10.06.09
It's been a busy past few weeks, for a seemingly useless period of time in my life. A time in between any new releases and activity. Yet, a time where I'm unable to be on a break and relax. Yet a time when I'm not even hard at work finishing my 3rd album. It's just a place in time and space, a day is a night is a day. And I'm just trying to figure out what my next move is.
The reason I'm not in the studio finishing up the album is mainly because I'm trying to get away from it. I feel the need now to revamp things.
My good friend Jimmy Gnecco (from the band Ours) was here last week for a while, and though many of you are expecting him to be featured on this new album, that isn't the case. At least not as of today. His visit was for insight, and for old friends catching up. For peace of mind on a personal level. And to just listen. To listen to each other. And to listen to the music I've made in the last year. He listened and we talked. And I explained and he told me his thoughts.
He pointed to his arm when he got goosebumps, and he turned the reverb off when he hated it. He pushed the vocals up in parts, and made me cut other sections of the songs all together.
He is one of the few people on this earth I trust. And so we worked in a small frame of time on making some sense of these songs.
What I'm left with now is still a mess (age). I've realized some things that I hadn't before. I was just too far into this to tell. And yes things got pushed into next year, but that wasn't going to make the album make sense. It still needs to be finished. At least now virgin ears have come in and given me some form of perspective.
It's no longer about making the 'perfect' album. Fuck that. It won't happen. It's about making a good record that will make me happy. This will be very difficult to do since the majority of what's been recorded doesn't make me happy, it just was something I thought made sense. But it doesn't.
I'm unable to go back an start again due to contractual obligations, and due to budget/money. And timeline. But more so money, since I don't have much of it anymore. A year's worth of recording, mixing and gear take its toll.
So I'm going to try to reassess the album and make some changes after I've taken a little time to look in other directions. I'm hoping for some new inspiration. Something to make it the old make sense, and the new ideas bring me some satisfaction.
It's not going to be the next OK Computer, so all the radio stations and magazines that keep building this thing up can just stop saying that. It will just be a record. A good one, yes. But not worth the time it took. That was just my head, fucking me up and making me stumble. Not brilliance.
Since Jimmy left a week ago I haven't gone back to work on any music. I was in Toronto for a couple days busking for War Child. Thank you to anyone who donated this year. It was really cold, and unforgivingly windy. It took me days to warm back up. But, all for a good cause so we're all glad we could be a part of it for the 3rd year.
I'm happy it's October. It just feels good to be in this month. And to look towards the next while ahead, my most favourite time of year. Oct/Nov/Dec. Welcome. This will help me I know it. My connection to the weather and seasons always effects my music.
All for now.
xo
~d.v