I've become pretty consistent in messing up things in life so well I should get paid for it.
Monday, August 22, 2011
You Don't Just Eat The Bread...
I think I've done a post like this a number of times already but now as things are getting closer to finally getting under way I guess it makes sense to organize my thoughts a little better.
When I was in high school I started to fantasize about being in a rock band. I always dreamed about what it would be like to write music, perform it, record albums and all that jazz. In 2007 I started to make that happen with Mike. It was a goofy little project that I blew way way out of proportions, but in the long run I think that's what helped make it happen in the first place. When T3 began I had a very clear set of goals in mind that I wanted to accomplish: play a show and record a album. Once we got started it changed from playing one show to playing many shows at specific places, most notably Juanita's. We one by one started to accomplish every goal I had set out to work with and more little ones kept popping up. The goal of making an album came about in fall of 2008 when we recorded and released the full length 'Your Music Is Bad and You Should Feel Bad'. From there the goals were expanded into playing some of the other venues and eventually writing and recording more music. I always wanted to do a follow up album, but it seemed like that was a distant goal that wasn't going to accomplish, so it kept getting put on the back burner. We played nearly every major venue in Arkansas and even recorded in a real studio. Seemingly all goals were met. Then what?
We took time off, I debated on ending it here and there, gave up a few times, and even finally decided to call it a day when other priorities became more important to me. Then things changed again and T3 started up again although slowly and kind like we had a gimpy leg. This time I made sure to prioritize a bit differently and just control what I could instead of attempting to corral every possibility. If we couldn't get booked, we would write music. And write is just what we did. I at first purposely didn't book any shows, then booked sparingly over time. After lots of thought and work and everything out the idea of a second album became my distant dream, then my obtainable goal, and finally its right on the doorstep and there is so much work to do.
Putting out an album in general is a lot of hard work. You have to consider a lot of aspects that you wouldn't think about: how are you going to release it, track list, album artwork, what songs to include and what songs to drop, etc etc. A big factor is the wondering if people will even like it. We are entering into the new phase territory where we'll be judged based on our original album by comparison. People will now either like it or dont like it, prefer one over the other, or possibly point out growth or new direction. Its scary stuff. The writing for this album is the most different way we've every done it too. The first batch of songs were written by a large variety of people over time, but never as a full band. Not a single song on the first album was written by the same people in the same place at the same time. They were all done in phases. The only recorded song that we have that was done that way is Momma's Boy. We are now a 5 piece. Even though that's been the case for the last two years, with the exception of that one song, none of the music was written with our current lineup in completion. Its all a different sound so to speak and a whole new beast I suppose.
Time will tell how it stacks up and if it will be generally well received or rejected by the folks who listen to it. We've played a handful of the new tracks live, but never have really gotten too much feedback on the songs in general, just in minor cases. All I know, is that we as a band enjoy them and have had fun with them and think and feel that other people will too. At least we hope anyway.
We're set up to start recording over labor day weekend and that'll be that. Mixing and mastering over time after that and we'll probably see a release in October sometime. Meanwhile I'm working on a part 2 of the story of T3 documentary as well as a making of the album dvd to package with the album. Not to mention that as soon as we start mixing some of these tracks it'll be time to make some music videos. Lots of work ahead of us, but the good kind of work. The kind that sees results and a finished project. My kind of work.
When I was in high school I started to fantasize about being in a rock band. I always dreamed about what it would be like to write music, perform it, record albums and all that jazz. In 2007 I started to make that happen with Mike. It was a goofy little project that I blew way way out of proportions, but in the long run I think that's what helped make it happen in the first place. When T3 began I had a very clear set of goals in mind that I wanted to accomplish: play a show and record a album. Once we got started it changed from playing one show to playing many shows at specific places, most notably Juanita's. We one by one started to accomplish every goal I had set out to work with and more little ones kept popping up. The goal of making an album came about in fall of 2008 when we recorded and released the full length 'Your Music Is Bad and You Should Feel Bad'. From there the goals were expanded into playing some of the other venues and eventually writing and recording more music. I always wanted to do a follow up album, but it seemed like that was a distant goal that wasn't going to accomplish, so it kept getting put on the back burner. We played nearly every major venue in Arkansas and even recorded in a real studio. Seemingly all goals were met. Then what?
We took time off, I debated on ending it here and there, gave up a few times, and even finally decided to call it a day when other priorities became more important to me. Then things changed again and T3 started up again although slowly and kind like we had a gimpy leg. This time I made sure to prioritize a bit differently and just control what I could instead of attempting to corral every possibility. If we couldn't get booked, we would write music. And write is just what we did. I at first purposely didn't book any shows, then booked sparingly over time. After lots of thought and work and everything out the idea of a second album became my distant dream, then my obtainable goal, and finally its right on the doorstep and there is so much work to do.
Putting out an album in general is a lot of hard work. You have to consider a lot of aspects that you wouldn't think about: how are you going to release it, track list, album artwork, what songs to include and what songs to drop, etc etc. A big factor is the wondering if people will even like it. We are entering into the new phase territory where we'll be judged based on our original album by comparison. People will now either like it or dont like it, prefer one over the other, or possibly point out growth or new direction. Its scary stuff. The writing for this album is the most different way we've every done it too. The first batch of songs were written by a large variety of people over time, but never as a full band. Not a single song on the first album was written by the same people in the same place at the same time. They were all done in phases. The only recorded song that we have that was done that way is Momma's Boy. We are now a 5 piece. Even though that's been the case for the last two years, with the exception of that one song, none of the music was written with our current lineup in completion. Its all a different sound so to speak and a whole new beast I suppose.
Time will tell how it stacks up and if it will be generally well received or rejected by the folks who listen to it. We've played a handful of the new tracks live, but never have really gotten too much feedback on the songs in general, just in minor cases. All I know, is that we as a band enjoy them and have had fun with them and think and feel that other people will too. At least we hope anyway.
We're set up to start recording over labor day weekend and that'll be that. Mixing and mastering over time after that and we'll probably see a release in October sometime. Meanwhile I'm working on a part 2 of the story of T3 documentary as well as a making of the album dvd to package with the album. Not to mention that as soon as we start mixing some of these tracks it'll be time to make some music videos. Lots of work ahead of us, but the good kind of work. The kind that sees results and a finished project. My kind of work.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
On Birthdays
I've had the biggest amount of writers block for this blog as of late. There have been so many topics that I wanted to write about, but just never did so for one reason or another. I think that's a pretty universal feeling at the moment in general. I'm not sure if its fatigue or frustration or whatever, but I haven't felt like completing hardly anything in the last month or so. There's a general feeling that comes around when August rolls around, at least in the last few months anyway.
In the past its been the end of summer and the start of school, or in college the end of school and the beginning of my summer/fall run. Since I'm out of school now it seems like the seasons and months are just going to blend together in a big wad of some sorts. My eight weeks of training at HP are almost up and we'll be hitting the floor taking live calls in a few weeks. That both exciting and terrifying to say the least. There are days where I think "I've got this" and others where I sit and wonder just what in the hell I'm doing there. Whatever. In the meantime I'm building up my savings slowly and its giving me something to do so I can't complain.
On the side I'm creating a variety of video projects that I'm not exactly being hired for, but I'm still doing so that can work towards my own portfolio. Things from documentaries to dvds to music videos and promotional pieces. Its exciting to self teach myself a lot of this stuff because the technology is available like never before and pretty affordable if you know what to do look for as well. I was told the other day that a friend of mine is going to help sell me a really professional HD camera with a lighting kit and tripod for relatively cheap in the next few months and I can't wait to get my hands on it. Hopefully, just hopefully I can find a destination either within HP to move into so I can work on video or find a job elsewhere in the near future to be able to put these skills to use. I enjoy my job don't get me wrong, but there is still that feeling of wasting my time a little or of not completely feeling fulfilled in what I'm doing. Working on film and projects of the sort do that, which is probably why I went to school for it. I just need an outlet. But of course I also need money so that's where I'm at for now.
My birthday is this Saturday and just like the past ten years or so I don't really care all that much. I get the same questions I do every year of "what do you want for your birthday" or "what would you like to do". Honestly, its just like any normal day for me really. Sure, internally I do a lot of thinking and reflecting on that day, but for all intensive purposes I don't really separate it as a special day anymore. I'm usually in school or work or some other thing that day anyway and its just a normal day. I don't really like doing anything on those days either. Maybe it feels extra weird this year because last year I kept making the comparison of "the last time I'll do this on my own" or whatever. It was fully formed in my head that this week (today through Saturday) was going to be the birthday spectacular week with another special day in mid week. Beginning and ending with birthday and all sorts of excitement in between. Well that's not really the case and I don't really care anymore, but the thought does pop up from time to time. Oh well.
Now the thing I'm excited about is coming next week, but I'll save the bulk of that for another blog. We're going to record a new full length album and that's always an exhausting, stressful, yet rewarding, and really fun undertaking. Its been a long month and I think I'm ready for it to be done already. It just seems strange to me how streamlined this year has gone and how quickly it has passed on. Before I know it the year will be over and 2012 will be upon us. Strange how time works huh?
In the past its been the end of summer and the start of school, or in college the end of school and the beginning of my summer/fall run. Since I'm out of school now it seems like the seasons and months are just going to blend together in a big wad of some sorts. My eight weeks of training at HP are almost up and we'll be hitting the floor taking live calls in a few weeks. That both exciting and terrifying to say the least. There are days where I think "I've got this" and others where I sit and wonder just what in the hell I'm doing there. Whatever. In the meantime I'm building up my savings slowly and its giving me something to do so I can't complain.
On the side I'm creating a variety of video projects that I'm not exactly being hired for, but I'm still doing so that can work towards my own portfolio. Things from documentaries to dvds to music videos and promotional pieces. Its exciting to self teach myself a lot of this stuff because the technology is available like never before and pretty affordable if you know what to do look for as well. I was told the other day that a friend of mine is going to help sell me a really professional HD camera with a lighting kit and tripod for relatively cheap in the next few months and I can't wait to get my hands on it. Hopefully, just hopefully I can find a destination either within HP to move into so I can work on video or find a job elsewhere in the near future to be able to put these skills to use. I enjoy my job don't get me wrong, but there is still that feeling of wasting my time a little or of not completely feeling fulfilled in what I'm doing. Working on film and projects of the sort do that, which is probably why I went to school for it. I just need an outlet. But of course I also need money so that's where I'm at for now.
My birthday is this Saturday and just like the past ten years or so I don't really care all that much. I get the same questions I do every year of "what do you want for your birthday" or "what would you like to do". Honestly, its just like any normal day for me really. Sure, internally I do a lot of thinking and reflecting on that day, but for all intensive purposes I don't really separate it as a special day anymore. I'm usually in school or work or some other thing that day anyway and its just a normal day. I don't really like doing anything on those days either. Maybe it feels extra weird this year because last year I kept making the comparison of "the last time I'll do this on my own" or whatever. It was fully formed in my head that this week (today through Saturday) was going to be the birthday spectacular week with another special day in mid week. Beginning and ending with birthday and all sorts of excitement in between. Well that's not really the case and I don't really care anymore, but the thought does pop up from time to time. Oh well.
Now the thing I'm excited about is coming next week, but I'll save the bulk of that for another blog. We're going to record a new full length album and that's always an exhausting, stressful, yet rewarding, and really fun undertaking. Its been a long month and I think I'm ready for it to be done already. It just seems strange to me how streamlined this year has gone and how quickly it has passed on. Before I know it the year will be over and 2012 will be upon us. Strange how time works huh?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)