THE NICE GUYS' SOUNDTRACK EXCLUSIVE
According to the folks behind the scene...
"Lakeshore Records in conjunction with iam8bit return to 1977 with the release of a special 2xLP 180 gram colored vinyl Collector’s Edition of “The Nice Guys—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” later this month. The movie is an irreverent detective caper starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling set in the '70’s porn underground. As such, the music becomes a whole other character in the film, drenching the audience in an orgy of sexy, smooth, jangly, trumpeting, rhythmic atmosphere. This soundtrack is the real deal, rallying 15 legendary songs to create an era-setting super album. The track listing includes The Bee Gees, The Temptations, Kiss, Kool & The Gang, Earth, Wind & Fire and many more. The package also includes a nude 3D centerfold, 3D glasses, The Nice Guys business card, liner notes by director Shane Black, adults-only XXX wrap, one of six double-sided pin-up posters and a download for the digital soundtrack. The album can be ordered from www.iam8bit.com."
For more information visit: www.lakeshorerecords.com.
The Nice Guys hits movie theaters May 20.
A Conversation with Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson (plus Lyric Video Premiere)
MR: How have you been, sir?
ER: I have been deluxe.
MR: Yes, you certainly have! So traditionally, innovation has been a staple for the group, whether it's in the minutiae of the lyrics, production, videos, or stage act. Do you have a preference when you're creating and delivering music? Is it live or is it Memorex?
ER: [laughs] I like all aspects of music. I love writing songs, I love, like you said, getting into the minutiae of the lyrics. The lyrics are so important to me. I want everything to be just right. I want the song to work, I want the emotional center of the song to be clear, and I totally love that process. Then it's like a gear shift and you go into recording, and I love that process. Then it's about serving the song and trying to do what you think might be the best version of that song. Then you shift gears again and go into live, and what is necessarily the best version of the song on the record is not necessarily how the song will work best live. So you figure out an entirely new approach to a song sometimes, or maybe it just evolves over time, live. And that's a process I enjoy, too, but above all of those, I enjoy ultimately the performance. The chance to get out in front of people when you're confident in your songs and you're confident in your performance and just have fun with the crowd? That's the best part. I know lots of artists who don't love to perform. They love to write and they love to record and performing is sort of something they have to do to promote the record. I'm the opposite. I live to perform and all of the other things that I do serve that performance.
MR: And that was obvious on BNL Rocks Red Rocks. Most of the set was taken to that third level, all of the songs having changed or grown over the years. It seems like that's really the joy of the process for you guys, where a lot of acts get stuck on playing a song live exactly the way they recorded it.
ER: Yeah! For me, that's what elevates a live record from just a Greatest Hits package. It is, for all intents and purposes, a collection of some of our greatest hits, but it's those songs taken into a live arena, and people can see what the band does with them. Sometimes the harmonic structure is a little different; sometimes the arrangement is different; sometimes we just put a totally different spin on a song. The band has always been known for our live show. I think it's a huge asset and a strength of the band. Doing a big recording at an iconic place like Red Rocks, it's sort of two things: It allows people to go, "Holy s**t, Barenaked Ladies headlined Red Rocks? I didn't realize that!" and it's also, "Wow, this is a good live band." We're really fortunate that we have a huge audience of people who come to see us over and over and over again, but we're not done trying to win people over. We love to play live and we want more and more people to come see us.
MR: So performing at Red Rocks was important to the band. Did that affect the performance level that night?
ER: Definitely. Red Rocks is one of those venues that has its own personality. There are a few truly iconic venues. Red Rocks is among the top places on the planet where people want to go. People want to go to see a show there, let alone to get to headline a show there. It's one of those places where you step out on stage and you're like, "Holy s**t, I'm at Red Rocks." You think about the "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" video being filmed there, and you walk to the stage past photos of Eric Clapton and Prince and Sting. Your whole march to the stage is basically, "Every iconic and influential artist ever has played this building and had one of their favorite shows." It's such a magical place.
MR: Were any of the songs that you played that night particularly special performances for you, as in, "We're not going to beat that any time soon"?
ER: Oddly, I think that every night. You have to! As a live musician, you've got to give it everything you've got. We work really, really hard on our live show. The worst show we ever did is a good show. When we're on, it's great, and some nights it's f**king fantastic. But we work so hard that, at worst, it's really good. I think at a place like Red Rocks we all go way overboard to make sure it's awesome. Everybody's trying to fire on all cylinders. Then add to that you're recording that night. We were taping a TV special as well, so everybody's like, "Let's f**king rock this tonight. Let's do this."
MR: Closing the thing out with "Rock & Roll" was pretty inspired--a little nod to Led Zeppelin, but also a nod to one of your favorite covers.
ER: Yeah. We're still trying to decide what we're going to do this summer. We've changed it up. That's our second Led Zeppelin closing cover. We did "Whole Lotta Love" the year before. I think we've got to go outside of Led Zeppelin this year. We've been bantering a few things around but we haven't quite figured it out yet. It's a chance for me to get up on the drums, but more importantly, it's a chance for Ty [drummer Tyler Stewart] to get out and work the stage, which I always love, because he's an amazing front man.
MR: You had Colin Hay join you for "Who Can It Be Now?" and also Blaise from Violent Femmes hit the stage with you guys.
ER: Yeah, he joined us on sax. That, for me, was one of my favorite moments of the whole tour. And again, it's like, "Holy s**t, I'm playing Red Rock, singing a Men At Work song with Colin Hay!" It was just great. Then he came out later in the show and joined us on "Pinch Me" as well. The synergy on that tour, with Violent Femmes and Colin Hay... We all became really great friends. We just saw Brian {Ritchie] and the Femmes guys. We played together in Memphis, so Brian and his wife Varuni came to our hotel after the show and we hung out to the wee ours. It's a bit surreal for me that I'm friends with the Violent Femmes guys now, because I wore a groove into that record [Violent Femmes].
MR: In my mind, I always had you guys in the same category. It's wild that it's only now that you all came together.
ER: They were a massive influence on us. Massive.
MR: All the energy and partying and antics that happen on stage, you guys still like each other after all these years, don't you?
ER: Yeah, and I would say, actually, more than ever. I think we have such a deep appreciation at this point in our career that we still get to do this. There's a definite sense of gratitude around the band that we get to do this still. We just played Memphis in May at the Beale Street Music Festival. We got to play on this stage that Neil Young headlined the night before. I still haven't lost that feeling that we're sort of underdogs. I approach that show and I think, "We've got to win these people over."
MR: In some cases, you may be in more households these days. You were being reverent to Neil Young, but you've got millennials who know and discovered your material not just through your iconic hits, but also because you supplied the theme to Big Bang Theory. Dude, you're in everybody's house once a week, and with reruns, even more!
ER: Big Bang Theory has been huge for us. Huge! That's the moment in the show when I look out at forty thousand people or however many we're in front of, and all the phones come out when we start [the song] "Big Bang Theory." Everybody wants to get a recording of that. That's cool. That's something I wrote in my shower at the cottage. Now millions of people see it every day. It's incredible.
MR: And, apparently, energizing!
ER: Totally never having a concept that song would be a hit for the band. "I've been asked to write a theme song for a science-y sitcom." Who thought that was going to be a bit hit. But it was a great experience to write it and working with Bill and Chuck on the song was great. The fact that the show has become so huge, I never could've imagined it, and now that's a bona fide hit in our show. It's bigger than "One Week," which went to number one! A number one TV show is way bigger than a number one song.
MR: Millions of homes every night, buddy. You guys have had other projects on your radar too. One of my favorites was Ben & Jerry's "If I Had A Million Flavors."
ER: Yeah!
MR: Bernie Sanders had a flavor too, so you're in his realm now.
ER: Yeah, I know! That's a crazy thing. They asked us if we'd be interested in having an ice cream flavor. I thought, "Hell yeah!" We donated all of our royalties, and continue to, to literacy in Canada. ABC Literacy. That's been a great relationship. People go buy ice cream and it helps people learn to read. That's been a great thing.
MR: You also had Barenaked Planet for getting people environmentally conscious.
ER: Yeah. That comes from our relationship with Adam Gardner from Guster, who we've known for twenty five years now. He started Reverb as a way to start transforming the rock & roll industry into a much greener place. We hopped onboard right away, we're one of the founding groups, with Willie Nelson and Bonnie Raitt. It's part of the Green Music Group and we're just trying to do everything we can to leave a little smaller footprint when we roll from town to town.
MR: Nice. And aren't you and Adam in that group, Yukon Kornelius?
ER: Yes! That's another thing where Adam and I just smile at each other all night saying, "Can you f**king believe we're on stage with Dee Snyder and Sebastian Bach singing an AC/DC song?"
MR: Ed, what advice do you have for new artists?
ER: Play live, play live, play live, play live. And do not spend a bunch of money on your first recording, because within a month of making it, you're going to hate it. Lots of bands record first; they record too early, they record before they've figured out what they even sound like. Play live, take every gig you can, and figure out who you are as a band and as writers. Make a s**tty recording but good enough to be a demo tape to give a club owner or to give a record company to give them an idea of where you're going with your music. But don't try to make Sgt. Pepper's before you even know what your band is.
MR: You didn't have that route when you started, did you?
ER: No, we didn't. We did what I recommend. We took every gig, and our first couple of cassettes were made on a four-track recorder in our basement. We laughed our heads off and overdubbed things and made a silly recording and then we just played hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of shows. By the time we actually went into a studio and recorded a four-song demo, we had already done five hundred shows.
MR: Are there any songs that stayed under the radar, that make you say, "I wish people had heard that one"?
ER: I have tons of those, actually. I think I'm a little bit of an anomaly among artists that I talk to though. I meet lots of people who kind of resent their hits because maybe they drew attention away from the songs that are closer to their heart, that resonate more with them or are more personal to them. "Pinch Me" is one of the songs that I'm most proud of that I've ever written. I feel it's a great demonstration of my sensibility, my guitar playing, and just my approach to writing. Lucky for me, it became a big hit. But when I pick up a guitar, to this day, if I want to know what the guitar sounds like, I play "Pinch Me." It's a very Ed Robertson guitar lick. It's percussive; it's kind of interesting, kind of circular. I like that about it. But in terms of other songs, one of my favorite's is called "Tonight's The Night I Fell Asleep At The Wheel," from Maroon. I love to perform that one live. There are loads. There are only a handful of songs in a twenty-seven year career that don't really resonate with me anymore, so we just don't play them because we have two hundred and ninety-five other songs to choose from.
MR: And I imagine you have a fan base who are just as loyal to the lesser known ones as they are to the hits.
ER: And that's an amazing thing.
MR: How do you think the audience has grown with you?
ER: There's a huge number of people who have grown with us. There are also a lot of people that just fell off. But we've been fortunate in that we've continued to grow our fans through the years. There are people now that are into the band that don't know anything about our early nineties career. They haven't been with us for twenty years because they're twenty-two. That, to me, is totally cool. What's difficult as a band that's been around this long is when you hear people like, "Oh, I wish they'd do more of their old stuff." I love our old stuff too, I'm proud of it, but that was a quarter of a century ago. I continue to write songs, I continue to perform, and hell, we still play that stuff live, but I have no desire to be that band anymore. I don't want to make Gordon II, I want to make our new records. Gordon's still there. You love it? Go back and listen to it.
MR: How do you think the band has grown the most between Gordon and Silverball? And what does the future bring?
ER: I think if you listen to those two records, there'll be a very stark contrast in where the band is willing to go sonically. I think with Gordon we tried to adhere to a very strict interpretation of what we were; this acoustic, folk-influenced rock thing. We were really pushing the harmonies and really pushing acoustic instruments and hand percussion. We really wanted to capture that and I think we did a good job. I think now, we're just a lot freer to just serve the song, not be afraid to do whatever the song requires regardless of where that takes us sonically and what that says about us as a band. We've got such a catalog at this point and it's so diverse that I think it frees us up to go wherever we want as long as it makes the song better. And for where I see us going, I've actually already started to write for the next record, which we probably won't start recording until the late fall or even early winter. But I'm really stoked about the band moving forward. I've got twenty-six songs started, I think. It just feels like a really creative, really positive period for the band.
Transcribed by Galen Hawthorne
Simon Does Des Moines
Paul Simon and his band adrenalized Des Moines' Civic Center on Wednesday, May 18, like it was the height of his Graceland period. Wait, no, the level of musicianship and energy on that stage atomized those days. Every song was revamped or juiced-up as he and his entourage relaunched career staples such as "Mother And Child Reunion," "Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard," "Spirit Voices" (complete with hallucinogen backstory), "The Cool, Cool River," "The Obvious Child," a facelifted "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover," and an instrumental version of "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)" that bled into the sublime "Duncan," its trademark flute part tastefully enhanced with an accordion. Another major highlight was the first set closer, "You Can Call Me Al," that had hundreds of Des Moinian, Woodstock-era oldsters literally dancing by their seats like they were back in Bethel.
Oh, about that. The crowd's age averaged around sixty, my 15-year-old being the youngest human in the room, though his demographic was treated to a pair of compositions from the new Stranger To Stranger album--"The Werewolf" and Paul's playful "Wristband," that word sung about a million times, the artist jokingly reiterating the title at the song's finish in case someone missed it. Not really to that point, but Simon was quite conscious of his audience's senescence as he quipped about the theater's seating arrangement that provided no aisles in the middle, commiserating with his fans over their rest room access challenge.
Beginning with an instrumental version of "Proof" that was chased by a "Boy In The Bubble," Paul and his pals powered through the catalog that included even more Graceland pieces than the previous mentions, such as the tipsy "That Was Your Mother" and elegant "Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes," whose slick phonics and melody in the payoff line "...by the bodegas and the lights on Upper Broadway" still evokes comfort and a giggle. Realizing that song was written during just one of Paul's many creative phases--each epoch the dearest to at least a hundred attending fans--it hit me about halfway through the concert that Paul Simon's musical career and history is all about the "Rewrite," which, yes, he also played. His material is always fresh, taking so many creative left turns since--and during if you count his English residency--the Simon & Garfunkel era, a period he somewhat glossed over. Sure it would have been nice to hear "Bridge Over Troubled Waters," but this wasn't that Paul Simon. The closest this Paul Simon got to him was by singing "Homeward Bound," which seemed perfectly natural Garfunkel-less, and it was one of only three S&G standards. And I'm kind of glad about that.
On the other hand, some pretty key ...Rhymin' Simon songs were absentees such as "American Tune," especially with a foreboding Age of Trump on the horizon. But a show can only last so long, and there are only so many hours the audience can go without going. On the other, other hand, I was sad that "Kodachrome" was MIA, though if it made the set, I would have been stuck walking back his line, "When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school" to my high school kid, so we're good here.
Omissions really didn't matter since the show was perfect the way it was. Long time conspirator, guitarist Vincent Nguini, summoned the angels in the architecture; Andy Snitzer blew like it was Gabriel's horn, if it were, you know, a saxophone and in Des Moines on a Wednesday night; and guitarist/cellist/Renaissance man Mark Stewart added a whole bunch of instruments that musicologists one day will decipher from the, hopefully, inevitable 4K Ultra HD release of the tour. All the musicians super-shone, thus that whole fawning thing in the first paragraph. And I'm pleased to report the first of two encores included his hit "Still Crazy After All These Years," that title now needing a serious upgrade to Still Genius After All These Years." Hey, did someone just say, "Best living American songwriter?"
To the relief of my 15-year-old and internal organs, Paul finally ended the concert with a second encore and the last of three Simon & Garfunkel nods, his poignant "Old Friends/Bookends." Never has the song's line, "Preserve your memories, they're all that's left you," been more appropriate, all things considered. And I--and I'm assuming most attendees--will try to preserve the memory of this concert for as long as we can. Except, of course, for that aching bladder part.
TOUR SCHEDULE
GILLIAN'S "STRANGE CANDY" EXCLUSIVE
According to Gillian's Kym Hawkins...
"This song is about being exhausted with the industry's leeches. When you're an artist, you're tired of carrying the heavy dream around, and you're vulnerable--a perfect target. So everyone's trying to make a buck off you...this song is just about being in that desperation and acknowledging the perversion, the gods to whom you find yourself praying: leeches, vultures, strangers with candy in their vans. But along the way the metaphor opens up to sing for the whole generation, I feel like a lot of us are feeling this way with today's job market, economy, etc., and we're settling. We're taking far less than we were promised. Like, this deal seems sour but f**k it--strange candy is better than none."
ESSENCE'S "HEADED NORTH" EXCLUSIVE
According to Essence...
"'Headed North' is a video off my soon to be released album Black Wings. Black Wings is a story told out of sequence, each song is a snapshot of an event that led to the ultimate undoing of my 10 year marriage. It's my first album that as a whole has a focused theme from beginning to end. These 12 songs capture betrayal, dark secrets, deception, revenge, emotional warfare, and the unbelievable horror of my worst fears being realized. The stories on this record emerge from a deadly silence, they dispel a facade of a happy family portrait, and they air the truth of what had been hidden for too long. The ritual of writing and recording served as a lifeline to my survival during a very dark life passage. These songs led me through disbelief, rage, loss, grief, and ultimately to healing and reclaiming my personal power and the strength to leap into the unknown-- knowing the fear of things staying the same was greater than the fear of things changing. Black Wings has been the key to my transcendence, punctuated by the unshakable synchronicity of art imitating life. As this music is born, I am flying free."
ULA RUTH'S "FEVER" EXCLUSIVE
According to Ula Ruth...
"When the four of us took our first steps into Tarquin Studio's to begin production for 'Fever,' we set an intention to take a major step forward as a band.
"We were ambitious, experimenting with sounds and arrangements that pushed us far beyond our comfort zone to truly grow as songwriters. Working with our long time producer, collaborator, and spiritual adviser Chris Ruggiero, we created something that is pregnant with urgency from start to finish, because at the time so were we.
"Each song on this record represents a breaking point for each of us, like a serious illness. A series of variables came together to create a catalyst, and after the reaction, 'Fever' is whats left."
KIRA SMALL'S "3 AM" EXCLUSIVE
According to Kira Small...
"'3 AM' is the title track and sonic heart of my 'epic break-up album.' It’s a sultry, whiskey-soaked description of the inevitable and horrible memory spiral that happens in the middle of the night when your ability to sleep has left the building. You’d much prefer being pissed at the person who broke your heart, but you’re missing them instead. Lovely. The video, gorgeously produced and directed by Neilson Hubbard, who also produced the album, and Josh Britt of Neighborhoods Apart Productions, uses the imagery of memories as an inescapable prison, which is pretty much what that feels like at 3 in the morning."
For more info: kirasmall.com.
A Conversation with The Brevet’s Aric Chase Damm & Micael Jones
Mike Ragogna: The Brevet’s forthcoming new album American Novel follows an EP released back in 2014. How has the group evolved between projects?
Aric Chase Damm: We've been writing constantly and working all the new material into our live set in some really cool ways, but you'll have to come see us to find out. We've spent countless hours in the studio perfecting a sound that's true to us. This next album not only shows how we've grown as musicians, but as people who feel the challenges of following a dream.
MR: Your music already has been discovered by the likes of Ron Howard and been on shows such as NCIS, 90210 and American Idol. Can you catch us up on how The Brevet formed and some other highlights of the band to this point?
Michael Jones: Aric and I met as kids on the playground, and we grew up playing music. Naturally, we started making music together and with other people. After college, we went full force and formed The Brevet. The tv/movie placements, playing on tv, opening for big acts & going on tour have been nice commercial success, but what we love most is how our music affects people. Our proudest moments come when we hear the individual stories of our fans and how our music has impacted people when they needed it most.
MR: Your sound can be defined as “Americana” but you have a musical sophistication that many in that genre don’t adopt. How do your musical arrangements come together and what are the songwriting and recording processes like?
ACD: We're very lucky to have built our own studio. We spend hours in there writing & arranging as we record. It allows us to hone in on all aspects of our production to create singular, pointed emotions for every part. We're not afraid to experiment and add in sounds that might only be found in other genres or even add in sounds that might not be considered music at all. We love making the music a unique reflection of our perspective and the experiences or emotions we see people going through.
MR: Since the title of the album is American Novel, you seem to have an affinity to literature or at least allude to it. Do you feel there is a connection between literature and songwriting/recording?
ACD: We take great pride in our storytelling. We love the grand vision and design of American literature, so we wanted to reflect that in the design of our music.
MR: From where does the name "The Brevet” originate?
ACD: It's a rank that was often awarded in the Civil War for honor and merit, without extra pay. As musicians and storytellers, we're doing this solely out of passion and hope give people the courage to do what they love as well.
MR: Last year, you received the Rising Star award from California’s Irvine Public Schools Foundation Spirit of Excellence, presented by No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont. That was from being one of the area’s favorite bands and also from being an advocate of teaching music in school, right?
MJ: Music education plays a crucial part in personal development. There are numerous studies that show that kids that have a more rounded education outside of standardized testing end up more successful and satisfied in life. It enhances abilities surrounding abstract thoughts and memory recollection. Watch this Ted talk: https://youtu.be/R0JKCYZ8hng. Many of our country's brightest minds were also musicians which should be no surprise, because there's an intrinsic link between playing music and building things. Without the exposure in our younger years, we would have never gotten this far as a band doing it all on our own.
MR: Why do you think the school system is so quick to cut funding for the arts before almost any other program? Is one reason possibly that we’re moving from an Athenian culture to a Spartan one?
MJ: I don't think we are. Many schools only have the financial ability to teach to the the standardized test, which doesn't have any music sections. Politicians have decided what's important based on old standards of what leads to innovation and growth in gdp--or getting votes. We have tremendous respect for those who have built the society we live in today, but there are always going to be new ways to create progress--and there has been. Under the new Every Student Succeeds Act, schools have new ways to access federal funding for the arts. Herbie Hancock is a huge advocate for this as well and thinks there's a way in to teaching typical math and sciences through the arts. Standardizing people and turning schools into factories is really killing creativity.
MR: What advice do you have for new artists?
MJ: Stay true to yourself, don't try to be anyone else and make the best music you can, the rest will come.
MR: What advice do you have for yourself at this point in time?
ACD: It's all about the journey & keep creating your own luck.
MR: What do you hope the future brings?
MJ: We hope our music plays an integral role in breaking the mold we all grow up in.
(IN)BODY'S "SAFE IN YOUR HEART" EXCLUSIVE
According to (In)Body..."
'Safe In Your Heart' is a song about the emotional upheaval of leaving home. It's lyrics were inspired by Joseph Campbell's writings on The Odyssey and the hero's journey. Ryan initially wrote the lyrics as he embarked on his own journey to pursue music in Los Angeles, leaving his college community and a five-year relationship behind in New York. The music video captures the emotional tug-of-war that embodies a life-changing journey, but recalls the importance of love and friendship from home that provides the strength for a new chapter."
For more info: http://www.getinbody.com
MASSY FERGUSON'S "MAKIN' IT" EXCLUSIVE
According to Massy Ferguson's Ethan Anderson...
"This video is guerilla art. Most of the footage was taken off video tapes from my old Sony Camcorder that I've brought with us on tour over the past nine years. It chronicled some of the tours we've done in the UK, Australia, Iceland, Mexico and Costa Rica. In a way, the 'Makin' It' song lyrics allude to those experiences as well. In the video, we don't mention where we are, which was meant to keep it from being some vapid vacation video. It is fun but no matter where you are, playing music is labor. Even if it is a labor of love, it's also heavy lifting."
"Making It" is the second single from Massy Ferguson's forthcoming full-length, Run It Right Into The Wall, which will be self-released in the U.S. in July 2016.
RESH'S "I MEAN" EXCLUSIVE
According to RESH...
"I met someone for a date and the first thing I heard was, 'I don’t like relationships, I am not looking for one, I don’t fall in love, I don’t want kids or anything.' I totally understand that, but I think that having ALL possibilities erased somehow made me more attracted to this person. I mean, I get it but...WHAT IF. WHAT IF. WHAT IF?
"The chorus sings, 'I’m renting your house and a pool of tears to drown on the feelings while I load my eyes for the end,' probably with a melodramatic tone. Knowing that this will end whatever 'this' is and hoping that something might change but at the same time maybe not even wanting anything else to happen in the first place. I guess it felt more challenged that anything."
SULFUR CITY'S "TALKING LOUD" EXCLUSIVE
According to Sulfur City's Lori Paradis...
"The album came together in many different moments. Stolen moments, borrowed moments and moments fought for. We are imperfect and vulnerable, frustrated and insecure. In the studio as the hours swiftly eroded away we pushed our boundaries, tested ourselves and took risks. We had something to say. And I wanted people to listen. I wanted the album to reflect what was gong on around me and inside of me. Some of the songs are very personal as in 'One Day In June,' and that feeling of abandonment and loneliness. The song 'War Going On' points at commercialism and the destroying hold it has on us. In the song 'Whispers' it reflects on the illusions of caring and love by friends and family after someone passes. A song written eight years ago, 'You Don’t Know Me' screams out that it’s time to say f*ck it and leave that life sucking relationship. We recorded the album live off the floor to tape because it forced us to play on the edge; we had to give it our all on every take and that comes across in the overall sound of the album. Rough around the edges, dirty, torn and raw."
For more information: http://www.sulfurcitylive.com/
"Black Wings" is a story told out of sequence, each song is a snapshot of an event that led to the ultimate undoing of my 10 year marriage. It's my first album that as a whole has a focused theme from beginning to end. These 12 songs capture betrayal, dark secrets, deception, revenge, emotional warfare, and the unbelievable horror of my worst fears being realized. The stories on this record emerge from a deadly silence, they dispel a facade of a happy family portrait, and they air the truth of what had been hidden for too long. The ritual of writing and recording served as a lifeline to my survival during a very dark life passage. These songs led me through disbelief, rage, loss, grief, and ultimately to healing and reclaiming my personal power and the strength to leap into the unknown-- knowing the fear of things staying the same was greater than the fear of things changing. 'Black Wings' has been the key to my transcendence, punctuated by the unshakable synchronicity of art imitating life. As this music is born, I am flying free.