The White Squirrel of Busker Do

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

The Word: 16 Done St

Image: Some Diamonds Hadder poster artwork I did recently.

Good day. A little Friday update on Hadder things.

Narrations: I’m celebrating this weekend. For the most part everything we do in life is so complex with lots of small triumphs that hopefully add up to something larger before we lose interest. It happens. I’ve seen this playout in my life so many times. I was once a solo artist on Virgin records, I once had a photography gallery of my own on the Pacific Coast Highway, I once made 2 progressive metal records signed to a label in Germany, I once lived on a mountain.. I once toured the world working for a famous rock drummer… I once tracked the full moon with a camera and filmed a show about it, along with my life… there were a few other things too. My point is, small steps… hopefully turn into larger strides before the bottom falls out. By bottom I simply mean… life happens and one day you find yourself interested in other things and so you just never know when that happens. Why mention this today… well, I finished my final narration today. 16 narrations and stories for the Hadder tale. Although it seems like a tree falling in the woods that no one really hears or cares about, for me… it’s quite an accomplishment. As was recording the first Hadder record, which was mostly completed last year. I’ve been held up on releasing it as I was sidetracked with winter mountain travels and “Field Note’ narrations. Turning the bend here in mid-February I can finally put the weight of these narrations behind me. All are now on the website and I can shift my focus to record related things. I might take the weekend off to just breathe a little. That was rather intense but I’m so happy they are done. Now I just need to find a video animator to complete the video part of these tales. Let me breath a little first and focus on other things.

Field Notes: The First 4 Narrations: In time I'll release all 16 narrations through this website, with additional info and imagery for each. This "Field Notes" Hader story all started about 4 years ago. That's when the ideas and characters started to come to me... the words and stories started showing up on the website about 2 years ago and now the narrations for the stories have all been released. Regarding these first 4 narrations. Ezra started as me just playing around with blog posts... she was inspired by a TOSA inu dog of mine. Hadder of course was a character I was thinking about for a long time and to some degree seemed to embody me and my struggles in life. I took comfort in letting these characters run with my own imagination, perhaps doing and being the things I wished to be. The first tale introduces Lord Zabble and Skylark who really play a huge role in this tale. It describes who Ezra is and where she comes from.. it also describes the moment that Diamonds Hadder meets Ezra, and for that reason, it's a very important moment in the story. A fitting start. The bond between them is really something special as we soon learn. The second tale called "The Child" talks about the moment Lord Zabble discovers Diamonds Hadder in the black forest, which we latter learn, was no accident. When I was writing it I had a vision of the child humming in the woods with the Warmoths huddled around it, a tune only they sing, which already was hinting to something very special about this child. Something I didn't even know just yet, but I knew the details would come in time. The third and 4th story are really just "Field Notes: taken from Diamonds Hadders travels, in truth they almost all are simply that. Zabble would ask Hadder to write things down for him and so he became quite good at documenting things around Bok, a place in evermore where Lord Zabble resides. Inside Hadders journal are many field notes talking about the land and creatures of Bok and beyond. These were the first 2 I decided to share, both aimed to describe the Warmoths, as I felt they were to play a large role in the story. So for the most part, these first 4 narrations were meant to introduce most of the main characters in this tale. Diamonds Hadder, Ezra, Skylark, Lord Zabble and the Warmoths. Enjoy.

Closing thoughts: Having said all that, I woke in a rather philosophical mood. Oh no, look out. Let me ask you something, have you ever worked on something so hard… and realized that you almost seem to care more about working hard than you do about the thing you’re working hard at. Ha. Being an artist is an interesting trait. sometimes I really thank the stars that I have other things that keep the tower upright, because if it was just art… I just might cut off my own ears. Let me go a little deeper today and talk about foundations and houses today. Foundations were on my mind. I’m a very driven person… so driven sometimes that I can start something… forget why I started it, and just continue building for quite some time. It’s rather funny actually. Artistically robotic. I think we all need to step back and look at the foundation of what we are doing sometimes, at least every 4 or 5 years just to be sure we still like what we see. There’s no question I enjoy what I’m doing, singing especially, but I seem to have come full circle in my life. I had made a choice once, after many years of building a crooked house, that I wouldn’t focus on building obscure structures and towers… yet here I am again. Ha. What is my fascination with obscurity? Am I just a child still? Chasing fantasies that are still trapped in my brain, a closed circuit… looping over and over. There are other things I could be doing. ha Like I said, I awoke thinking about the foundations of my work and how they started and why. About 6 years ago, I was about as far away from building crooked house as anyone could ever be. I recall the drive along the PCH one afternoon when that first thought crept into my head… evermore… it started with such a little thought. So alien to the life I was living… yet it didn’t come and go. It took root. Root enough to bring me to this moment, as I wander the foundation of this little word manifested over years. From the tree that day to a band, to a record, to this first chapter of narrations and characters for a novel. Will I complete it or is there another word that is waiting to find me on my drive today. It’s scary to think a word can change our lives, but at the same time, It’s also quite hopeful.

Anyway, hope your happy on your own foundation, and if not… hope you find the courage to look for land elsewhere and build again. There’s no right or wrong. If a “word” has been knocking on your door a while, let it in. Let it take root… at the very least you might build a crooked tower and have a few crooked parties there. There’s a lot of “words” waiting. Farewell.

Oh yeh, I’ll leave you with a quote from Einstein as it related to crooked houses and foundations “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

-j

Narrations: These are the first 4 narrations in the Diamonds Hadder tale. In time I'll release artwork for each individually, but these really do start the story. More at www.diamondshadder.com/fieldnotes

Bella and the secret door

Image: Some artwork I did that was inspired by the Field Note called "Medlins Door and not another more".

Good day lords and ladies of the lands. February marches along here in BOK. Time certainly is flying by. A little update on things.

Narrations: Well narrations do seem to be the main focus this start of 23. How nice that I’m almost done with them. 2 more completed this week and they were quite special little tales in the Hadder story. Lord Zabble and Skylark found their way to Master Medlins secret chamber and discovered Mattix along the way. It was so nice to hear it all come to life. Sometimes I can’t even believe that stuff came out of me… I don’t even recall where it came from… I was just writing word after word and there it was. As the narrations are completed, I’m starting to see the next Hadder record… it’s there in between the narrations. I can hear the songs. Now that all my characters are on the move in their own little ways, I’ve been painting some larger brush strokes to connect some dots… thinking big picture with this tale. I’ve been taking a lot of notes during these first weeks of 23… lots of new little things happening with these characters, but I cant get to the new tales yet, need to catch up with what I started before I add the new stories that I’m thinking about. Regarding the new narrations I added this week, including the one posted below, I like the relationship of Skylark and Zabble… it happened quite accidentally. Unlike Ezra who I think is a little fiercer and youthful I suppose, skylark has a timid teddy bear quality to her. Perhaps all the years in the castle have tamed her just a bit. She’s afraid of everything. Ezra was inspired by my dog, Bella, a japanese TOSA Inu. Art does really imitate life… you have no idea. Bella is as cool as Ezra and Skylark, and as timid. Ha. Anyway, next week I should be able to finish up the final 2 narrations, “The Letter” and “The Coin Book”. The story is somewhat haging on a ledge at that point… with Lord Skynn and Diamonds Hadder on route to Europa.. and Lord Zabble back at Kilwaughter about to face his own adventures. Before I continue with this tale, I have every intention to switch gears to the music side of this endeavor and release the first record. That is the plan here in early 23. Almost ready to make the switch.

Music: Most of the week, as I was recording narrations with Lito Biskernate, I was also tracking choirs for the last track on the record. New choirs that I had been hearing. I have a working mix of dead rabbit that I haven’t released yet, which is pretty close to done… just a few little vocal days left on it. It’s a fairly epic sounding track and a closer for that part of my life. The dead rabbit on that old hill. A finale of sorts. I am looking forward to all this work I’ve been doing finally being available on all the normal platforms.. for the most part it’s just been a little quiet secret as I was working, without any real promotion or push to expose it to people at all. Other than the Stargazer video, which was just a cover song I did before I started working on the record. It’s all a process, like anything in life.

Last words: I had a dream earlier in the week… It woke me in the middle of the night, I was rehearsing with some band in a large building, like a storage area. There was a moment in the dream when I was running back and forth on the stage jumping on these large canopies... filled with air… it was the strangest thing, I was almost flying left to right. I have odd dreams sometimes. The highlight of the dream was this moment when the new guitarist was kind of fiddling with his guitar, noodling around as he was still plugged in and loud… I started singing this strange song with a very distinct and simple melody, just me and him. It was like a strange Viking campfire song… it was so pretty and beautiful. I remember the whole building of people kind of stopped. It was a cool moment. I woke just at that moment… still humming this melody, I quickly grabbed my phone humming and recorded it before it left my body. I hope to use it for the next record. Why mention this? Well, why not. I think our dreams are more than just dreams. And in this world, a little dream can go a long way. I don’t know the reason for them, but they must come from somewhere… they just must. I don’t think I’ll be flying on stage but that little melody… hmmm… I wonder about it. I wonder where it really came from. Anyway, good day to you in February… the winter sun is a little brighter each day now. Spring is already on the march, just below the surface of your world. Imagine that. Dream on.

-j

Image: A narration for "Medlins door and Not Another More", the moment Zabble finally discovers Medlins secret library. More at www.diamondshadder.com/fieldnotes