Dear friends,
Welcome to December.

I'm very happy to announce that top Swedish Producer, Tore Johansson will begin mixing my new record in Jan 2009. Tore is renowned for his work with The Cardigans, New Order, Franz Ferdinand and a favourite of mine, Martha Wainwright.
Tore has a knack of making a record sound great without it sounding
over produced. He somehow manages to get all the hi&lo-fi in there
in the same picture. I'm looking forward to it very much. I don't know
how he does it, but I guess I'll find out soon enough.

The recording of my second album has almost finished and I can tell you that Ken and Carl Papenfus of melodic-power trio "Relish"
feature heavily on this record as they did on the first. This time
however, on this record there are 3 co-writes with the brothers. I'm
looking forward to sharing the results with you sometime in 2009.

On the gig front, there are 2 new confirmed supports with The Guggenheim Grotto and Maria Doyle Kennedy. See tour section.

Til the next time, wrap up and stay warm.

Peace and love,

Steafán

Hey folks.
For those of you who are into check it, the following link will take you to a place where you an download my recent interview-in Studio session with the imitable Lisa Flavelle.
One song from first album and one from forthcoming.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/gpnxy3

 Enjoy,

Steafán
xx

Folks,
here's an offer you can't refuse. The download price for Steafán Hanvey and The Honeymoon Junkies, has never been this low-and it won't be for long. With EP no.2 & LP. no.2 nearing completion, this offer draws a line under the Honeymoon Junkie era.

Go on, splash out!
Peace and Love,

Steafán


..

Unfortunately, my show scheduled for June 19 has been canceled and won't be happeneing there, ever, ever again. Unless, that is, it's in one of the new apartments that is due to replace it.

But sadly, the Rotterdam Bar, one of Belfast's finest music establishments isn't closing down, but is being knocked down to make way for modern apartment complexes. Well, at least it wasn't razed to the ground by a bomb like a lot of other Northern Irish Pubs-but still, it won't be there soon. it's a real shame. To think that some people see it as progress.




Well, I'm happy to say, I played in it once upon a time and it was a good gig too. I was joined on the night by Conor McCreanor on bass, Dave NcCann ..o and Paul O'Reilly on Clarinet.

It'll be sadly missed.

-photo: Jaska Kuuskajaskari

On November 9 I climbed down into a recording studio, a basement of a converted movie theatre in a suburb of Helsinki and got to work on some new songs, some of which will make it on to my second album. Ken and Carl Papenfus from Relish legged it over (flew actually) from Downpatrick to lend themselves to this record. My old pal Jukka Jylli from the Finnish underground power trio Kingston Wall turned up with bass in tow and songs were recorded.


With Leo Fourastie on decks, olives and Black Bush, the idea this time around was to do as much as possible live. No bedrooms (there weren't any bedrooms maltreated in the making of the first record, well almost none) no click tracks, just "1-2-3" in. 5 days later we had somehow managed to nail 8 songs. Not bad. Almost an album. So, there we are. Sometime next year I'll be delighted to share some of these and other tracks with you.

How are youse all doing?
Just a wee note here to let you know that I've started work on my second LP. Writing, cavorting, wine swilling abound. Studio booked in Helsinki for November. The record will feature yet again, Ken and Carl Papenfus from Downpatrick power-trio, Relish-who have taken time out from work on their third LP, to lend themselves to the record. It will be produced by Brittany's own Leo Fourastie, who is currently working on Finnish legend's "22 Pistepirkko's" latest LP. I'm rather thrilled so I am.

Glad to have the Desperation video up for you all to have a gawk at. Gawk away. Enjoy. It was a lot of fun, so it was.

On another note, I've been lending my yodeling skills to an ambient, electronica outfit who go by the name of "Broken Bow". You can check it out on: www.myspace.com/brokenbowofficialsite
Splendid stuff.

That's it for now.
Toodle-oo

S

Desperation is "in the can" as some would say. One friend said upon my return to Dublin that he thought I was in Helsinki making a porno.

"No", I said, and neither was it a promo. I was flattered all the same.

I'm relieved and stirred at having it done and ready to share with folk.
It had always been a toss up between "Rooms" and Desperation", for ever since the album's release last year, the one song that people kept coming back to was "Desperation", closely followed by the former, and now since the opportunity had presented itself to make a video, Desperation was quickly decided upon.


It was rather easy in the end, well, that is if you don't include the preparation and storyboard challenges. Several weeks before the shoot, I informed Chuc of my intentions and the brainstorming session began. Chuc came back to me in a flash with a very developed and elaborate storyboard, all mapped out on pdf. Chuc tends not to half do things.


Enthused, I forwarded it on to the Finnish director. Thinking he'd love it and really hoping he would, we sat back and waited. The prompt reply came:


"I would like to make this video someday, but as it stands, it will cost an extra €10,000". Guess that was a no then.


We tried! A new learning experience had begun. I got back to Chuc and told him the news. We sighed together and moved on.

I eventually got my head round a stripped down, slightly less ambitious (realistic), but nonetheless, quite impressive (as it turned out) storyboard. Tweak here, tweak there, logger head here, there, we were on.



Location location: Helsinki

The song "Desperation" was written one end of a summer; beginning of an Autumn evening, in my then flat, in Helsinki. My girlfriend at the time, J, was sitting reading on the bed behind me as I began to put the chords together. My songwriting turned a corner on this one and I could feel it happening as I meandered my way through piecing it together. J, who was quite demure and rarely forthcoming with feedback regarding my songs, offered, "I think you have something there".

Fitting perhaps, as the song was in part inspired by her and our situation, and to a large degree reflected where we were at that time in our lives. We were falling for one another and those fears which should be kept at bay, that niggle and attempt to dampen down the joyful bliss, were thick in the air that night. I'm happy I got it down. I would be leaving Helsinki one day and was reluctant to get involved as I was mentally preparing myself for departure.

So, Desperation was written and recorded. It first appeared on "Sole", a 5 track EP, then, with strings added, on the debut, "Steafán Hanvey and The HoneyMoon Junkies".


As the song was written up in Helsinki and the memory still continuing to occupy a place in my mind, I decided to go back to the scene of the crime as it were, to shoot the video. The result will be shared with you all very soon. My first music video has been made and it was quite a pleasurable experience.

Goodnight.

Steafán

Desperation is "in the can" as some would say. One friend said upon my return to Dublin that he thought I was in Helsinki making a porno.

"No", I said, and neither was it a promo. I was flattered all the same.

I'm relieved and stirred at having it done and ready to share with folk.
It had always been a toss up between "Rooms" and Desperation", for ever since the album's release last year, the one song that people kept coming back to was "Desperation", closely followed by the former, and now since the opportunity had presented itself to make a video, Desperation was quickly decided upon.


It was rather easy in the end, well, that is if you don't include the preparation and storyboard challenges. Several weeks before the shoot, I informed Chuc of my intentions and the brainstorming session began. Chuc came back to me in a flash with a very developed and elaborate storyboard, all mapped out on pdf. Chuc tends not to half do things.


Enthused, I forwarded it on to the Finnish director. Thinking he'd love it and really hoping he would, we sat back and waited. The prompt reply came:


"I would like to make this video someday, but as it stands, it will cost an extra €10,000". Guess that was a no then.


We tried! A new learning experience had begun. I got back to Chuc and told him the news. We sighed together and moved on.

I eventually got my head round a stripped down, slightly less ambitious (realistic), but nonetheless, quite impressive (as it turned out) storyboard. Tweak here, tweak there, logger head here, there, we were on.



Location location: Helsinki

The song "Desperation" was written one end of a summer; beginning of an Autumn evening, in my then flat, in Helsinki. My girlfriend at the time, J, was sitting reading on the bed behind me as I began to put the chords together. My songwriting turned a corner on this one and I could feel it happening as I meandered my way through piecing it together. J, who was quite demure and rarely forthcoming with feedback regarding my songs, offered, "I think you have something there".

Fitting perhaps, as the song was in part inspired by her and our situation, and to a large degree reflected where we were at that time in our lives. We were falling for one another and those fears which should be kept at bay, that niggle and attempt to dampen down the joyful bliss, were thick in the air that night. I'm happy I got it down. I would be leaving Helsinki one day and was reluctant to get involved as I was mentally preparing myself for departure.

So, Desperation was written and recorded. It first appeared on "Sole", a 5 track EP, then, with strings added, on the debut, "Steafán Hanvey and The HoneyMoon Junkies".


As the song was written up in Helsinki and the memory still continuing to occupy a place in my mind, I decided to go back to the scene of the crime as it were, to shoot the video. The result will be shared with you all very soon. My first music video has been made and it was quite a pleasurable experience.

Goodnight.

Steafán

My friends. Go read 'The Year that was Part I', my first diary entry of 2007.
Or, don't.

Happy New Year!

SH

Reading this book again. Wow.