we can't help it. we're excited and want to share it!
we are almost done mixing.
so close!
so here is another taste of our ohio experience.
housewives and butcher knives.
enjoy.
steph and rach

hi all.
yes, we are still in the process of mixing and getting this project together. thanks to everyone that has been there supporting us all the way. for all of you who are patiently waiting to hear something of our experience in ohio we wanted to give you a little taste. enjoy. steph and rach.

words from rachael's journal:

goodbye. this is not goodbye.

the morning of our last day in cincinnati goes by in a blur.  we wake up and get ready to make some pictures with michael wilson...how do you get ready for that?  he arrived and began searching for pockets of light.  i usually hate having my picture taken, but this was pure magic.  steph and i agreed that we don't even think about how the pictures will turn out because the experience of working with michael was worth it no matter what.  he is one of those people you dont forget.  michael reminded us that there are real artists in the world that are doing what they do out of the joy of doing it and not to make money or impress people.

we sit on the couch and watch ric put some final touches on our rough mixes.  there are a few vocals we want to adjust and before we know it, it's time to say goodbye.  don't make us go!!  okay okay we'll go but only if we can come back and do this again soon.  we drive away in our little rental car and sit in near silence for the drive back down to the airport.  i know we are both lost in the same thoughts.  we cross the river over into kentucky and i know we are both pondering our time here and swearing we'll be back.

we aren't just two girls and a guitar anymore.  josh gave us rhythm and ric gave us beautiful layers of sound and a groove that makes you tap your foot and nod your head.  i'm wondering how we play live shows without a band now? 

 steph and i are on our flight from louiville to vegas.  we nap and read and stay lost in our thoughts most of the time.  i miss ohio.  the turbulence over the rocky mountains is a little scary so i share my headphones with steph so elton john can soothe our nerves.  we quietly watch the scenery together.   it feels like we're chasing the sunset up here.....i contemplate going to alert the captain that he's going the wrong way and would he consider turning around.

we have a short layover in vegas.  time to sit and share one more glass of wine together and really talk.  this adventure is over way too soon.  before getting up to board our airplane we promise to keep this going.  this feeling of being totally alive and doing what we really believe in every single day.  we swear to each other to continue dreaming big.  this trip has proven to us that dreams really do come true.  no matter what happens now, we know what it feels like to do something we never thought possible. 

if you were here you might have overheard:

"close your eyes.  when you think of something good you can open them" - michael

"what are you doing" (steph to rach as she is pulling on her jeans) "trying to make room for my belly" (rach)

"do you think this is the best time of our lives?" - steph

p.s.  steph, the answer is yes.

 

snippets from rachael's journal:

DAY FIVE:

tired. woke up early to fit in a shower today. clean hair does feel pretty good. we warm up our voices by singing out in the sanctuary. everything sounds so much better in there! we work on finishing the vocals for the last few songs. some are easier than others. its sometimes a matter of piecing together different takes to get the best from each or going back and recording just one word that doesnt quite line up. one of our songs that i've always found the easiest to sing live turns out to be a harder one to get right. there is a very distinct style and rhythm to the harmony that has to be EXACT and we work until it's right. it's best that we got the vocals done since both of us are fighting being sick. steph has wheezing and i have a sore tonsil....but we refuse to give in to sickness!!

when the vocals are done ric starts to record the electric guitar (guitars...) every time i think it cant get any better, he leaves the room and brings in another guitar! somehow the songs just keep getting better and better, more layered, more instense, more interesting. suddenly steph and i realize we dont care what the vocals sound like because the guitar sounds SO good. as we sit and soak it all in, steph gets all teary eyed. at this moment we feel like the luckiest girls in the world.

after wrapping up for the day we head out into the city in search of more yarn (we've been knitting to keep busy when our only job is listening). after stopping for a quick photo op. in front of some old fast food signs on the side of the road, we find Michael's and stock up on knitting supplies.

back at the monastery we make dinner and then listen to all the songs so far. wow. the smiles on our faces couldn't get any bigger.



DAY SIX: HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPHANIE!!!!!!

we walk into the studio to ric already hard at work. the sounds coming out the door are so wonderful that we think he's working on someone else's music - nope its us! today is steph's birthday and there could be no better gift than sitting here listening to our music come to life.

we've been knitting and listening and listening and knitting. guitars keep coming out. all different sounds. ric records and than maniplulates all the pieces until it sounds just right. all i see is different colors on the computer screen. the way i undertand it is that once we have a rainbow we like, the song is done.

for lunch steph and i go pick up the best indian food i think i've ever tasted. ric suprises steph with an opera cake from a local french bakery and it turns out the be the best cake we have ever tasted in our lives! is everything better here?? or am i just on a major sugar high right now? hmmm.....it could be part of my sugar high making me hallucinate things like steph teaching steven (ric's intern) how to knit. no, its not my imagination at all. he catches on quickly too!

our plan is to go walk around Eden Park when we finish up today. i cant believe it's almost time to go already.

if you were here you might have overheard:

"my eye is twitching" - steph (steven looks at it) "it wont do it while you're looking" - steph
"maybe if i sneak up on it" - steven

"oh that sounds pretty glorious" - ric

a sneak peak at rachael's journal:

wake up. drink coffee. skip shower. get dressed. eat breakfast. drink more coffee...already we have a morning routine here in cincinnati. ten a.m. and time to record.

today we begin with steph recording the acoustic guitar parts to the seven songs we've chosen. how is she awake enough? it's a good thing we aren't singing yet because i sound like marge simpson this morning. steph is alone in the small room we record in so i'm not sure she can feel me sending her all of my good energy. i wish i could be in there to be her cheerleader and show her how awesome she's doing.

in no time at all it's time for a lunch break. eddie izzard offers some comic relief as we eat and just relax together for a few minutes and soon it's time to sing. "this is the fun part" says steph. i'm not so sure.....

i find it incredibly difficult to record vocals all alone in a room without my sister there right next to me. we have a way of reading each other and inherently knowing what the other is going to do without saying it. steph records her vocals first and then i go in and try to match up with her. in a way it almost seems harder because i have to pay extremely close attention to her timing so that my harmony is right on. i know it's not easy for her either though. it's one thing to play for a live audience and know that if you mess up its okay and its not being recorded for everyone to listen to over and over and over again. we want everything to be perfect. although, i keep reminding myself that "better isn't always better".

four o'clock comes and it's time to wrap it up for the day. we will start tomorrow by finishing up the vocals for four more songs.

taking advantage of the little bit of daylight left, we venture out into a part of the city where there's some cute little shops and restuarants :ludlow ave. in the gaslight district. after walking around and shopping a little bit we make plans to meet up with kylie (from the over the rhine message board) and her boyfriend. we have a blast over dinner getting to know them and talking about music, life and love. good people seem to be all around us here in Ohio.

now it's time for bed again. how is it that it feels so so late but in reality it's early for me if i'm still feeling west coast time?

if you were here you might have overheard:

"do you like gold or silver sparkles" (rach) "how can you choose?" (ric)
"there was a time i was addicted to dotted eighth delays" - steven
"it helps to make ugly faces while your singing " - rach
"i need a beer" - steph (sarcastically from the sound booth at a difficult moment during vocal recording)

pieces of rachael's journal:

and then there was rhythm. and it was good.
sly little smiles appear on our faces as we hear Josh lay down the drum tracks today. Steph tells me i should take up drums - it only sounds tempting when she says i could wear a little headset. that way i could get up and dance too. oh and maybe if i can play the drums with my knitting needles. knitting solo??

steph and i have just been sitting and knitting and being blown away. the way one tiny change in the rhythm can make a song feel right on. we are beginning to think ric and josh found their way inside our minds to know exactly how we wanted the songs to feel. before we can finish knitting our scarves, the drums are finished. it's too soon as we really enjoyed getting to visit with Josh. he said he wants to be a farmer when he retires. we'll see how that sounds when he's 65 :)

after our lunch break, ric starts to record the bass. our songs are slowly coming to life. it's like watching your children grow up and mature.

at four we leave to record a radio spot with a friend we met through the online fans of Over The Rhine. brian made the experience comfortable and effortless. we still feel like we sounded retarded but we really are retarded so it all works out.

if you were here you might have overheard:

"ric! she is somebody's daughter!" - josh referring to britney (ms. spears)
"sometimes better isn't better" - ric
"i think i just dropped a stitch" - rach
"great. i smell like tuna again" - steph
"mom's gonna cry when she hears this one" (steph) "o ya, big fat tears" (rach)
"if ya'll are around....i'll probably be somewhere" - stranger at sushi bar

Day One and Two: Excerpts from Rachael's Journal:

Woke up after not sleeping- got ready for eight a.m. flight to Ohio. Time to go. Where is Steph? Sleeping in…her alarm decided to be a tricky little devil but she still made it out the door in time to to rush us to the airport. Settled in our seats for the long day of flying over America. The sun was setting pink and orange over farms and smoky chimneys as we landed in Loisville. Rental car..hour and a half drive from Louisville to Cincinnati for Michael Wilson's photo exhibit/silent auction. We met Ric Hordinski and his wife Karen there and they brought us back to our temporary home. The Monastery. We could live here forever and be happy. After taking pictures with Butler, the sanctuary guard wiemeraner…we went to bed and tried and tried to sleep. Both heads suffered musical nightmares and Steph barely slept at all before her phone alarm struck again. Few sleepy minutes later we realized we were up an hour before we wanted to be. Thanks alarm clock. No really, thanks.

Time for our 10 a.m. start time. The studio is relaxed. Ceiling covered in patchwork tapestry, big rugs over 100 year old floors. Simple black leather couch. Breathe. Now go. So this is how it feels to record your first album. It feels like home. Where's my butcher knife?

The time flies as we lay down scratch tracks for our songs. The rhythm and form for the other musicians to start building on. For now, that's all there is to say about that. We'll just leave you with things you would have overheard, had you been here…..

"Ugh, Foiled AGAIN!" – steph's alarm clock
"Well, there you have it" - steph
"That'll do Pig. That'll do." – rach
"You don't have a camera in here do you?" – steph and rach after doing an Axle Rose dance in the sound booth/room.
"You're Fired!" – Ric when asked to start a track over.
"He was tapping his toe to MY song…..he wrote 'Circle of Quiet!!!" – Rach at a local wine bar after the recording day was over.

Show Review
Hot Java Café - Chris Clark, the Larson Sisters, Matthew Blake
August 11th 2007
By Allison Barnes, SDAM Staff Writer
©Copyright 2007 SDAM.com/Allison Barnes

Why don't more kids eat peanut-butter & jelly sandwiches with a cup of milk at coffee shops? In a warm atmosphere as this, it only makes it more pleasant. Tonight at the Hot Java Cafe, there are three children present- sippy cups and all. They clap enthusiastically after every song, like the perfect audience! There were always a few children in the cafe, and at one time, there were five running around! I have never seen this here, but it's wonderful.
I arrived to the cafe late, but in time to catch Chris Clark. With only his acoustic/electric guitar and voice, he commanded attention. Even the young boy eating potato chips was swaying along to Clark's music.
Clark admitted that he has not been active in the San Diego music scene as he once had been, but he's getting back into things. Because of this, he is playing some older songs, but we have the pleasure of hearing his new pieces as well.
The fifth song he played, as of now untitled, is one he plays for his children as they fall asleep. I cannot explain the joy that is in this room tonight. Two of the five children in here are actually Clark's, bringing an extra appreciation for the music. Honestly, though, the whole room is peaceful and happy tonight. Clark's entire set is wonderful, and it is great to see him playing live.

The Larson Sisters are now playing. They have slightly smoky voices, which compliments the country music they play. One sister (Stephanie, who is also the significant other of Chris Clark, as far as I know) plays guitar and sings, while the other (Rachael) sings harmony. As they are sisters, their voices naturally blend together. It sounded absolutely lovely, giving the music a powerful, yet gentle feeling.
The beginning of their set seemed a bit solemn, with the guitar being finger-picked most of the time. However, a couple of songs later, faster strummed songs appeared in the set. One such song is "The Breakup Song," which is actually a happy song.
If you enjoy country music - whether happy, sad, slow, or fast - you will enjoy hearing the Larson Sisters and their stunning harmonies.

Matthew Blake took the stage next. He, too, sang catchy country music (or, I suppose, folk rock, as his Myspace page states). He had both amazing vocals and guitar skills to back him up, and I really would love to tell him to quit his day job. However, I cannot, as I have no authority to do so. But really, I am surprised that he has not appeared on CMT ("Country Music Television").
By this time, two of my friends had joined me in the cafe. They were blown away as well. While I left after Blake's set, my friends stayed behind to see the Larson Sisters take the stage once more. Blake left an amazing impression on them and myself, testifying of the great evening of music.

well she's the writer. and we miss her!!
here is our sister leah's latest poem...


i need a lens as big as my eyes.

a canvas as wide as the sky.

they will be the keepers of this moment.

the bandit birds, and the sprinklers whispering spray.

with them i will not forget the way,

the leaves are kissing the sun goodnight.

the opal fingers of an early moon,

brushing softly distant fires.

and the words of my love breathing all his soul,

into my hair, my lips, my skin...

this everlasting kiss.

sister day goes something like this: go to the library and browse the used books for sale....smell the old book smell........chat with the volunteer ladies just to listen to their out of place southern drawls in southern california...get frozen yogurt and hear this conversation (lady walks in and asks for taste of yogurt) "wow it's cold" (young boy working the counter) "it's frozen yogurt". then go drool over delicious fabrics and buy a whole bunch of scraps not knowing what they will become but knowing whatever it is will be beautiful. stop by the grocery store and head home to work on music. first things first, open a bottle of wine and share new lyrics and secrets THEN start singing. that, that is a great sister day.

how does it end?

it ends with LOST actually......we may be addicted.

p.s. the wine is called "Bitch". it's Grenache. it's delightful. also, it's gone.