We've missed feeling like a whole band for a while.  With our member changes and new record sitting idle for a while now, our strength as a band was beginning to suffer.  We've finally got ourselves back on track, and are ready to move ahead with our new name, new record, new members (Jim was a founding member originally I guess, but...whatever), and new mission.  

People rarely understand that “Apparently Nothing” is indeed our name, and we are not, in fact, saying that we “apparently do not have a name.”
Made even more impossible is giving someone the name over the phone. We’ve ended up on flyers before simple as “Nothing.”
I’m sick of the inherent disrespect of someone mistaking our name and calling us “Absolutely Nothing”. Once in a blue moon would be fine, but once a show?
Definitely Something, Apparently Something and all other puns that would normally be considered a compliment if it wasn’t for the fact that we’ve heard them 1,000 times.
The name just isn’t marketable. If I want to make a living off my music some day I’m going to need the following: A great band (I’ve got that, clearly) and a name that isn’t something that is mentioned in passing and forgotten. See 1 and 2.
We’ve had some line-up changes. See below.
We want to start fresh with the new record we recorded with Art Alexakis of Everclear.

The Usual Things
Aaron
Jim
Layne

More Changes

The New Album

First and foremost, be it belated, thank you to all the familiar faces as well as new ones we saw at the loft last saturday. You made our first show being back from Portland a fantastic one. We hope you liked some of the new material (and rewritten old material) as well. It was a blast and it's always great to hang out with the guys in Noris who we've been becoming good friends with. Noris, Pasiflora, Windsor Drive, Agnes The Mother, and As Above So Below all put on great shows too, and made the night that much better.

On another note, we're still hard at work getting all of our "ducks in a row" so to speak, for the release of our next full length that many of you know, we recorded out in Portland with the lead singer of Everclear, Art Alexakis, producing. We've been getting asked constantly when we'll be releasing it, and we want to set the record straight and let you all know that once we feel that the timing is right and we've prepared everything we need to, it will be available. That could be months, it could be longer, but just keep in mind that this album is special to us for many reasons and we have bigger things planned than a local release, not that it isn't you local fans who always come first. You'll be the first to know the moment we've decided when that date will be.

Also, AN will be playing more or less sporadic shows in the coming months as we regroup ourselves, get back on our strict rehearsal schedule, and earn our chops back from being "out of commission" for so long. Be sure to catch a show when you can! We miss all of you more than you could imagine.

So that's it for now. I know it was a long blog, but we had to update you on AN's status, so that you didn't lose sleep. Right? We should be getting a video update on here as soon as possible. Sorry for being so slow on doing that. Take care all you rock n roll goons!

-Layne

originally posted on Oct. 12th by Aaron at www.apparently-nothing.com (this is the last of the previous entries that we had to update our MySpace page with. check back frequently for updates in the next 6 days!)


Wouldn't you know it… I'm in Seattle again. My brother just flew in to Portland. We rented a car and high-tailed it to Seattle to have a look around. Something about a Packers/Seahawks game tomorrow. After seeing every fucking bar that this town has to offer we're in a hotel lobby just looking for an excuse not to go to bed.

I enjoyed the night and seeing what the town has to offer tonight. I think tomorrow I'm headed to the Experience Music Project. Allegedly it's like the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame but more interactive. I really miss he midwest though.

I've talked of moving out here before. I've since realized that I'm full of shit. That's an odd realization to have when somewhere you've idolized falls flat. Don't get me wrong though, it's a great city. Just not the city.

And that, to me, is what our newest album is about. It's called the "Middle Coast". It's about a longing for something more. The grass is always greener.

Until you get there.

-Aaron

originally posted on Oct. 6th by Aaron at www.apparently-nothing.com


Today we finished the guitars to Don't Go Falling Asleep. It's going to break some hearts in two.

You'll always have more plans than memories
Now that the summer breeze cuts through the cemetery trees
I'm falling asleep, yeah you're really gonna hate me.
All the nights.
All the streets
Lead to the hospital sheets.

Did you really wanna be with me?
I can't believe you wanted to be with me.
I'm falling asleep now,
Barely falling asleep now.

All your friends say that they're leaving you.
They laughed at all the silly things you wanted to do.
I'll follow your ghost down to the west coast
I'll leave today, I'll be that cliche.

Did you really wanna be with me?
I can't believe you wanted to be with me.
I'm falling asleep now,
Barely falling asleep now.

-Aaron

originally posted on Oct. 5th by Aaron at www.apparently-nothing.com


The sounds we're getting out here are really great. Charlie's been playing the Gold-top Les Paul that Alexakis has used on both So Much for the Afterglow and Sparkle and Fade.

The song I'm most proud of on the album though is one called The Middle Coast. It's really been moving everyone in rehearsals and elsewhere. It's going to be an acoustic track that's really quite quiet.

Mary left me the house and three kids.
She took her life
And took everything with it
We moved to the west coast
It's the same as the east coast.
Running around, following your ghost.

Tell me what you want and, baby,
If it's good.
I'll give you all the things that I know I should.
I miss you most in the mornings.
Come this time next year, baby, I'm still mourning.

I gave you my life
And I was happy with it
Spend six years, yeah, to find you don't know shit
I know deep down I was a good man
I know, I know, I know, I know, I was the best man…

Tell me what you want and baby if it's good
I'll give you all the things that I know I should
I miss you most in the mornings
Come this time next year, baby, I'm still mourning.

-Aaron

originally posted Oct. 4th by Aaron Shekey at www.apparently-nothing.com

Not many people can pinpoint the moment their life changes, certainly not when it's a moment as trivial as hearing a song for the first time. The song was "Strawberry" by Everclear.

I must have been 9 at the time, watching my brother play Zelda in the living room while listening to his CDs, the way we always did. The song had been cut short by my leaving to go to hockey tryouts or some such.

At the time, I suppose I didn't think much of it. Just another song. Just as good as any other. But in the days that followed I had the chorus line in the back of my mind, "don't fall down now, you will never get up."

And so started my passion for music. Sparkle and Fade became the first CD I'd owned. When your mantra becomes "don't fall down, you will never get up," things start to happen.

So around 9 months ago I sent Art a myspace message asking if he'd be interested in producing our next album. He was. The next day was spent talking to him on the phone about what we wanted to get out of the project.

Months of phone calls, demos, and new songs later, we're here in Portland at Jackpot! Recordings. Dean Baskerville's pulling engineering duties with Derek assisting. Art has been pretty integral in arrangements of songs.

More updates to follow. Let's hope this is another defining moment.

-Aaron

Sorry we haven't been posting our recording blogs to MySpace as we should have. We understand that a lot of you have probably never visited our official website, www.apparently-nothing.com. If you still don't feel like visiting, I'll compile the few previous studio blogs from there and put them in this one blog. We have a week left in the studio and are finishing up guitars and vocals. My job in the studio is done, so I'll be sure to plug in and keep you guys updated while in the control room listening to the other guys lay down parts.




Here's the first and oldest of the blogs.

After a quick breakfast with Art on Tuesday (the 30th), we setup in Jackpot studios, and spent a majority of the day getting great drum tones. We've been working with Art, his engineer Dean (who we've nicknamed Deanosaurus) and his assistant engineer and also Art's front of house guy, Derek, who's one hilarious dude. We've been doing everything live, to get the "basics" (drum and bass) for each song before we dive in with overdubbing guitars and percussion. It's been a great time so far and we've since finished the basics to 7 songs. We'll be finishing the rest of the basics in the next couple of days before our bassist flies out on the 5th.

The sessions haven't been free of shennanigans though, including Art wearing my halloween mask, which is a detailed replica of a viking (no not the football team). We've caught a lot on video, but there is definitely more to come in the next weeks.

There's something about playing on the same snare drum that Sparkle and Fade was tracked on, or seeing my lead guitarist rocking Art's gold top Les Paul from the same sessions. It's a full circle experience and we couldn't be more fortunate. I'll be back soon with another update. Hopefully we'll have internet once we check out of the Hostel we're staying at right now.

-Layne

originally posted on Oct. 4th by Layne at www.apparently-nothing.com

We're already a few days into this thing. There is one surprise for the hardcore fans who have been with us from the beginning, which actually is turning out quite nice. The album looks to be about 11 songs, a couple from our EP, two oldies (reworked of course), and then new material. Even with the live guitar takes that will be discarded and overdubbed, it's still sounding great.

It's been a good experience going through and making changes to songs, especially the few that we've been playing now for years. It's like writing new songs all over again in fact, and I've never felt so out of my element in the studio (which is a good thing of course). We can't wait to have it finished.

Portland is kind of a "crunchy" town (as they say here), and we've had nothing but really weird run ins and experiences at the hostel we've been staying at. In all fairness though, there is a great sense of community and selflessness.

More to come.

-Layne