Image info: A still from the "Rivers End" music video I've been working on quietly.
Let me start with a story.
It was Saturday morning, and I hadn’t seen rain in months. When I first arrived at The Oaks, it seemed to rain for two months straight, but I had forgotten what rain was. I was waiting on a package Friday night—some Breakers vinyls from over the pond—but they were delayed. I suspect the driver was a little spooked by where he was delivering the boxes. It gets very dark here. I imagine he just called it quits late into his route rather than walk the wooden planks up into the dark forest where I live.
I was a bit disappointed. I hadn’t really seen one of the Breakers vinyls yet, and the thought of them sitting on a truck in Reseda overnight was fresh on my mind throughout the night.
When I woke, it was raining again—just in time, I suppose. I do think my Breakers record brought the rain. I walked along the wet wooden planks outside my cabin, down the pathway through the forest… and then… there they were. Dripping in the cold morning canyon weather, guarded by the wolf, or so I imagine.
The only thing missing was a crack of thunder as I came upon them.
At last, they had come home.
Well, let me catch you up on some things. First, the raccoons came back. I no longer have Koi fish. Ain’t that a bitch.
In other news, I thought I might have the new LITR video done before my next update, but I’m still working on the details, so I figured I’d give you another update today. A lot has been happening.
Beyond the Breakers: Double Vinyl News
First and foremost, the Beyond the Breakers double vinyl is now available on No Remorse Records. Feel free to head over to No Remorse and grab one. From what I understand, the special run of 100 copies with red vinyl has sold out, but the black vinyl versions should still be available. CDs are also available.
As you may have read, I spent a lot of time earlier this year working on the artwork for the vinyl—especially the insert, which is filled with words and photographs representing important moments in the record's creation. We did run into a bit of an issue with the record’s runtime not fitting on a single vinyl, so we decided early on to go for a double vinyl instead. I’m so glad we did—it really looks and sounds special. It’s a lot like unwrapping a record from years ago. There was a ton of attention given to the artwork and layout, and it adds something extra to the overall experience of the album.
Now, it finally feels like the Beyond the Breakers record is complete to me. It took a while, but that’s just how things go sometimes. I hope you enjoy it.
LITR Music Video News
Well, it’s come a long way over the last two months or so. It takes time, but I’m now well into the final details. It’s interesting to me how similar music and video are, especially when you get to those final coats of paint—sharpening this, adding slight details to that, or deleting and restarting a section that just isn’t working.
I often talk about the invisible thread I sense when recording a song, and the same is true for me when working on a video. Everything needs to connect in some way, and I lose sleep over the little things: a shift in color, the length of a clip, or a flash of something that doesn’t feel quite right. I can spend three hours on 10 seconds of video, only to throw it all away in a single click and start over the next day. Nothing bothers me more than a broken thread.
Aside from the LITR video, I’ve somehow also started working on a River’s End music video—completely by accident. One day I was inspired by something, and I had an artsy idea for a video. So… it just started happening. You might even see a River’s End video before the end of the year. We’ll see. The idea behind it doesn’t really require film shoots like the LITR or Dead Rabbit music videos do (or did), so it’s coming together a bit faster.
In the meantime, I’m finalizing the LITR details most nights this November, and it will be released soon—so long as the invisible thread stays unbroken.
Interviews
With the new vinyl release, I’ve done three new interviews this month. As they’re published over the next two months or so, I’ll be sure to share them here.
There were some interesting questions and topics, and it’s always great to dive deeper into the Breakers story. In one of the interviews, Mr. Evermore even stepped in to answer a few questions, offering a slightly different perspective on the creation of the Breakers.
Closing Thoughts
I’ve had a lot of time to think lately. Holding the Breakers vinyl in my hands is quite the feeling. Time is a wonderful thing—if you can stand it.
Don’t worry about it, my friends. Just listen to that whisper in your yard and do your best to softly chip away at what it’s telling you to do. You’re given a choice every day, no matter how far you’ve wandered down the wrong path, and that choice can only be made by you.
Maybe today is the day. What do you think?
Shhhh... listen...Did you hear that?
Happy Holidays.
Farewell,
-Your friendly neighborhood Dead Rabbit