Viper Room/Blue Cafe

Thanks to everyone who came out to our shows in Los Angeles and Huntington Beach last week. As always, your support is much appreciated! A friend of ours shot some video of the Viper Room gig - I'll see if I can get a hold of it and throw it up here...stay tuned.

In the meantime, I found an interview clip from this summer of Duane discussing the budget for our "On & Off" music video. Duane is definitely the funniest guy in the band but, in this case, he was only partly joking:

BTW, if you haven't seen our music video yet, you can check out a preview and buy it here.

-SS

P.S. - Duane was wondering if you noticed that he was playing flatwound strings at the shows last week...

Live Performance of "On & Off"

The folks at "Giada At Home" (the Food Network show we did a couple months back) were nice enough to edit this performance video for us. Check it out: 

We've also got a couple shows coming up - here are the details:

Thursday, Nov. 20th @ 8pm

The Viper Room

8852 Sunset Blvd.

West Hollywood, CA 90069

Friday, Nov 21st @ 9pm

Blue Cafe

17208 PCH

Huntington Beach, CA 92649

See you there!

-SS

Support From A "Cutter"

We just discovered that Dennis Quaid (star of "Breaking Away," one of my all-time favorite movies) included our song "Borrowed Time" in his iTunes Celebrity Playlist this week. Check it out, we're in some auspicious company. What can we say, the man's got great taste :)

-SS

Starting Gun Listening Party

This past Friday, we threw a listening party for the new EP at Zune L.A. Sometimes when you play a live show, you're so pre-occupied with the gig itself that you just aren't able to relax and enjoy yourself before and after the show. This party really gave us the opportunity to hang out and relish the company of so many of our friends and family who have supported the band from the very beginning. Thank you all for making it such a great time!

-SS

Out Of The Gate

So after all the rehearsals, pre-production, recording, mixing, mastering and lots of waiting...our EP, "Starting Gun," is finally available on iTunes- I know, because I bought it about 5 minutes ago... Many thanks to anybody else out there who has also purchased it. We hope you enjoy the music as much as we enjoyed making it. And if you did, please spread the word!

I guess this kind of closes this chapter of the blog, but there's plenty more where that came from. In the coming weeks I will do my best to chronicle the band's journey as we support the release with a bunch of shows! Stay tuned...

-SS

Now We're Cookin'!

Here's one for all you foodies out there. Last week we played a couple songs for an episode of Giada De Laurentiis' new show on the Food Network. They threw a block party on a bluff overlooking the ocean in Pacific Palisades and we provided the musical entertainment for the event. We weren't really sure what to expect from the gig, but apparently we played so well we turned the crowd invisible:

 

Actually, that's a pic from our soundcheck, but the eventual crowd was extremely enthusiastic and we really enjoyed ourselves. We've just been informed that the episode will air on the November 15th and we promise to be featured - we'll be sure to post a reminder as the date approaches.

-SS

Mon Is My (Guitar) Hero

Great news- we have an official release date for the EP. It will become available, along with a seven page digital booklet, on September 23rd on iTunes. Here's the cover:

Once again, thanks to Jason and Jon Koharik for designing the album art and digi-booklet for us. 

Here's another interesting tidbit- one of our songs ("Alright," from our second album) is going to be featured in the movie "The Rocker," a comedy starring Rainn Wilson- you know, this guy:

What are the odds, I wore the same thing for our gig a couple weeks ago. Anyway, there's a scene in the movie in which Rainn's character's band is hanging out in their tour bus, playing Guitar Hero...and the song they're shredding is none other than "Alright." The movie opens tomorrow (Aug. 20th) and I plan on being first in line and applauding obnoxiously after our moment. Or maybe I'll just wait for the DVD. Either way, it's bound to be a little surreal.

In other news, we've been added to the ATO Records roster on their website. Click here to check it out. Many thanks to Darrin Noble for taking the photo that appears on our page.

Last but not least, Scott Warren is playing an acoustic show at O'Brien's this Saturday, August 23rd at 10pm. The show is free and the address is 2941 Main St., Santa Monica 90405. Hope to see you there.

-SS

Live in Los Angeles

Our gig last night was a blast! There is no better feeling than hearing people sing the words to your songs as you're playing them. And the new songs seemed to go over very well with the crowd as well, so we were pleased as punch. Photographer Elaine Reid even showed up to snap some photos:

Thanks to everybody who made it to the show. We'll see you again soon!

-SS

Starting Gun

Lots of loose ends tied up over the last few weeks. First and foremost, we're proud to say that the EP is finally done and will be called "Starting Gun." You heard it here first! The title comes from the lyrics to one of the songs on the record but also pretty much encapsulates where the band is at right now. Our artist friend Jason Koharik offered to do an original painting for the EP cover - he muttered something about "seahorses racing..." then disappeared into his studio. He and his brother Jon will also be designing the digital booklet that'll come with the EP download when it is released in the fall.

The music video is done too! Despite the fact that our budget amounted to little more than pocket change, it looks fantastic. Here are some stills from finished cut:

We've also got a show coming up on August 9th at Molly Malone's in Los Angeles. After weeks of pre-production, recording, mixing and mastering, this'll finally be our first opportunity to play the new songs live. We like the vibe at Molly's - the room sounds good, it's unpretentious and it reminds Scott of the midwestern shotgun bars he was over-served in as a youngster.

Hard to believe, but it has already been 9 months since we first entered the radio contest on a whim and ended up winning the thing. In our 6 years together, we've experienced many of the highs and lows that come with being in an aspiring band. We consider ourselves realists, always working hard for good things to happen but never really expecting too much. These days, though, there is a mostly unspoken sentiment among us that we are on the brink of a real breakthrough. We can hardly allow ourselves to believe it, but this may just be our year.

-SS

Making The Video

Sorry, I know it has been a couple weeks since my last post- as my friends and family will attest, I've never been the most reliable or effusive correspondent. I must get it from my father, who once signed a letter he wrote to me in college with his first name, then wrote "Dad" in parentheses.

Anyway, back to the band. Yesterday, we shot a music video for what will most likely be the first single off the EP.  We rode out to the El Mirage dry lake bed about 100 miles from Los Angeles with a film crew comprising the four of us, our friends Eliza, Bryan and Tara and cameraman Jackson (all pictured above). Duane came up with the concept for the video, so he served as our director. Here's a behind-the-scenes photo I took of him directing Scott to "look less Amish."

It was damn hot out there, and we got caught in a bit of a sandstorm at one point but the video is going to look great! I'll try to post more photos as I compile them...

As far as the songs themselves go, we are hoping to have the final one mixed by tonight, which keeps the EP on schedule for a September release!

-SS

Day 8 - Monday, May 26th

Today was fairly low-key. We worked our way through the songs, adding little parts here and there (acoustic guitar, backing vox, keyboards, etc.) where needed. Then Brad introduced us to Chick Wolverton, an old session guy from Franklin, Tennessee who worked with all the greats back in the day. He listened to the songs and offered to come back on tomorrow and lay down a few percussion elements that he was hearing. Who are we to say no?

Brad will probably start mixing tomorrow as well. We will keep you apprised of his progress in subsequent posts.

-SS

Days 6 & 7

Day 6

Scott was in rare form today. He tracked vocals on two songs, nailed his guitar solo on another one and then rescued a litter of kittens that he found abandoned under Brad's porch, nursing them back to health with a "family recipe" of half and half, confectioners' sugar and Miller Light. They now follow behind him single-file wherever he goes and he's teaching them to meow in 5-part harmony. It's amazing! Unfortunately, I don't have any footage of the kittens, but here's the guitar solo:

Tonight is our last night in our friend Lisa's house and we're all fairly sleep-deprived at this point. Living at Lisa's has been quite an experience. Duane noted that her place is kind of reminiscent of JF Sebastian's pad in Blade Runner - the genetic engineer guy who lived with all the animatronic toy "friends" he made.

She's got taxidermy everywhere, and I've actually lost count of how many real live animals she's adopted - every time I open the door, another one comes running in or out of the house. My personal favorite, though, is Spooky Mae. Spooky is a 14 year-old dog/albino pygmy bear who's not doing so well- she suffers from bouts of dementia during which she wanders aimlessly around the living room, barking loudly at nothing in particular (unless a wall counts for something.) Doesn't make for the best night's sleep, but I've got a soft spot for her regardless.

Right now we are watching "The Last Waltz," the documentary Martin Scorsese directed about The Band's final show after 16 years on the road. Rick Danko and Robbie Robertson are so fucking cool.

Day 7

Scott finished his lead vocals today, then Mon and I recorded our background vocals for "On and Off." I sang the high harmony and Brad said I sounded like a "pretty little girl." I think he meant it as a compliment. When I asked him why Mon got to do the more manly low harmony, he told me Mon earned it with his stint in the Israeli army. Fair enough.

We're starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel here. Just a few more backing vocals, some percussion and a keyboard part or two and we'll be ready to start mixing. 

-SS

Day 5 - Doing Our Part

Before we got started this morning, Brad told us about a news report he'd just seen concerning a scientific study that linked beer consumption to cancer prevention. That being the case, Duane and I fought cancer all day while Scott and Mon finshed laying down their guitar parts, taking breaks every now and then to fight cancer themselves. If I'm not mistaken, I think even Brad fought cancer a time or two.

Vocals start tomorrow.

-SS

Days 3 & 4 - "Earthquake Weather"

And just like that, Duane's bass parts are done! He knocked them out in a matter of a few hours yesterday - so quickly that Brad sent us away early to run a backup. Now as I write this, Scott is charging through his guitar part on a new song and Mon is rehearsing his solo for a different one.

Spring has given way to summer here in Los Angeles. The air is dusty and dry, and there hasn't been a cloud in the sky for a couple weeks. Driving over the hill from Hollywood to The Valley this morning, my car was nearly blown off the freeway by the Santa Ana winds. Mon remarked that is was "earthquake weather," an often used and somewhat arbitrary phrase endemic to California. As smoothly as things are going thus far, somehow it wouldn't surprise the band at all if a week from now, moments after the last finishing touches are placed on the record, we were standing in Brad's kitchen with champagne glasses raised to toast our good fortune and inevitable success, only to feel the ground suddenly shake beneath our feet and turn helplessly to watch the studio disappear into the San Andreas Fault.

Does that make us pessimists?

-SS

Day 2 - "Eye Of The Tiger"

Things are moving right along. We finished basic drum tracks this afternoon, which took a huge load off of my shoulders and also gave me some time to get a quick drum lesson from Duane.

Brad then needed some time to "do a little editing," so we left him to his own devices and grabbed a bite to eat. When we got back and heard the playback, the neurotic in me was quietly relieved that he hadn't re-recorded all the drum parts himself in our absence.

Duane's tasty bass chops are up next...

-SS

Day 1

So far, so good! Yesterday we all met up at Brad's home studio in The Valley, where the temperature was something like 350 degrees. We quickly loaded our gear in before it melted and got some drum sounds before knocking out drum tracks on two songs. It's always a relief to get that first song down. Everything is sounding great so far and the vibe at the studio is ideal. Being that it was our first day, we were a little too focused on locking into the songs to take any worthwhile pics, but we'll post some soon.

Brad takes Sundays off, so we were down today. A friend of ours who owns an awesome house in Echo Park is out of town for a month, so we all decided to crash at her place while we're recording to make the most of the bonding experience that making a record provides. Right now, Duane and I are watching the Academy of Country Music Awards, noticing Nicole Kidman in the audience and wishing she hadn't had all that work done. I was just chastised for not recognizing Brooks & Dunn. Pizza's here.

-SS

...practice, practice, practice.

Pre-Production - Day 1

Last night we had our first rehearsal with producer Brad Wood. Duane was the only member of the band who he hadn't met up until then, and Brad earned valuable bonus points from him right off the bat by bringing beer, regardless of the fact that it was Pacifico. Alas, our unsophisticated palates generally prefer Miller and Bud Light, but we appreciated the gesture all the same. More importantly though, over the next few hours we chatted and played a couple songs for him and he offered some great ideas that we will incorporate into the new material. It's always a little daunting to play new material to a critical ear for the first time but, after tonight, we left our rehearsal space feeling quite confident that working with Brad is going to challenge us in the best possible way to make an outstanding record.

Pre-Production - Day 2

Brad met us at our rehearsal space in downtown L.A. again (he brought Budweiser this time.) We played a few more tunes for him and once more he gave us some useful input. We probably spent as much time talking as playing this evening, with topics of conversation ranging from the cost effectiveness of strip club lunch buffets to the pervasiveness of big government in our everyday lives. Tomorrow we'll be on our own again, nailing down some new parts and loading out our gear for our first day in the studio on Saturday.

-SS