Sunday, October 16, 2011

An Original EP and a Short Story of Its Making

I meant to post this to coincide with the availability of physical copies of my Original EP Foreign Skies. As with the EP itself, this became delayed a few months. I intended the EP for a March release, but it's status as a very understandable low priority for Maria denied me that possibility.

As it stands, the album is almost entirely my work. After a quarrel which I never understood to be a quarrel, Maria sent me the raw audio files from the recording session - and only one take per track, usually the last take. When we recorded the albums back in Denver, I had no computer in my possession, you see. I found this lack of tracks particularly frustrating, as I could definitely remember better takes for the various parts. Some of the parts had upwards of twenty takes. Furthermore, she denied me permission to use her cello tracks - parts we'd worked on together and really filled out the sound (especially on Purple Dress and A Thousand Post-Its). I do not want to harp on my disappointment long. In the end I mixed the tracks on my friends' computers in Vancouver, Buffalo, and Toronto so that I could meet my New York Digital Release date. While I am still proud of the work I did for the album, I know so many ways it could be improved - even with the material at hand.

So I present to you a finished EP, but not a perfect one. I am selling it both digitally and physically. As they are my own songs, I did not need to purchase rights, but my desire to include lyrics inserts in the physical copies really drove up the price per CD. They cost approximately $3.70/each to make. At this point in my musician-ness, having just settled in Chicago and looking to gig and play indoors more than out, I can only hope for the full length album I've dreamed of completing. If I figure out the scene, find out how to get regular gigs and stop spending without earning, find support and a fanbase, and most importantly keep up my motivation - it may still happen. I do not often ask for support - I need yours now more than ever.





Jacket Art
Lyrics Insert Booklet Art


Listen to and Buy the CD at my website

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