Ellery News :: 3.24.09 :: The Launch

THE BIG NEWS...
THE WHAT...
THE WHO...
THE WHERE and WHEN...
GET IN ON IT! ...
WHERE WE'LL BE... (Midwest, East Coast, Cinci show!!)
CLOSING...

THE BIG NEWS...

Hello Friends,

It's a big day for Ellery!

We've been so excited to send this email out to you.
We can finally say to you - to all of you - the one thing we've been wanting to say for SUCH a long time:

>> We're making another record! <<

It's true. And not just someday, but beginning right now. Today.
And with you. (More on that in a minute!)

The recording time is on the books. We've signed on the dotted line. We've blocked several Summer weeks.

It's all begun, and it's feverishly moving ahead.

THE WHAT...

We've had our eyes out on our next full-length since late-2007. We've been compiling songs as they come, tucking them away to see where they lead. We've been enthusiastic, but patient. We didn't want to make another record just to make another record.
We've wanted the recording process to unfold gracefully and authentically -- Whatever that meant. Whatever that means. We'd surely know it when we felt it. :)

THE WHO...

In January, Justin began talking about Malcolm Burn. Malcolm is a Grammy-winning producer who has worked with the likes of Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, Kaki King, Rachel Yamagata, Sarah McLachlan, Gillian Welch, Ryan Adams, and more.

Once Justin mentioned the idea, we began listening more closely:
Emmylou's voice on "Red Dirt Girl." The haunting sound of Rachel Yamagata's "The Reason Why." The clarity of Kaki King's "Open Mouth," the intimacy of Carrie Rodriguez's "Rag Doll," and so much more.

I (Tasha) don't know much about production, and I don't get into gear or studio layouts or anything akin to either of these. But I know something deeply beautiful when I hear it, and the more I heard of Malcolm's work, the more convinced I became that he was exactly what we'd been looking for.

By the time we found out he wanted to work with us, we were sold.

THE WHERE and WHEN...

So we'll be recording in Malcolm's upstate-NY studio this June and July: a glorious time to be in the Hudson Valley!

This is a dream of an opportunity, with the potential to open a lot of doors for Ellery in the future.

Which leads fabulously to the next piece of news...

GET IN ON IT!...

This is definitely our most ambitious project to date. We're setting out to make the best record we've ever made, with what we believe are the best songs we've written.

With that in mind, we've launched the Ellery Stimulus.
(Ah, the pop-culture reference.)

You the fan have the opportunity to participate in the Ellery story in a much more personal, intimate, and integral way. Through the Stimulus, we're raising funds to complete the next record:

Check it out now!

You can read the story, find ALL KINDS of details and FAQ's and, most importantly...
You’ll find LOTS of options for contributing towards the new record, each with a collection of interesting rewards: from new music, to private shows, to keyboards, to dinner, and more...

You can contribute a little or a lot, whatever works for you. Every dollar counts, and every contribution has a PROFOUND effect. The love adds up!

And there's more to this than "raising funds." Through the process of fundraising, we're creating ways to connect with you beyond the artist/listener realm we love so much. Our hope is that you'll truly be a part of this journey with us.

Get In On It: www.ellerystimulus.com

(If you'd like, leave comments on the Blog. Tell us what songs we should record. What songs to leave off. What songs to write. Anything, really. We love your feedback; go!) :)

WHERE WE'LL BE... (Midwest, New England, Cinci show!!)

Over the next few months, we'll be touring the Midwest and East Coast (twice!) before hunkering down to prepare for recording.
We'll be trying out some new songs, throwing in some old ones, and asking for your feedback. We would love to see you!

(Cincinnati: Look for us on April 17th; we've been so excited for the hometown show!)

Check out the tour dates on our MySpace Dates, or on our official site.

CLOSING...

Thank you so much for sharing our news and excitement. We believe we have the most warm, kind, and music-loving fans in the world; it's an honor to make music for you and with you. You make all of this go.

We can't wait to see you on the road,
to tell you how the Stimulus is doing,
to hear your thoughts and feedback,
to show you how the whole thing unfolds,
and to create something beautiful with you.

Find much, much more, including details and new FAQ's about us and the stimulus, at the Stimulus site
(And for a little extra, find us online at Patrol Magazine, which has reprinted our latest blog as part of its new "On the Road" series.)


More to come soon...

Our very best to you!

--Tasha and Justin // Ellery

www.ellerymusic.com
www.ellerystimulus.com
www.myspace.com/ellerymusic
www.noisetrade.com/ellery

WHAT MOVES US...
YOU MAKE IT GO. WE'RE ON NOISETRADE...!
SO MUCH NEWNESS ONLINE...
THE NEW STREET TEAM: RE-DESIGNED. RE-PACKAGED. RE-REWARDED. RE-MISSIONED.
WHERE WE'LL BE...
CLOSING...

***A quick note to MySpace-ers: This is a copy of our E-Newsletter, sent to you via the wonders of MySpace. If you don't have much time, scan the headlines and feel free to scroll down to what interests you. If you'd like to subscribe (& receive updates via email), you can do so in the window on our profile. Either way -- Thanks so much for your Friend-dom... It's what makes us go.***

Hello friends,

It's a new year, and the same well-loved backyard is brown under Autumn's leaves, spotted with the hints of a snow shower.
The same kitchen window looks out across it, the same coffee mugs are growing cold, and the same sound of the heater switching on greets us every now and again while we work.

But they don't feel much the same, these couple new January weeks. And unlike any year before, we feel a hint of promise in the shuffle of the calendar.

We've never really paid much attention to any "New Year" festivities, their resolutions, their prayers wafting up on the hint of a hope, their frequent delusions of grandeur. But we've stepped our toes in this year, told ourselves we'd give it a shot, that we'd keep our eyes open. And here we are, feeling rather new. Welcome to 2009.

WHAT MOVES US...

In November of last year, we released a new 5-song EP entitled "You Did Everything Right." And as we closed 2008 with a few free holiday tunes, these five EP songs continued to haunt us (in a good way). The more we play them, and the more they make their way out into the world, the more true they feel to us.
Apparently, these are the types of stories that move us. The sounds and styles hinted at in these tracks are the ones that keep us making music.

What's lucky lucky lucky for us is that they seem to resonate with you too. (Such a gift.)

YOU MAKE IT GO. WE'RE ON NOISETRADE...!

NoiseTrade is a genius service that allows you to either Pay What You Want for our ep, OR get it for FREE - in exchange for the email addresses of five friends. No one's email is saved anywhere - they're just directed to the same offer.

In other words: You can get our music for free by sharing it with 5 friends. Oh the love!
(There's lots of info at NoiseTrade.com if you're curious about how this works!)

But there's more to this than simply giving music away for free.
Word-of-mouth has always been what makes our music go, and many of you found our music through the suggestion of a friend. Our music grows through the people who love it, share it, sing it, play it, and dance to it. (Or slow-dance, as the case may be.)

It's about truly connecting with people, and letting the music find more and more homes.

It's about creating fans in cities where we've never been: fans whose love of our music will make a local show possible. (Hello to the UK, Toronto, the Netherlands, and... Texas? !!)

And it's about building our followings in the North, South, East, and West: which will make our tours more feasible (we'd love to see you again, West Coast!), more productive, and more connected -- with more of you! :)

No matter how cool our posters are (and Sam made us some cool ones!) very few people will show up at a concert unless a friend says, "You're coming with me!" Or unless they've given us a listen and thought, "I think I like that. I think I'll go see that."

So NoiseTrade is our way of saying, "This music belongs out in the world." And it's our way of sending you off to do what you do best: To love music and share it.

As always, you can still purchase Ellery's EP at our site, iTunes, etc. AND, you can "Pay What You Want" at NoiseTrade, even if you DO spread the word to five friends! There's no question that every little bit helps. Sales pay the bills. They keep gas in the tank and the landlady happy. No small feat. :)

SO MUCH NEWNESS ONLINE...

So we've had new things before, but there are a lot of goodies this time around... Check it out!

Blog!
The new Ellery Journal/Blog can be found at www.ellerymusic.blogspot.com!
Check back often, or you can subscribe (via RSS feed) to receive an email whenever a new blog is posted. Comment away, friends! Much more coming as the 09 touring begins...

Twitter!
(For those of you who don't know, Twitter is a service that allows you to give quick updates on your life/status in 160 characters or less. You can register for free, and then follow your friends, favorite artists, etc.)

Our thanks to those of you who caught us in the first month of our Twitter-dom... We continue to update at www.twitter.com/ellerytheband !

NEW Twitter!
And brand new beginning this month, I'm posting a Twitter-sized poem every day or so. It's an experiment of sorts, but it's been very fun so far, and good for the ol' creativity...
You can follow these updates at www.twitter.com/ellerythepoems.

New Pictures!
MANY more pictures have been added to our Gallery page online, including shots from the December Holiday Show, from The Living Room in NYC, and much more. Check it out here!

THE NEW STREET TEAM: RE-DESIGNED. RE-PACKAGED. RE-REWARDED. RE-MISSIONED.

Alright, so we've had a Street Team concept for a while now. But being artists, and being in a van most of the time, and being so often sadly-distanced from "what the cool kids are doing these days," we haven't known much what to do with our Street Team.
With you.
With our awesome fans and their awesome readiness-to-help.

But all of that is changing now, and we want you back. We want you in. We want your friends in.
Come on, you know you want to. :)

The new Ellery Street Team is a gloriously upgraded model of the Street Teams of old, through our new friends at ReverbNation.

As a member, you'll be asked to participate in what ReverbNation calls "Missions" --
like Spreading the Music, Promoting a Show, Recruiting New Fans, or Driving Traffic to our Websites.
Pretty simple.
VASTLY helpful.
As you may have surmised, most of this 'work' is done online - although from time to time there may be offline work you can volunteer for. (Like calling radio stations, hanging posters, etc.)

The great part?
Your sense of accomplishment in spreading something you love! (Just kidding.)
Well, not entirely, but -- There are rewards!
Ellery merch, new Ellery music, Ellery tickets, exclusives...
Any time a "Mission" is sent out, it comes with a reward to the Leading Member.
(And sometimes it comes with a reward to every participating member!)

What's the "Leading Member?"
How it works: We give you widgets, banners, and many other fun tools... And ReverbNation tracks the details: Like the number of plays you get on an Ellery music player, or the number of folks who click through your blog to our site, etc. (There's much more to it, and it's kind of amazing.)
As you go, you can see your stats and your ranking, and you can even blog with other street-team members and discuss the current "Mission."
Oh my, technology!

This an all-ages, all-personalities kind of deal. We want you, we need you, we must have you.

How to join?
You can go now to our ReverbNation site --And click on "Join Street Team" below the profile picture!

THEN what happens?
We'll have your info on-hand. A new mission will begin very soon. Ready your Social Network Profiles.

WHERE WE'LL BE...

After this weekend, we'll be making a fun round to several colleges in Kentucky, Ohio, and Illinois. (Some are open to the public; check our Tour Dates for information!)

And for anyone near Lexington KY, please don't miss the very special Valentine's Show on Saturday February 14th at Natasha's. It's one of the most romantic and vibey venues anywhere, and they have plans in place for a ridiculously beautiful evening -- whether you're coming with a date or with a friend. More can be found soon in the details of our Tour Dates.

More dates are being added all the time... And we'll be touring the Midwest and the East Coast through April.
If you'd like to know more about seeing Ellery in your hometown and/or at your favorite venue, please email booking@ellerymusic.com -- We LOVE hearing from you!

And if it's been a long time since we've been to your neck of the woods, we're probably desperately trying to work it out. Please spread Ellery's music in your area, and keep in touch as you do! We'd love to see you again.

CLOSING...

Thank you for listening, for following us, and for allowing our music to be part of your soundtrack.
You're what makes this thing go.

Here's hoping our travels bring us near you soon,

--Tasha and Justin Golden // Ellery

www.ellerymusic.com
www.myspace.com/ellerymusic

www.noisetrade.com/ellery

www.twitter.com/ellerytheband
www.twitter.com/ellerythepoems

www.reverbnation.com/ellery

*To our MySpace friends: If you'd like to subscribe to our newsletter, you can do so at our home page!

FREE! HOLIDAY MUSIC...
with A VERY SPECIAL ADDITION...
THE SONGS...
THE SHARING...
LYRICS AND BLOGS...
THE NEW EP is NOW ON iTUNES...
THE HOLIDAY SHOW...
CLOSING...

Welcome to December, friends --
To the skeletons of trees, the rust-colored earth,
the chimney smoke, the coating of snow,
dark windows in early evening,
the twinkling of lights,

the dusk of the year.

Such a magical time to be home. Our van has landed here in Northern Kentucky, and from our kitchen window we can see it coated with snow and beautifully undisturbed. In the short time since our last show, we've huddled inside and made perhaps a hundred pots of coffee. We've dug out the ornaments and the 2-foot tree, now atop the upright in the living room. We've strung even more lights and hidden presents. And we've spent a few evenings with people we love, with the promise of more to come.

The year is certainly closing in with cold and cloud around us --
Such a beautiful time to write to you.

FREE! HOLIDAY MUSIC ...

...And such a beautiful time to offer a gift to you!

Last year we released a 3-song EP called "December Days," available for FREE online. We had such a kind and enthusiastic response --
So we decided to re-release the songs this year -- Again for free! Go to www.myspace.com/ellerymusic

...And this time, with a VERY SPECIAL ADDITION...

We've been looking forward to a chance to collaborate with Mr. Ric Hordinski (aka Monk), who produced our "Lying Awake" record. The opportunity came along in the final days of November, and the resulting song ("We Can Dream Tonight") is going out into the world today.

It's our way of offering our deep Thanks --

for your listening ears,
for your support,
for your love of our music,
for your presence at our shows,
for the many kind faces and the warmth of strangers...

for the opportunity to throw music out into the world, something so personal, and have it received.
What a gift you've been to us.

THE SONGS...

So these four songs come with our love, our gratitude, and with our fondness for the end of the year and its Mystery.

One original Ellery holiday tune ("December Days"), one cover of Vince Guaraldi's "Christmastime is Here" (it's not Christmas without Mr. Guaraldi), a re-mixed version of "Lay Your Head Down" (as heard on the new EP "You Did Everything Right"), and "We Can Dream Tonight" -- Music by Ric Hordinski (with all his magic), and lyrics/melody by Tasha Golden.

The songs are free! They're full of the dark light of the holidays! Get them now at www.myspace.com/ellerymusic

THE SHARING...

And please spread the word! Email the link to anyone who may enjoy some new holiday music. Burn a copy for your mother. Post a link on your Facebook or MySpace. Send it round your office or dorm. We would be honored to find new listeners.
The music is for you, and for the world at large... With our many, many Thanks. :)

Download away.
Share away.
www.myspace.com/ellerymusic

LYRICS & BLOGS...

Our new blog is located at www.ellerymusic.blogspot.com... You can find updates from our travels there,
and new today you can find lyrics from the original holiday tunes on the Free EP!

THE NEW EP is NOW ON iTunes...

The new 5-song EP "You Did Everything Right," which just released in November, is now available on iTunes! Just $4.99 for the album...
You can also find it on Amazon's mp3 downloads, on Rhapsody, eMusic, and more.

("You Did Everything Right" was originally created for promotional purposes only; it wasn't going to be released. But the songs were streaming online, and we wanted them to find homes... So we let the EP loose last month. Thank you so much for those of you who have listened in; it's made us want to keep making music. You can read more about the EP/etc on the Biography here on MySpace.)

THE HOLIDAY SHOW...

In our last newsletter, we mentioned our December 12th holiday show in Cincinnati with Ric Hordinski.
Only 100 tickets were available; and there are still some left... All the details (and tickets!) are online now!

Come celebrate the dusk of the year with us, in the Great Room of the beautiful Monastery Studio in Cincinnati. (The Monastery is an 1800's church that Ric has converted into his studio; very beautiful: www.myspace.com/monasterystudio)

We'll be huddled inside, with its great ceilings, massive dark windows, resonant hardwood floors, candlelight and warm lamps,
holiday music that stirs and haunts, a small crowd coming in from the cold... A very special December evening, road-trip worthy.

We'll be joined by the astounding Josh Seurkamp on percussion...
...and we'll all of us be collaborating on a few tunes.
Ellery will play all the songs on "December Days," as well as a few other brand new songs (and some Ellery versions of classic carols...)

A lovely way to celebrate the gentle closing of the year -- We hope you'll join us.

CLOSING...

A Merry Christmas to all of you, and Happy Holidays --
Such a joy to share a bit of the season with you.

We hope to see you soon...

--Tasha & Justin // Ellery
www.ellerymusic.com
www.myspace.com/ellerymusic

Christmas tunes are coming in the next few days! We've been so excited to send them off to you. Check back here and/or sign up for our newsletter (at www.ellerymusic.com) to find out how to download your Ellery Christmas EP ("December Days") for FREE!

We're also releasing a brand new Christmas song in the coming days, written with Ric Hordinski... And I think it's got all the magic that man can muster. We're still spellbound; can't wait for you to hear it.

And of course we're bringing in the holiday spirit on Friday December 12th, on a cold and candlelit corner in Cincinnati. More information can be found in the previous blog... Tickets (and info) available here...!

Until the Newsletter!

--Tasha&Justin

Ellery is performing a very special Holiday show with our producer and dear friend, the amazing Ric Hordinski.

Friday, December 12th :: 7:30pm*
Only 100 seats Available!
Get your tickets now for a very special December evening --

*Doors open at 6:00pm :: Caroling begins at 6:30pm ::

Come celebrate the dusk of the year with us, in the Great Room of the beautiful Monastery Studio in Cincinnati.

We'll be huddled inside, with its great ceilings, massive dark windows, resonant hardwood floors,
candlelight and warm lamps, holiday music that stirs and haunts,
a crowd coming in from the cold... **

Ellery will perform songs from our new EP (You Did Everything Right), from 2007's "December Days," & of course "Lying Awake," etc --

And we'll have a few new Ellery holiday tunes as well.

Ric will be making some holiday & non-holiday magic happen, not to be missed --

And we'll be joined by the astounding Josh Seurkamp on percussion.

We'll all of us be collaborating on a few tunes, which we've been waiting to do for some time now...
In short, it will be a lovely way to celebrate the gentle closing of the year.

We hope you'll join us!!

**Bring your own alcoholic beverage(s) if you'd like :: Cookies and assorted treats on-site.