Image: Final artwork for the "Long is the Road" track on the Diamonds Hadder "Beyond the Breakers" record.
Good morning snow birds. I awoke to a blizzard warning in BOK, and it warms my heart. I like these little Friday updates on things. They keep me honest.
Where to start… well, I thought I was huddled in the Lex tower till October, with all my mountain adventures a gear packed away… but, a last winter storm is knocking at my chamber door. Knock Knock.
Dear me, oh what to do… I’m rounding the bend here on the final track and artwork for the release of the first Hadder record but snow flakes and mountain frolics are a delightful poison of mine. To early to tell today… but I may disappear a few days.
For now, let’s talk Hadder.
Music and Artwork: It’s my first week with the “field Notes” narrations safely behind me. This week was lots of behind the scene stuff. A lot of the choirs you here on the record are done by me on my phone, yes, my phone… it’s a long story but I basically move loops from the studio to an app on my phone and that gives me the opportunity to track choirs and choruses where ever I want, some things you hear on the record were tracked by the pacific, some in city traffic, some on mountain look overs. Having said that, once the narrations completed, I started re-tracking some choirs for the final build outs of “The Dead Rabbit”, track. I’m fully engulfed in this now… tracking and finalizing it. In the background of completing that, I’m finalizing all the artwork for each track, getting it ready for release. I had some early imagery on the website for each song, but some were done with artwork from artists that I didn’t have rights for. They were kind enough to let me use the artwork for the time being, but I’ve always had it in the back of my head that I would do my own for each track. And so aside from tracking, I’m doing that. I think I finalized, “Evermore”, “Long is the Road” and “Master of Illusion” artwork this week. I’ve updated the website with the new images… and I have a few more tracks to do before it all comes together. I’m guessing the rest of the artwork will complete just about the same time the final track gets released. It’s all looking good so far. It’s a great feeling to be completing all this work. The day I submit it all for worldly distribution, well, it will be a big chapter closed and a tall “Brimble Weed Ale” for me and Ezra for sure, with extra grass.
Field Notes: I was thinking yesterday. Most of last year I was like a squirrel, collecting food for the winter. My food was art. I was a nerd about it… secretly stashing it all for this year. I knew I would need it to release the record. All that work is coming in quite handy at the moment. The narration releases, the record tracks, merch… it’s coming together for me. Those stockpiles are great to draw upon. It helps me move quicker with tasks this year.
On the same topic. About 2 years ago I was stockpiling ideas for the novel. Stories, characters, events… they came in little doses during my days and nights… little sticky notes and audio recordings while traveling or sitting in the shower. The squirrel that I am I safely tucked them away, not needing to understand what they were or why, but more important was just to grab them before they left my head. That turned into the first 16 narrations you hear on this website. The reason I mention this is because it’s happening again… I’m still collecting. These new little gems are the birth of the next chapter of “Diamonds Hadder”. Although I’m now in record tracking and artwork mode, aiming to finally release the record early this year, I’m quietly stashing little sticky notes and things in new dark places, for the beginnings of Chapter 2. I’ve hinted at a few in recent posts although I haven’t gone into the actual stories or details behind these new ideas or characters. Those writings will come later and who knows, I might be in a new Tower then. The next record might also be based on these narrations as well. Lets not get ahead of ourselves.
Let me end this topic with something that came to me last night. I was sitting in my car after a late night workout, facing the Hollywood sign as this incredible winter storm was rolling into Los Angeles. It was an odd afternoon as I was desperately trying to close out the week and prep for winter mountain travels. Depression was actually trying it’s best to take hold of me, something it often does, but I was a bit to clever for that old dog today. And so I sat there in contempt, contemplating the artwork I spent the morning on and the sierra mountain treks that loomed on my horizon... if I could beat the storm out tomorrow. The Hollywood sign was quite stunning yesterday, on the cusp of a winter dusting which I’m not sure has ever happened at such a low elevation here in BOK. It made me smile as the golden light of the setting sun found it’s last little hole through the coming storm clouds, just to kiss the letters before the rare blizzard. Suddenly “The White Squirrel of Busker Do” popped into my head. I would love to just share all the details of "Busker Do Yong" with you now, although that really would spoil the surprise come chapter 2. I suppose I can say that Hadder and Lord skynn are not alone of their travels to Europa, are they ever? Hmmm.. all students need a Kyon master I suppose. I needed that. Well, wish me luck out there.
Lastly: May you find your own Busker Do. Farewell and stay warm till the storm passes. Long is the road friends.
-j
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