a Tiny Morsel
So, we’ve finished up all the writing for the new record — sixteen songs to be recorded in early June. I’m real excited about the new material. What follows is just a simple acoustic demo, but I cannot wait for y’all to hear it in its full arrangement. It is the last song written for the record and I’m real pleased about how it touches on and ties together metaphors and themes that run through-out the other songs. I hope you like it.
with Scribbled Lines (demo) [3.9mb] [mp3]
Winter Button Up
So the autumn has come and gone and the winter is near over and I’d imagine our seven fans have been on the utter edge of their seats awaiting news from Notes and Scratches headquarters. This is what’s been happening:
Q-town has split-town. Our mild-mannered, oft-bearded friend and pedal steel player Steve has departed for the cool climbs of the Rocky Mountains. I miss him. Our music misses his talents. We all wish him the best and have heard he’s doing well out there and that is so so great.
We are working on our second record. At a snail’s pace. We’re trying to figure out how to get our momentum going ‘cos at this rate it will take seven years to finish. But the expiration date on these songs is April 07 so we gotta get it in gear. Hopefully we’ll soon be able to post a song that we recorded in autumn.
We have a new member. The crazy talented Whitney Johnson has joined our ranks and will be playing viola, accordion, and singing. We are more than a little delighted to be making songs with her and y’all are gonna be floored when you hear her bowing the crow outta her fiddle.
We have a big fun show coming up. Four bands, 1000 one inch buttons, one night only — Tense Forms Winter Button Up. Come on out! Whitney is making her debut with us and even my folks are driving in from Detroit for it. After all those years of practicing in their basement, I think they now miss the dangerous decibels and the ribs rattling!
Then mid next month we’re playing with our lovely friends the 1900s! But, I promise to post here a bit in the meantime. I promise! Hope all are well and that we see you soon…
bringmayflowers — My Finest Words
This video is our performance of My Finest Words from the closing night of bringmayflowers, shot by Lucas Merino. It was a wonderful event, such a pleasure working with the cats from the House Theatre, and a joy to sing with so many folks. At the end of the clip, I finally get what’s coming to me.
Things will be quiet for the next couple months as we dig in and start work on our second record. But before there is quiet, there will be loud.
Home Safe and Thanks!
There are various reasons to travel — curiosity, variety, inspiration, out of boredom, but I think these most lead to the same end: We want to return home somehow changed; to re-enter our lives and see with new eyes.
We wrapped up two and half weeks on the road last night with a homecoming show at the Empty Bottle and while I’m unsure how drastically my eyes are changed, it was so wonderful to be home, to see our friends and sing to them.
That said, tour was very kind to us. No trouble with the van, only one negative experience with a club and so many opportunities to see friends and family, meet new friends, play with great bands and glimpse how cats like us are making their lives in other towns. We are deeply grateful for all the kindness shown to us while we traveled; we ate well, we were graciously taken into to people’s homes, kids clapped when we played our songs and sometimes bought our records.
And now home. I am exhausted today but lighthearted.
This is a video taken by Betsy in Chapel Hill of us playing Rainbow Connection.
Thank you Jeanne and Bob and the Water Thieves and Mon Frere and Jonah and Kate and the Tower kids and Brian and David and Mary Claire and Ian and Cara and Jessica and Michael and Kerry and Ana and Lejuene and the Galaxy Hut and Roy and Sue and Zoe and Nicole and Zero and the Trekky kids and all the wonderful cats at the Werehouse and Autopassion and Shannon and Monty and Ben and Elle and Rufus and Stone Jack Jones, for all your hospitality.