but it lacked a drive or kick, or whatever you want to call it. The part itself is fairly high in the register, so I was using a falsetto. We agreed to try the same part again and see if it worked. Well it didn't work. We knew it had to have a different attack, so I suggested maybe singing it full-throat (no falsetto). So I go back in, the track starts and I start to sing...and I sing for about three seconds and I stop and I say I can't do it. It doesnt feel right for some reason- Im just not able to open up my voice.

So when I go back out and talk to Steve and start telling him, it's not working, he looks at me funny and says "well, let's just listen back to these first three seconds". We hear it back and as soon as we hear it, we both KNOW that is the sound that is required- but Im too chicken-shit right now to do it! But the thing is, we both KNOW- so I go back inside in a hurry and Im literally calling myself every name in the book to snap myself out of it. Im telling myself, "Stop being such a wuss. Sing the @%$@%$ song!" For a singer there is a time to be wispy and floaty and soft, but there is also a time to completely let go and wail. Let me tell you it takes a lot of confidence to wail, and have it sound good. Last few times in the studio, I just havent been able to do it like I know I can. So I give a final "$#%@# it. Im doing the thing", the track comes on, and I belt it out. It's a small part, but the significance is enormous. I go back in and Steve looks at me in that same funny way with a big smile on his face and says "Where the hell has that guy been?! Where has he been?! That's what Im talking about". So I nailed it, and I cant tell you how good it felt. Most importantly, it set the tone for next four hours as we motored through all of the harmonies for that song. Right about now, Climbing Trees is basically done, ready to be mixed.

Sometimes it takes just a simple, seemingly insignificant moment like that to return inspiration and get you back on track. It also takes a special producer. We took advantage and enjoyed a nice moment together and good things happened. "It" was there. Just goes to show you, with the creative process, if your heart is not in it- it will always come up dry. But when you dig deep, sometimes anyway, you are witness to a tiny bit of magic.

Obstacled People

2006-08-23T18:40:00.001-07:00

Labour of love- Is that what they call it? Things of this nature- labours of love. I suppose that is what it turns into...easier to look back upon that way. While you are in it, it seems like anything but. For the most part, its a labour of pains, labour of frustration, labour of resilience...well, I won't go on. Bitching never got anything done.

And dont get me wrong- things are moving along. But we have had some setbacks, and we are now looking at a release date for the EP sometime in November. For right now, we are in a period of very necessary limbo, and the most important thing for me and everyone else close to the album is to be there for my close and wonderful friend. The challenges of making this album are piddly compared to the obstacles he has overcome. I'll explain all that to you someday.

But it will get done, eventually...it will get done. So I'll leave that topic for now...

Why don't we try something totally, or at least semi, off-topic? I hate Top Ten Lists- they are every bit as inane as all of Letterman's other jokes...but High Fidelity made top 5 lists kind of cool I think.

But ranking things is so stupid, so Here are 5 people, in no particular order- and they are non-musicians, as that list would be far too easy, not to mention long- who I've been quite inspired by for their commitment to what they did and what they believed in. Ill just list them and give you a brief discourse on why I think they are cool:

Andy Kaufman - Andy Kaufman was one of those people that anyone who "got" him could just go about and call him "andy", as if they knew him on a personal basis. There is a beautiful childishness about him, that made him completely captivating to those he touched. It got so, you just couldnt take your eyes of him, anticipating what might happen next, even if he was doing absolutely nothing. In a business built on the safe approach, and reaking of banality, Andy was the unpredictable genius.

I like that he wasnt funny to everybody. I like that he wasnt funny to me all the time. There are many times that I didnt find what he did outright funny. But he was completely and totally uncomprimising. He made his life in the business of comedy, and approached it with a renaissance painter's commitment to art.

Just watch the old clip of him and Jerry "King" Lawler feigning bloody battle on Letterman. It's quite a storyline that he engineered in high secrecy with his wrestling counterpart. He knew how to take the whole world for a ride- and it didnt matter if anyone ever got the joke. He always stuck with his comedic sensibilities- even if no one was laughing... so even if you weren't laughing, you were inevitably left mesmerized.

Ed Wood- Here was a guy whose story can break your heart. But at the same time, could also lift it. He is unarguably the worst film director of all time. Which of course makes him one of the best, evidenced by his massive cult following. He had no basic sensibilities on how to properly make a movie, consisting of appropriate camera shots and a properly flowing plot. Check out Glen or Glenda (my favorite), Bride of the Monster, or his magnum opus, Plan 9 From Outer Space, and you'll see what I mean.
Poor Bela Lugosi died in the making of Plan 9, and Ed Wood thoughtfully replaced him in the movie with his own dentist, ensuring that the man cover his face with his own arm in the rest of the scenes of the film, so as to not give away the switch.

But his passion for film-making was largely unparalleled. There is a beautful scene in the Tim Burton movie about his life (played by Johnny Depp), where he meets his hero, Orson Welles. In that scene you can see this unwavering faith in himself that is validated upon this chance meeting with his biggest inspiration. It's like at that moment, he realizes exactly who he is, who he was, and who he will always be- a film director! The faith is totally real- the belief is unshakeable. And yet the talent was completely non-existent! It's quite moving- shows you even the most incapable of people can achieve their dreams if you want it badly enough.

Steve Nash- I just have to put this guy on this list. Why do we not celebrate this guy more in Canada? Why is he not a true National hero? Why dont we care enough about what he has done? He is a Lilliputian in a world of Gullivers, and he is recognized two years in a row to be the Most Valuable Player of the greatest basketball league in the world, consisting of the greatest basketball players in the world. Skinny Canadian kid from British Columbia takes lone scholarship opportunity to 2nd Tier American College program, makes the NBA, and becomes the 2-time MVP of the league???!!!! Are you kidding me??? I think it stands as the single greatest athletic achievement by any Canadian in history, OUTSIDE of HOCKEY, to date- more than Donovan Bailey, more than more than...well i dont know what else is there? More than any of those skiiers, or figure skaters, or curlers, or whatever else we do (no disrespect to those guys and gals). Now I know Im probably really starting to sound like Bill Simmons but Steve Nash should have a Canadian city named after him. I'd move there.

I just love how hard he worked to get to where he is. And I love how balanced and intelligent his approach is to his sport, and more importantly to life. A remarkable athlete, a remarkable Canadian, and a remarkable person.

(I could have almost as easily put another athlete on this list, Roger Federer, but Nash won out...barely...for now anyway.)

Voltaire - I think this guy was the first true modern celebrity. He was a great thinker, writer, activist, etc., but most importantly, he really did it all with style. He had that aura about him that people wouldnt see for another 200 years...not till Winston Churchill opened his mouth, I think. It's one thing to do what you do well. But it's another thing to share it with the world in a way that combines class, wit, and a free spirit. It inspires people. So, he's my favorite of the many free thinkers and philosphers of the Enlightenment.

Vito Corleone - Ok, I know he is fictional. But I just saw Parts 1 and 2 the other day (for the 20th time) and I was reminded of just how cool a character he is. He is the man. Whether being played by Brando (Part 1) or De Niro (Part 2), two of the absolute greatest screen actors of all time, he is the ultimate person in control. He is decisive but not rash, deliberate but not slow, clear-minded but not lacking depth, and above all he knows who he is. This is the part Michael Corleone wrestles with so much through his own development. This is where Michael fails- and where his father succeeds. Vito knows the reason he does everything, and he executes his decisions with precision and clarity. He may not be a good person in many ways, but he is crystal clear on what his values are and where his loyalties lie. He does not waver.

Michael, in contrast takes on too much. To his credit, he experiences much more of the world. He takes a roundabout path to get to his calling (education, serving in the army, before taking over the business) as well as starting a family (his first wife in Sicily is accidentally murdered). Vito's path is much simpler, but I think he makes it so. There is a scene in Part II where Vito's friend describes the beautiful girl on stage, and Vito says "She may be beautiful to you but all I see is my wife and son". He is crystal clear on where he stands and lets nothing interfere with that clarity.

Michael is presented with many challenges, more difficult than what his father had to deal with you could argue. But I think that he brings many of them upon himself. His definitions of family, business, and lines in the sand, are obscured and clouded. He shows some of his weaknesses in the way he plays the Hyman Roth situation. These prove to hurt him later. He does not protect his brother, Fredo, the way he should have. He should have kept him close and not out on his own in Vegas. He also does not protect Frank Pentangeli, when he should have, I think. There is no doubt that he is equally decisive as Vito. But he is vengeful in a way that Vito is not. He is vengeful to a point where he partially comprises who he is or who he wants to be. This leaves him lost at times (in Part II he asks his mother, "Is it possible to lose your family?"), and ultimately broken (this is revealed to us in a conversation he has with Kay in Part III).

But Vito is unshakeable. He is a rock. He mayb not be a good person in many ways. But he knows exactly what is important to him, and on that he never comprimises. Incidentally, I also like that he doesnt talk much. It's amazing to see the way both players (Brando and De Niro) express so much more with their faces (Brando when he sees Sonny's body, and De Niro when Signor Roberto comes to beg forgiveness) than they would ever need to with words. Anyway, I have no idea how I got this deep into Godfather analysis, it is surely time to end this ramble, but there you have it- Vito Corleone is the picture of cool.

It's That Whole Yin-Yang Thing You Know?

2006-07-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

Rock stars are becoming businessmen. Businessmen are becoming rock stars. This is the generational dynamics we are now guided by. I am not opposed to it. I think that vocational flexibility will define the economy of this century.

The basis of what we understand to be age-old concepts- home, family, school, education, job, learning, marriage, lover, and success, religion, and God- is changing rapidly. The lines are becoming more blurred. The concepts more vague and blended- often thinner.

The challenge for this generation will rely heavily on the individual to sift through the wreckage...to navigate through the maze and find the cheese. Little evidence remains of the existence of the societal herd, to guide and protect. Sure, there are still many conventions we can still align ourselves to. But their signifance, while not always disappearing, is almost certainly changing.

When people refer to the level of advancement made by generations, the characteristic they inevitably use to differentiate past from present is pace. The world, it seems, is always moving faster, faster, faster. Everything is much faster now than it was fifty years ago. And surely, everything will be that much faster fifty years from now.

What then will still be slow? What is slow? Einstein said, "It is becoming increasingly apparent that our technology is surpassing our humanity". I believe his statement, even at the time he said it, was stating the obvious. Technology is fast. And humanity is slow. Cars, planes, food preparation, and the time between meetings will always be faster. Wisdom, hope, compassion, and love is timeless. That is why humanity is slow. Technology is a pack of Molson Cool Shots designed to get you as drunk as possible in the most efficient and economical way. Humanity is a bottle of wine, either opened for just the right occasion or possibly still cocooning in an earthen cellar.

But to call technology bad and humanity good, is boring, thoughtless, and most of all, lesson-less. It is the wrong conclusion to draw. Technology has changed our lives. In many ways for the better. People have the potential to do a lot of things now with more ease than have ever done, and also have the possibility of opening time up for the things they never thought they could try. The challenge of this generation...the challenge of sifting through the wreckage, or finding the cheese...will be to strike a balance between these two shifting currents.

Everything has changed. There is no denying the element of cyborg-like conditioning or programming that has been added to our education. The way that we now learn and develop our ideas and habits relies immensely on the way we engage and manipulate technology. And so it in turns engages and manipulates us. But humanity is also much the same way now. In generations past, the growth and maturity of our human qualities was a given. Our biggest mistake is take that growth for granted. The environment now does not clearly foster these developments in individuals. It is up to us to be actively engage and make time for our humanity. This may appear to be a sad thing- but I believe that is simply evolution. Unless we all want to make like Thoreau and live in Walden Pond, we are better off accepting the presence of technology in our lives today, and finding a way to live as humans alongside it.

Follow Through

2006-06-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

You hear about it all the time. Even the swing of a golf club or tennis racquet: no matter how good your stroke is, your shot will be worthless, unless you follow through. It is like that in many other things too.

This weekend was good. I'd even say really good. I'd say that the songs are about 60 - 80 % done (with Bonded & Climbing Trees sitting closer to 80, and Sweetest Things and The Haunt on the lower end). The drum tracks, bass, acoustic guitars, and lead vocals are all done for all of the tracks. Hell, listening to Bonded makes me feel like it's just good as done the way it is. But I know this is the part where we have to be that much more careful. It is far too easy to sit back and listen to the rough mixes over and over till you're used to them and feel like you've accomplished something. And by "accomplish", I mean "finish". These songs are NOT finished. I have to remind myself. I also have to pinch myself when I listen the rough mixes- I'm really happy with the way they sound. But that's just why I have to remind myself that we are not done.

Overdubs. They fill songs out. They expand their personalities and give them more colour and flavour. They are layers of sound embedded with little hooks to catch unsuspecting ears. "Bed" tracks (bass, drums, etc.) serve as the foundation, the very base for a song. You can't put a roof on a house without first having its structure in place. In many ways, overdubs are what contribute to continually bringing people back to the song. They are paint on the outside walls, bay windows to invite more light, the charming weathervane on the roof, and the big, awkward tree out front, that for some strange reason, you wouldn't dream of chopping down. They help provide atmosphere and convey mood and emotion. They can be a simple harmony on a verse, or a powerful electric guitar buzz over the bridge, or a surprise piano melody trilling over the chorus. They come at the later stages of the development of a song, when many of its base character traits are established. The purpose of their existence is to complement those character traits. They don't give character to a song, - I think, if your song lacks character, I'm not sure how much scattered overdubs will help**- they help bring out its character. They enhance its character. They help make a song better.

So, with the work that still remains, I recognize that there are many routes to go. The stage that we are at now, opens up more doors for these songs, and accordingly increases the number of decisions that have to be made. That can be a bit scary, because there are so many possibilities. But we know the songs well enough to know what will work and what won't. It's just a matter of trying a few different things. Steve's set of ears, and numerous sound-creating skills will no doubt be a boon in tackling this matter. His gifts will come in very handy when experimenting with the atmosphere, mood, and emotion we want when recording some of these overdubs. With all our ears and minds working, and various instruments at our disposal, I look forward to dressing these songs up a bit more.

But we must also know when to let go. The songs already sound great, and we dont want what we do now to overshadow all of the great work that has been done. Plus, in our situation, the momentum that we have right now is more valuable than six extra months spent getting the songs EXACTLY as we want them. If there is a charm to first recordings (and there are many), it is that they are wrought with imperfection. These imperfections give songs an authenticity that is difficult to replicate when you have all the time and money in the world to record an album. At least that's what I keep telling myself!

In any event, I know that we have to act quick and effectively to be able to follow through on the achievements of the weekend. Sitting on this too long will hurt the momentum I never thought we'd get back.

** (from above) There are some who will disagree with this, and that is perfectly legitimate. Songwriting is not a science, and the argument can be easily made that building a song with random sounds gives it a different structure and character all its own. Sort of like building a house backwards. In any event, the house analogy does not hold up. In this case, it is easy to see why writing songs is not like builing houses, and the same rules do not always apply. So for simplicity's sake, let me limit that my comments on structure to apply to our songs, and for this album.

Return to Sanity

2006-06-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

With things recently developing in their small-scale manner, I now recieve more and more generous comments from friends and peers such as "Seems like things are going well- I hope you guys make it". I can do little but smile to myself and brush it off, but with due appreciation of how it was intended.

"Making it" has a very different definition these days! There was a time long ago, that the idea of "making it" meant a six month tour of europe and an article in rolling stone magazine...maybe a gig at historic Maple Leaf Gardens. And that was only the beginning. And then over the years, "making it" became a more modest, but honourable definition- to sustain a career as a musician enough so you could work hard enough to pay your bills and still have enough left over to enjoy a reasonable lifestyle. "Making it" now just means doing enough so you don't go crazy. The same impetus that urges you to start writing songs when you are twenty, starts taking you over in your late twenties, if you don't deliver on them. "Making it" now is feeding that monster- that tender thing that once once made you so curious about the world of music you knew so little of, which then rose tenfold (like the plant in Little Shop of Horrors) and demands equal progress on your part to match every interval of its own growth. "Making it" now is a bit like appeasing the beast. And it often feels like your sanity is at stake- the more of yourself you have invested, the more you stand to lose.

Which is why today was so nice. The beast was fed quite well today. A whole new experience...a whole other world. Today was the first day of our recording at Phase One, and it was really exciting. With our producer, Steve, and Phase One's own Senior Studio Engineer, Michael Jack, we were in good hands from the get-go, and things went great. It was really hard work too, mind you, but it was good, and most importantly, it was really fun. Being a newbie at anything, when interest is there, has its advantages (unbridled enthusiasm, often). All said and done, we were able to accomplish a good amount for what was our first day.

The goal for the day was really to dig into most of the "bed" tracks for the songs. That especially meant drums, and some bass. Thankfully, we were able to get drum tracks for every song nailed down today, thanks to some remarkable playing by Stefan Sezniak. Stefan is a session drummer who has played on albums and tours of many great Canadian artists, including Hawklsey Worksman. We recorded the "beds" live on the floor with me singing and playing guitar as a guide, Devin playing bass, and Stefan laying down the drum tracks. It was his tracks that we wanted- hence, I wasn't singing for "performance" and it didn't matter if I made any mistakes- it was only the drums that we were going to keep. Similarly, Devin wasn't under gun for good performance either. However, if he did give a good performance, we were more inclined to keep it, because of the close interplay between drums and bass (combining to form the rhthym section of any band). If you get good chemistry on a live take, it's always better than single-tracking.

Anyway, all of this was not an easy task, but will make everything that we do tomorrow that much easier, because it's done. "Climbing Trees" was the toughest. Sometimes I don't realize myself just how complicated that song can be- just because I never thought we've ever written any complicated songs, but there definitely are a lot of changes and dynamics to account for.

"The Sweetest Things in Life" went pretty smooth. We have made some structural changes to some sections, but it was still a piece of cake in the end. What was a real surprise however was "The Haunt" and how easily that one came together. We were having some real issues trying to tighten the song- it felt repetitive and mundane at times with the same rhthyms and melodies constantly being emphasized. But after working with Steve in preparation up to the weekend, we were able to workshop the song to the point were a lot of new changes in dynamics gave the song a whole new feel and sharpness that it didn't have before. The challenge once again was since this was so new for us, how were we now going to explain these changes to Stefan? But, this fear was short-lived, as Stefan took all of two takes to nail it.

But the highlight of today was "Bonded". This song came alive today in the studio with tremendously successful drums, bass, guitar, vocals tracks being done. Sitting in the control room with everybody at the end of day, sipping on a well-earned beer, and hearing the mix of the day's work on this song, was a moment I won't soon forget. With just those four basic tracks and some backing vocals, it just sounded incredible. I just can't wait to see what else is going to happen.

Suddenly "making it" doesn't feel so far away anymore, when you have days like this. For a moment, when you are sitting together listening to the music that you've just recorded, and it sounds wonderful to you, it's a version of "making it" that I'll buy. After all, the goal is in the process- and if you do not relish the pockets of joy in that, then you've made nothing.

Let the Countdown Begin

2006-06-05T09:45:00.000-07:00

Not to sound repetitive, but as you may know or not know by now, we are in the process of recording our first EP. It will be 4 songs and serve as an appetizer for the release of our first full-length record.

You can count on some more frequent blogs from this point in, as I want to well-document the process. Even getting to this point has been tough- and I want to attempt to remember as much of what happens as possible.

I suppose I have often put unnecessary pressure on myself when it comes to recording these songs. There are many routes we could have gone for the recordings, but a major influencing factor for me to choose the path that we did, was the quality and sound that we would be getting, with the patht that we have chosen. I dont want to put these songs through anymore "workshop" quality recordings. They are ready, and we are ready to give them a "final" quality.

We are going to be going into Phase One Studios in Toronto. I went into Phase One a few weeks ago with our producer, Steve Skratt, to check the place out, and see if it was right for what we wanted to do, and of course, see just how much a recording session would cost us. I have to tell you- walking into the studio and seeing all of the gold and platinum records tastefully plastered all over the walls was incredible. At first, it was definitely intimidating. But after I got over the initial reaction, a rush like no other welled up inside me.

Phase One studios has I think 3 main studios- A, B, and C. All of the studios have world-class acoustics and equipment...but Studio A...Studio A, Steve and many others have told me, is the Shit. It's a fully loaded Cadillac. Steve wasn't lying. We walk in, and the rush I get is even bigger. The control room is Enormous with a massive mixer board like the kinds I've only ever seen in movies about huge bands making monster records. And the recording room, too, is Sweeeeet. It's big and the acoustics are great. There are also 3 isolation booths. Isolation booths are much smaller rooms within the larger studio space that give you the space and environment needed to allow you to focus on just your part, while mixing what you are playing over just the way you want it. If I'm singing, and I want to hear more bass because I feel it will help my performance, I turn up the bass track. All that music comes in through headphones I'd be wearing, and I sing into a mic to record my vocal track.

We are working with a Engineer by the name of Michael Jack. From what I've heard- Michael Jack is the Shit. I've looked him up online and he has a very impressive resume having worked with some of the best and most talented artists on the planet. On our visit, our contact mentions that just a few weeks ago, Bono was in Studio A doing some recording with Michael. When you hear things like that, it's pretty hard to keep from being intimidated!

Part of me is scared- but a big part me feels an excitement I've waited many, many years to feel. Somehow I am not as intimidated as I definitely would have been a few years back, and that's because I've lived with these songs for so long. Both Devin and I have brought them into existence, nurtured, and given them a place in the world. And it seems now that we have done that for as long as we can remember. We know them inside out, almost with parental instinct. And we have tremendous faith in them. The point is- you put me in that studio to play on any other record, and with any other person's songs, and the truth is that I dont belong. I wouldnt be able to handle it or cope with the demands, and I would be far too intimidated to give good performances. But with our songs- I know I belong. I know that just like us, our songs have waited a long time for this. I know they are ready. I know I am ready.

BASEket ball

2006-04-09T00:42:00.000-07:00

There is a reason that I am a big fan of basketball.

Basketball provides a template for the great. They do something amazing at any given point. They excercise their will on the game. I sometimes wish ordinary life was like that.

A few months ago, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in a single game. He was in a rhythm, in some sort of zone, that no one else had reached before. He made the all of the men that played this game that fueled one of the biggest multi-million dollar businesses in a country full of mulit-million dollar businesses, look like little boys. For just one moment, he was the ultimate king...not because of luck, or serendipity, or even decision-making...he just took full control of a situation and dictated his own outcome. I like basketball for this reason. It is the same reason that Michael Jordan won 6 total championships...3 before his first retirement, and 3 more after he came back.

We all wish we had that much control over our lives. In individual sports, we expect it- we expect Tiger Woods to dictate his fate every time he steps out on the golf course. In team sports, we rely that much more on the abilities of our teammates to contribute enough to ensure the succesful result.

In basketball- it is both team and individual all at once. It is the perfect combination of people management and personal will. This is why I like basketball so much. It is to find a way to bring together all of the gifts of the people you know, and yet instinctively rise to the occasion individually when there is no other option.

Basketball is about playing on a team, but taking matters into your hands when it counts most- when there is no where else to turn to. This is why I find it the most compelling sport. It is where a player shares the ball for 3 1/2 quarters, and then commands it for the last six minutes. Why? Because he needs teammates. And then, when they have done all they can, he needs to prove himself totally.

In life, we are all too often scared to put that pressure on ourselves. We will always need people to help us achieve our goals. But, we are often to frightened to excercise our will on the game, when they are not able to help us, or when things don't go our way- when we are down in the fourth quarter. I know I am.

But, we are fortunate. We can actually afford to put that type of pressure on ourselves over a period of time- where it is melted across various mundane activity and not isolated under the blinding light of a single shining moment. It is our competitive advantage. The hard part is to take advantage of it. The hard part is... to "Be like Mike".

Alter Ego

2006-04-01T11:58:00.000-08:00

I'll never forget the scene in Spinal Tap when David St. Hubbins and Nigel Tufnel reveal the dark, godless force of Stonehenge. It stirred a deep, spiritual connection to a world of sinful fantasy, dark power, and glorious hell. In this extravagant world of spontaneously combusting drummers, one can feel a totally different kind of freedom. This the world I think in which Lana Laro must have been born.

Who is Lana Laro? The simple answer is that they are a side-project of bassist Devin Hannan and long-time band friend Geoff Primeau (aka front man Johnny Wang), who wrote two albums worth of songs, all from the wrong side of the tracks. But Lana Laro could quite well be much more- a possible Yang to Lickpenny Loafer's comparatively understated Yin.

With Devin (Colobrious Hammerstein) switching to the role of Satriani-inspired shred guitar, and Arunachal (Stanley "Skinz" Upwood) exploring painfully loud and ultra-traditional rhythms on the drums, Lana Laro might well be Lickpenny Loafer's alter-ego...the Gollum inside our Smeagel. With frontman Johnny Wang leading the way with his "No Holds Barred, and No Sensitive Subject Matter Left Unoffended" approach, the band serves up a promising mixture of audacity, insobordination, and punishment. Add ex-bandmate and notorius Windsor bassist Matt Daviau (Mercutio Skidavarious) to the fold, and the circle is complete.

On April 1, 2006, Lana Laro will play its first and possible only show ever. On April 1, 2006, the demons will come back to Earth one last to reminisce about the glory days. On April 1, 2006, the world will experience sonic Armegeddon, if only for one more day.

Lana Laro is about rockin' out- F'n A. It's about not giving a S---. It's about driving on a Highway to Hell, and growing bigger horns at every pit stop. It's about letting everyone know that Hades is still around, and he's sick of our cultural revolution. It's about sticking a guitar (real or air) in your hands and turning the volume up to 11, when everyone else around can't go higher than 10. Lana Laro is about preserving the true essence of Rock n' Roll- something none of these pansy, artsy-fartsy, progressive, new-age, self-important, I-don't-know-what-a-distortion-pedal-sounds-like "artists" would know about. Which is why Lana Laro was probably born in the world of Stonehenge- the most dark, fantastic, mysterious, and spiritually powerful rock in the world.

I Started Something...Typical Me

2006-03-03T12:53:00.000-08:00

I have an enormous respect for any who has ever managed to finish and record their album. For that matter, I have enormous respect for people who finish anything. But recording that first album - it is a task that has a difficulty that is very well disguised. It isn't necessarily the amount of hours or the obstacles; sometimes it can be as easy as pressing 'REC' on a tape recorder and getting it done in 45 min in your basement. But it does depends on what you want. Sometimes it takes you six years to realize that the way you want to do it is to press "REC" on a tape recorder in your basement and get it done in 45 min.

But there is some light at the end of the tunnel now. We can now look forward to the imminent recording of our very first EP. I think in some ways it is just a relief to even say it. I have always been scared of saying things- I'm one of these people, that as soon as the words come out my mouth, I feel like I've already done it. Dangerous.

But more than anything it feels right. It really feels like the right time. The other thing is that that advantage to recording an EP (essentially a short album, unlike an LP which is full-length) is that you still dont have that pressure of releasing your first real album. We are looking at doing about 4 songs. That's much easier to get my head around than 10 or 12. It's also a lot less expensive.

But like I said- it feels like the right time. The songs are ready. They have grown as much as we want them to in a live setting, in meager 4-track recordings, and even in our own heads. It's time to cut the rope and give them new life...life in a studio.

So which ones? The lock for the first track is Sweetest Things in Life which we have already spent about 12 hours on in the studio. It is getting there and should be the very first track we complete. For the rest, it has been quite hard deciding.
After much belabouring and "oofing" (that's the sound I make when faced with an uncomfortable scenario), it looks like the other three will likely be Climbing Trees, Bonded, and The Haunt. But it wasn't that easy arriving at that conclusion.

Missed Kiss and In Retrospect received heavy consideration but were omitted for the simple reason that we thought both those songs will be an immense task- one we dont ever want to do twice. Especially with In Retrospect, arugably our most intense song (live anyway), it will take a lot out of us, and I think taking it on this early, is a little like trying to tame a tiger before you feel comfortable petting a dog.

Paratoxic also received some consideration, as did People in Cars, but were left off because I think we'd like to take a different approach with recording them; possibly recording live takes of them with the band first and then touching them up.

But ultimately, it also came down to which songs have received the strongest response from our shows. Again, In Retrospect and Missed Kiss aside, the 4 we are looking at doing seemed to go down quite well with our fans, and that is definitely important to us.

So...that's it...a basic announcement of sorts, but far too early of one to read too much into. One thing I will do though is keep you posted much more regularly once we are in the studio- the taste we have already got is already so addictive, I look forward to describing our thought and process further as we get into it.

In the meantime, I hope the recordings on the website thus far have sufficed and provided you with some enjoyment. (There is a tribute to Kurt Cobain lyric in Bonded - can you guess which one?) It's been a long road for you too, and we appreciate that you can hear past the lucklustre nature of the recordings thus far to believe in their untapped potential, just as we have always done. We wouldn't be at this point, if you didn't. So thanks for staying with us and we'll have something for you in let's say...4 to 6 months. Deal? Deal.

Definition

2005-10-18T23:57:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I have chosen to write. I'm not entirely sure why that is. Sometimes I see online, these people, that are capable of constructing wholes sentences and paragraphs together on a far more regular basis and am left in a mixture of amusement and awe. Awe because I admire them for being able to express so much. Amusement because I just cant believe they have so much to say. No- thats the wrong word...sounds a bit condescending...as if they shouldnt have so much to say. No I guess it's still mostly just awe, but only amusement because I find it tough to relate because I'm so used to squashing my ideas and thoughts long before they run their way down to my pen...err, keyboard.

I feel like I havent had that much to say in a while...or at least enough to warrant an entry. But I was thinking recently about definition. Or more specifically, how we choose to define ourselves. It is well enough understood, that we choose to define ourselves by certain things - our hobbies, our jobs, and the people around us. Superficially, there are several more such things. This is not to say our jobs or our hobbies, or the people around us only contribute to us superficially. I only mean that they come fully equipped with titles and words that we come to be associated with, on a superficial level. Meaningfully, they can translate into much more. But irrespective of what it is that defines us, I think meaningfully, we are defined by passion, commitment, and love - feeling strongly about something, sticking to it, and ultimately loving it. This applies to anything- our work, our art, our loved ones, and our beliefs and values.

What drives us to cling to the things that we feel ultimately define us? For some, it is the same set of parameters we have always felt connected to. Some of us have maybe known for a long time what we want out of life. For other it is a bit more confusing...or at least challenging. I feel more and more certain that I fall into the category of the latter. There is an accompanying aimlessness in almost everything I do! The danger here is that there is a "search" which accompanies this aimlessness that can often be a trap- a vicious circle of asking questions and getting momentarily satisfying answers.

But in the end, I think it is an innate compulsion- that need to define ourselves. But in order to feel that definition of self, we must first look to our knowledge of self. Those who have knowledge of the world around them becomes wise and learned, but those we have knowledge of themselves become truly complete. I think one of the biggest challenges we face growing up in the Western world is just this. It seems that although we are blessed with the opportunity to Be who we want to Be, we often have no clue as to Who we Are. We instead, rely on defining ourselves by something...or by someone...or even somewhere. In what we do and who we are around, we become temporarily comfortable with who we think we are. We often lose definition through simply experiencing less of what we truly enjoy, who we truly enjoy being around, or being where we truly belong. We lose the person we want to be with or lack the progress of work we so desire, or transport ourselves to a foreign place, and we become shadows of our former selves. But the truth is that by living outside the boundaries of those three parameters...by allowing ourselves to wander past those boundaries of comfort...we discover considerably more about ourselves than we ever knew.

Cloud Heavy

2005-06-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

People often ask me- why are your songs sad? Why do you write so many sad songs? Do you have a special relationship with Despair? :)...no they don’t ask me that last question, but it feels like I’m being asked that sometimes...I'm not sure how to respond...errr...its not on purpose?

I don’t have much to say when I'm happy or content or satisfied. Id rather be doing funny voices over the phone, or jumping random objects on the street, or antagonizing the local video store lady...that’s how I express myself when I’m feeling good about things... Id love to write more strictly happy songs...I think there must be one or two kicking around somewhere...in all fairness, I do think that there are many messages of happiness in some of the saddest songs I’ve written...I think its rare to discuss one (sadness) and not be aware of the other (happiness)...even if not directly articulated...after all - to be sad is in itself a reminder that you were once happy...and so further, it is maybe encouragement that you may well be happy again...

But lets stick with strictly sadness for a moment... it was Theodore Dreiser who said, "Art is the stored honey of the human soul, arriving on wings of misery and travail"...I think somewhere in the process of our evolution, the breadth of sensitivity and expression that defines our emotional basis basically exploded. Simply, to feel is human- and the more we are reminded that we feel, the more we are reminded that we are human. And for some reason, when we feel sadness, pain...or for that matter, even anger and rage...there is an intensity and a special profound quality that isn’t really there when things are, well, going fine!

Its like that song- "on and on, you don’t know what you got till its gone..."- see this confuses me a bit... it confuses me why the experience of loss most often evokes that greater response...the lightning CHARGE...the piercing TRUTH...the OCEAN of feeling...whatever you want to call it...what about when it was a gain? when it was there... while being enjoyed, and appreciated - why was it not celebrated as much as when it died? What do we benefit from through this gain/loss spectrum? Some greater understanding? Are we truly fools who subconsciously crave a truth that can only be achieved by the experience of tearing oneself to pieces? no, that is silly...I doubt most of us crave it...but clearly there is something powerful in it...but what?

A man lives his life just as he planned till one day tragedy strikes and he feels alone like he hasn’t before...one day things made sense...and now he is all alone in the middle of an ocean of solitude (with a tiger, a zebra, a hyena, and an orangutan, :) sorry, had to- I love that book, :))...but he comes out of it somehow...he survives...he is "stronger"...what is this strength he has gained? Perspective? Hope? Clarity? Will? Why does he need this to realize his happiness? Why cannot life go an as it had- are we not capable of happiness if it is constant and predictable? Does it then follow that, if we cannot see it together with the foil of sadness, then it cannot properly exist?

I guess, I partly write songs because I like these questions. And I am at my "philosophical best" (or worst for that matter), when I am at my "melancholy-est".

Again, its not really on purpose, but like many half-assed artists, I don’t feel compelled to write, unless the compulsion is overwhelming...I remember reading Richard Bach's introduction to "Illusions", the book after his glorious "Jonathan Livingston Seagull", and he talks about the impetus to write...how he resists and resists; how he fights and fights with himself to avoid writing...till he feels like he's going to explode and he cant take it any longer, and so emptying himself is his only course of action...now that’s intense- I cant imagine anything at that level...but I feel its a little like that for even us, more "common", half-assed artists...

And so it follows, I find the only emotions that really propel me to write anything at all end up being the most intense- like sadness...otherwise, I’m not sure if I would write anything at all! Unless of course, maybe children's stories, which I would love to do more often.

I think the real thing about it is that it ends up being quite cathartic. Everyone deals with their shit in different ways. Well, all of a sudden (it feels that way- but its really over many years and many songs) its like you’ve discovered this way of externalizing all of these things you think about...whether its conflict inside of you...or deep sadness...or whatever...and its glorious because you’ve all of a sudden you've given birth to something new from something old that was in fact killing you...isn’t that a lovely twist of fate? so then...I think...gee no wonder it's what inspires me...

As far as the audience? I dunno...I don’t know if people like it or not...but I do think that either way...Broken hearts and broken dreams at least make listeners of us all...

The Bottom Line - A Devin Entry

2005-06-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

After our gig at Holy Joe’s on May 28, a friend of mine, whose musical taste and opinion I hold in high regard, mentioned: “I liked your bass playing, but I really missed hearing your lead guitar stuff…” Ah, a bittersweet compliment – because, while I still hold the guitar closest to my heart, my new passion is for the bass…

Guitar has been my “primary” instrument until recently. I have been playing guitar since I was 12, whereas I picked up bass, mostly to supplement my sketch recordings, when I was 19. I was a lead guitarist in a cover band for years, most of my major musical influences are guitarists, and guitar is still my primary song writing tool.

My motives to put down the guitar and pick up the bass for Lickpenny Loafer were, at first, utilitarian. Last summer, Ron and I were in the process of writing and/or developing many of the songs you’ve heard on the website or at our shows. At that time, it seemed more important to establish a solid rhythmic foundation on many of these songs than to concentrate on ornamenting them with lead guitar work, particularly if we hoped to play them live with drums. Hence, I took upon the relatively daunting challenge of becoming a full-time bassist after years of lead guitar indoctrination. I knew that I could not let my influences as guitarist fall by the wayside – but I wondered if there could be a way to incorporate my lead guitar “intuition” into my bass playing without hurting the song?

It seems that, traditionally, bass in rock music has fulfilled two important roles: 1) as a timekeeping instrument that helps to define the rhythm and tempo of a song; and 2) to define the chords being played and guide the progression. Thus, it is the bassist’s responsibility to link the somewhat polar functions of rhythm and harmony into a logical groove – a unique and interesting task I think, and certainly different from that of lead guitar...The more I got into playing the bass, the more I started liking it because it is so different from lead guitar – kind of a refreshing new musical culture for me – it’s a less glorified role in the band, for sure, (less chance to “show off”) but on the whole, it is more substantive. In a way, I think the glory of bass comes with the nobility of being unobtrusive, but unquestionably essential. That is, in rock, you can have a band without lead guitar, but you can rarely have a band without bass.

Often overlooked in rock, however, is the potential for the bass to play a lead role in the creation of melody. Particularly in a band like ours, which is, at the moment, composed of only three individuals playing drums, bass, and rhythm guitar/vocals, there is an abundant opportunity for the bass to adopt, to a certain extent, the role of primary melody maker. It could be the lead guitarist in me, but one of the things I try and bring to most of our songs is a distinct melodic presence on the bass; somewhat of an attempt to break the stereotypical moulds within which rock bass has come to be defined. I think this is fairly evident on songs such as “The Haunt” and “In Retrospect” where there is considerable melodic movement, particularly in complement to the vocal line (as opposed to the drum beat).

However; it is a fine and often precarious balance that must be struck between creating interesting melodic lines and staying true to the rhythmic foundation of the song. Occasionally I find that a an archetypal approach to the bass best serves a song’s purpose – for instance, in songs like “Missed Kiss” and “Beware The Sirens”, which I feel are purposefully spare and heavily emphasize rhythmic aspects in their instrumentation, the only melodic nuances I contribute are bridging notes from one chord to the next. While some lead guitarists may view this as “boring”, the challenge in this style of bass playing is not necessarily devising creative lines, but rather having the considerable endurance and concentration required to pulse 8th notes with mechanical precision for the entirety of a 7 minute song (as in “Beware the Sirens).

Even within the confines of one song, I think there is considerable room for both melodic and rhythmic emphasis on bass. On the song “Paratoxic”, I begin the verse with a simplistic walk-down bassline that essentially connects the chords and gels easily with the drums. However, for the chorus, I attempt to change the rhythm and note selection in a manner that accentuates Arunachal’s vocal line. It was kind of tough to nail as a band at first, but when we got it right it sounded great – there’s a cool melodic interplay between voice and bass, without sacrificing some serious bottom end when the chorus rocks out…

My favourite bass line at the moment, the one I wrote for “Climbing Trees” (you can hear a version of it in the downloads section), is a combination of heavy rhythmic emphasis and some weird choices of melody. Furthermore, it is physically quite a work out for both the left and right hand! Take note that Arunachal wrote the song - when I first heard him play “Climbing Trees” on acoustic, my mind was ringing with bass line possibilities – the song is a great melting pot of interesting harmonies. Apparently Arunachal didn’t have the same positive view of this song until I contributed the bass line; now I think we both agree it’s one of our best songs in our repertoire.

I look forward to the time (likely in the studio) when I’ll be able to contribute lead guitar lines to a number of the Lickpenny Loafer songs. I certainly have some ideas spinning around in my head. But for now, I’m happy laying back and orchestrating the groove…

Time is a Slinky

2005-06-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

A 3-piece band playing live- it took a while even to get to this point. Time is a slinky. It expands and contracts in much the same manner that a slinky does. Sometimes you are waiting for what seems like an eternity for something to happen. And then there are times when everything is happening so fast and so quickly, you are almost overwhelmed.

Time is completely and totally inconsistent. I minute may always equal 60 seconds, but when you factor in the human condition- well... time toggles violently between an instant and a lifetime.

Nonetheless, it feels good to get to a point where we are playing rock n' roll shows again (that’s what drums do don’t they? make everything rock n; roll). Like the subject in The Thinker, I was always moved by mind's analysis even though it so often leads over thinking and procrastination. It always seemed so romantic to me. Why? Well, if you were thinking all the time about your life, than it should naturally reflect that you take your life seriously. Maybe that's the mistake I too often make. After all, it is important to take what you do seriously, but never to be too serious in what you do.

I remember making a conscious decision to stop thinking so much towards the end of last year. A much beloved friend of mine gave me a Moleskine - a wickedly inspiring blank slate to jot new ideas and thoughts down, and craft developing ones. I started using it about six months ago and as I read back to the first thing I wrote in it, I cant help but feel a sense of appropriateness:

"It is time to perspire, time to sweat. It is a time of creation and conversion. Of transmission. And most importantly of production. Reject the bonds of pointless thought, but avoid too, the shackles of deliberate, rationalized restraint."

The slinky seemed to be expanding then, and I like that I'm feeling some contraction now. I guess its just the right time to rock n' roll.

A Taste of Sweet of Sour

2005-04-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

Over the course of the last month, Devin and I have gotten together with Nathan about 3 or 4 times to do a studio recording of Beware of the Sirens. It has been interesting to say the least- I find we have more questions about this song than before we started. Is it too long? Does it feel too sparse in parts? Were we wrong about the groove, direction, and feel of the song? Does it need to be more straight ahead? As I said, lots more questions.

I think recording-wise, the tracks on their own sounds pretty good. We basically recorded a simple electronic drum beat (which we initially always had in mind for the song, which of course is one of the things we are now questioning), guitar parts, bass line, vocals (with harmonies), and some other add-ins using a MIDI controller.

BUT...Id be lying horribly if I said we at all know what we are doing- especially when it comes to the mixing stage. Just last week, we were able to get a mix down - Beware of the Sirens Ver. 1.1 lets call it- and it exposes our lack of knowledge and expertise in this area. As I said, the tracks on their own sound decent (save the vocals in parts where I definitely could have done a better job), but the mix sounds scattered, uneven, and overall uncomfortable to listen to. That is why I am afraid to put it up on the website. Dont get me wrong- there are bright moments - and that leads me to believe that with a little trial and error, and a lot more patience, we can get it to sound a whole lot better with the tracks that we do have down. But this will remain to be seen. Either way, a version will be up very sooner, good or bad. But that was the point of the exercise- to learn, evaluate, and restrategize. Again, many thanks to our man Nate Dogg for "Re-gulatin'" this.

On a separate note, the latest song, The Sweetest Things in Life, is completed. I feel really good about this song. You dont want to plan too much whether you should be in a writing period or not, and frankly, for the last while, I have been quite comfortable NOT writing, simply because our attention has been focused on working with the already existing abundance of material we have.

The process for the writing of this song, however, came particularly smoothly. It definitely required its share of attention, but I felt little strain or impatience while spending time with it. Early August of last year or so, Devin had given me a burnt CD of sketches/ideas he had written and recorded on his four-track. Out of 15 or 16 sketches, there was this one that kept coming back to me, over and over- track 4 to be precise. It didn't jump at me right away, the introduction was to be fair, nothing extraordinary. However, something in the middle of the song, made me smile every time I heard it. So I would continue to replay it, and continue to smile. I started to progressively get more and more excited about this sketch and knew that this had to go somewhere.

Shortly after a few more listens, a title popped in my head - maybe because of the way it made me smile. Geez, Im reading this, and I realize Im starting to sound like Alan Cross. Well, that's not such a bad thing (I like Alan Cross)...unless, you are of course talking about yourself. Anyway as I was saying - "And so, the end result? The Sweetest Things in Life. In fact, if you listen really closely, you can hear Arunachal's mother screaming in the background over the first chorus, because he hadn’t done the dishes yet that day. Interesting isn't it? Imp Alan Cross, and this is the History of blah, blah, blah"

The point is, the title came first, and then I actually put it away for a while- a few months actually. I then revisited the song, musically speaking, and structured it start to finish- combining what I liked about Devin's sketch and what I had in mind. The same part that made me smile back in those early listens though, I didn't touch; I wanted to keep that as the essence of the song, and it still makes me smile. The words came after, written in parts, on two successive days and the voicing/phrasing arrived with them. It was a really, really, smooth process and as a result, these are some of my favorite lyrics that I’ve ever written. It just felt like I wasn't trying to bite off more than I could chew, which has happened here and there in the past (The Thinker and the months of frustration that came with it).

There is a feeling of simplicity that is apparent in the song, in large part due to the way it was written, and I think it lends it a softer, sweeter quality than some of the other songs. I definitely plan on recording it soon, however raw, and throwing an early version up on the website.

Speak Softly and Carry a Big Measuring Stick

2005-03-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

It's been some 7 months since recording the Live CD at Ryerson University. The show represented a very stripped down version of many of the songs- a few had even never been played before live.

It's funny, the weeks leading up to that show were full of excitement and gusto. There was a sense of something to prove, maybe. However, as often happens, when you place too much importance on something it appears at first to backfire.

The first few months, I couldn't stand listening to any of the tracks. All I could hear were the mistakes. This puzzled my considerably at the time (not to mention, discouraged me)- after all, this was hardly the first time I had recorded anything. Why then was every song sounding so painfully distant? Again, as I realize now, I think overemphasizing the importance of that show had a lot to do with it- it being my first show back after a year abroad; loads of new material to try out on a virgin audience.

Interestingly, that show would prove to be very significant. In all fairness, there is no denying it was full of mistakes! But for me, the importance of those mistakes dwindled with each passing week and each passing listen. What I did find was there was an enormous amount to learn about from these recordings regarding which direction a lot of these songs would now go. There was an individual essence to many of the songs played from that show that crept out over each subsequent listen, amidst all the flat notes and red-line screams. It's kind of like that Calvin and Hobbes strip where Calvin's dad tries to convince Calvin that they'd be better off downplaying Christmas, and instead not even decorating the tree but imagining that it had lots of lights, and a big star on top, and lots of presents underneath! I feel that way many times when I listening to these recordings- it's almost like extrapolating to get at what they could sound like, using your imagination as a guide.

I think we gained from this in many ways. For one, Devin, being his usual disciplined self, very methodically sat down and through many creative hours, was able to develop bass-line interpretations for several of the songs which have already contributed much to their further growth. I'm terribly excited to make use of these in the studio- especially for Paratoxic, The Thinker, and Climbing Trees (which was the last song written in South Africa, but wasn't played at the Ryerson gig, on a number of different positions). Interestingly, it was his bass line for Climbing Trees which has changed the song's dynamic considerably, and has thus resuscitated it in many ways.

This is of course why artists try their material out live, in an effort to further develop it. For me, almost all of the songs played at the Ryerson show had already been debuted and played several times over the course of many shows in Johannesburg. It was the decision to record them live at this fairly early stage in their development, a further (and I would guess optional) aspect of the process, which threw me for a bit of a loop. After all, it is one of which I little knew of the impact it would have, both negative and positive.

I think it goes back to a very simple concept- It is what it is. And we must draw from it what we can. Too often in this, as in other things, expectations don't appear to be met. In the long run, I realize I probably gained much more from this than if I had been immediately been satisfied. Sure, it was initially a case of idealism crumbling below, but I see a little more clearly now the there is fruit in it. It is what it is- and ultimately, it won't be what it can be, till it's done right.

Songitude

2005-02-23T14:59:00.000-08:00

Songs are dynamic beings. Often they feel like your own children. You have bourn them out of your own flesh, blood- your own soul. You watch them grow, having tremendous influence on them in the process, in the same way a parent has over a child. Sometimes you are disappointed in yourself at the neglect you have shown them and resolve to give them that much needed care and attention. Sometimes they blow you away with their own ability to take flight and mature with little or no encouragement (or interference) from yourself.

Songs can also be your friends. This applies I think to all music, but its particularly interesting that even those songs that are your own can be like a friend to you. It’s as if they know exactly what to say when you need it most. You think to yourself, “I couldn’t have put it any better”, almost completely unaware that it was in fact you who put it that way in the first place.

And of course, songs can be your lovers. Simply, you share your most intimate thoughts and feelings with them. You are exposed, totally naked- and they understand you still- despite the moles, the scars, the unsightly hair, the stretch marks, and the skin deficiencies.

And so it is a reciprocal relationship. They give life to us, just as we give life to them.

Foreign Is As Foreign Does

2005-02-11T13:08:00.000-08:00

I wrote down these thoughts some 20 months back when I first moved to South Africa. I had been there not 3 days. For me it is interesting to read now- harrowing first emotions/impressions of a country that, little knowing at the time, I would proceed to fall deeply in love with. It is ironic that I felt initially so imprisoned in a country that would soon give me an altogether new and different kind of freedom. These first few days were the initial basis for Paratoxic. Of course, the song started to take a different shape as my experience began to change.

Insomnia. Safety. Fear. These are the words that are eating a hole through my head like locusts mowing through a tender harvest. Its 2:30 AM. I cant sleep. I have just moved in today into my new place. I share it with 3 other roommates, but none of them have moved in yet. Its beautiful, there's no question- big, spacious, nice bedroom, my own bathroom, pool in the back, nice yard, gated parking...but that was during the day. Now its 2:30 AM and it feels like Im in a cemetery. Its deathly quiet and I all I can keep hearing are the three words in my head. Insomnia. Safety. Fear.

Insomnia. I cant sleep. I curse myself for not bringing the Smiths, Louder Than Bombs. I imagine Morrissey's delicate moan swimming through my ears and onto the tips of my eyelids, dropping them down ever so gingerly with every subsequent wail. "Sing me to sleep, sing me to sleep. Im tired and I want to go to bed". The house isnt furnished yet but Ive managed to unpack my clothes and I do have a bed. This adds considerably to the emptiness. Ive had quite a few conversations with a number of people about the city and its habits over the last couple of days, but it is only now that I'm processing what Ive heard. I know why I cant sleep. I tell myself its the jetlag- and it is, partially. I didnt think it would take this long for my body to find its daily rhythm- shit, back home, I can sleep anytime, anyplace, anywhere- just ask those who had the pleasure of going to school with me. But its not just the jetlag- its that everything Ive heard and learned in the past few days is kind of scaring the shit out of me. Not continually, but there are moments, a brief second here or there where I feel like Im a sitting duck.

Safety. Johannesburg, I am learning, is one of the most dangerous cities in the world in terms of crime. Sure, there are several other places that are considerably more unsafe because of war-torn conditions or some form of political strife. But excluding these cases and observing strictly a city's crime rate- apparently, there are not many cities out there that can hold a candle to it. Mugging, burglarly, breaking&entering, car-jackings, and murder (gulp) are common. My house is a decent house in a decent area. However, just like every other house in this community and almost every other community in Johannesburg, it has a high, full gate surrounding the entire complex. As well it has sharp spikes (real, thick, pointed, prickly, painful spikes) bolted all across the top of the gate and wall. The gate is heavily locked and can only be opened electronically. The side door has 4 different locks on it- each testing a different ability in a burglar's arsenal for picking locks. Every window has full thick metal bars across it, almost like in a prison, but they are smartly painted white to avoid the comparison.

I suppose it all seems a little horrifying, but Im told if you follow a few simple rules, you should be fine. But a false sense of security here will only lead to your own doom. Here, ignorance is not bliss. Over-confidence and naivety are punished. Awareness is everything.

My landlord told me earlier today, as we talked over a beer on Sunday afternoon, that he has lived here 18 years without mishap. And yet, he explained to me how one of his best friends was held up at gun point about two blocks over from where we live, not 3 days ago. All he was doing was pulling up to his girlfriends house. They were waiting in the bushes for him. It was 7 PM in the evening. As well, he told me, both his parents have been carjacked. This is the thing about this place- you just never know.

Fear. It now 4 AM, I have to be awake in 3 hours. So here I am lying in bed. Thinking, processing, worrying. I have entered zombie mode and am experiencing that brief disconnection with myself you can only achieve in the wee hours of the night through the delirium of your own consciousness. I know deep down, Im okay. Its just that the Golden Rule of Johannesurg haunts me- you just never know. It isnt an intense or overwhelming fear; rather its a feeling of helplessness in the face of the unknown. After all, nothing has happened. I am not faced with a crisis. But I know what I have heard, and I am afraid of what I might see. Also, Im alone. It's funny- I think for a moment about how good I actually have it. In actuality, this is nothing. I think of those places in the world that are completely war-torn and devoid of law, order, and social concience. How scary it must be. But I suppose that is why we are products of our environment. I come from a culture of considerable openness and individual freedom. I have mostly lived life the way that I wanted to live it and have generally never had to account for the possiblity of my rights and freedoms to be violated. My, what I have taken for granted all these years! Canada now seems to me a distant Hiltonian utopia- let's call it...Shangri-Blah- but a utopia all the same, in this way at least. This is my final thought as I start to fade finally into the world of the sub-conscious.