The Furious Road

Image: Some Diamonds Hadder artwork by the very talented artist Jack Dullahan. Check out his work @dracarysdrekkar7 Thank you Lord Dullahan.

Good morning, it’s Friday in June after a nice full moon. A little update on things as I approach the final bend of this record. It was good week for tracking and for hatching plans. The record is coming together on many fronts, it’s not just the orchestrations and mixes and final touches on the music… it’s the cover and the artwork and the rest of the picture. Lets start with the music.

Record Progress: So, let me take you back a little. I first thought about this endeavor, the morning I awoke after I had the dream about Mr Evermore, shortly before the fire that burned down my life… I completed the first half of it then…. "Evermore", "Master of Illusion", "Ballad of The Dead Rabbit" and "The Crying Game" all were written in that place that is now gone. Where I once sat creating the first brush strokes of this picture… well, it’s not even ashes anymore. It’s earth and spring flowers. At some point I joined a band called TOR and a new batch of ideas and songs came from that season of my life… “Rivers End”, “City of Fire” and “Long is the Road” as well as about 5 others that lie still in my towers of papers and poems. I mention all this because I’m currently solving the riddle of the last track for the record called “Long is the Road”.

It goes way back with me… after the fires I found myself in a place called 200 north, in the city of BOK. It was there I started penning the lyrics to the track… however, the chorus melody of this track was never felt right, not sure why… even then it took months to crack the vocal code on the original TOR demo recordings. When I started tracking the final version for the official TOR record a few months before we broke apart, again I found myself in the same dilemma regarding the chorus. Fitting melodies to words and syllables is no easy task for a song writer and it can leave you with some sleepless nights. After the TOR season passed, I was left with the decision of what to do with these songs…. And so rather than let that season of my life go unheard, I continued on under the “Diamonds Hadder” banner. I re-tracked all the music that came from the TOR season. It was a daunting task and I did my best to steer away from the original music when I could. I was somewhat locked into tempo and key as most of the vocals were already tracked. It was a backwards way of doing things but I did my best. Luckily I can play a few instruments and so it all worked out. For the most part I let the song just be the song in the end… most of the music under the vocals are based on simple traditional key structures and so I had some lee way to bend and shift things around on guitar. There were some parts that just needed to be close to the way they were. There is a magic in music, a sound in its conception, it’s almost like a spell and it conjures improved words and vocal patterns and sometimes the feeling and things it first invoked is unavoidable. As a vocalist… a song was imagined, written and performed to this first idea and so I had to stay on that road the best I could. So why mention all this now…

Well, because I think I finally cracked the code for my rendition for “long is the road” earlier this week. At least that’s what my ears are telling me today. I have a session tonight to go through the last little vocal details of it, but spirits are high and an immense sense of accomplishment is swirling in my heart. This was the largest bend left on the trip to Didion bay.. that place where I end this first season of the Hadder journey. A few small hills remain, the “Dead Rabbit”, which was actually the song I started just before the fire… and which will ultimately close out that part of my life. It’s rather fitting to it all that I revisit that track last, that wolf in the clouds… that changed my life. I still see it etched in my brain. Perhaps he will make an appearance on the back of the record cover.

Anyway, things are good on the music front. In 30 days or so all the tracks, in their various mix stages, will be available for download. While I then begin the task of Album design and layout for the First official Diamonds Hadder “record”… and of course rehearsal and some of the more fun stuff associated with a record release.

Artwork: I’m doing my best to hold back on releasing some of the artwork I’ve commissioned. Artwork is a lot like songs, you might commission 10 or 15 pieces till you find the 7 that are just right. And that’s exactly what I am doing. Let’s just say I have some cool ideas for the record and some great artists are involved in it. I think some of these new relationships could linger on for years, at least I hope so.

Field Notes: I thought I would mention today that I really miss my field notes, although the Diamonds Hadder novel is close at heart… I can’t return to it until I have closure on this 1st record. I do however dream about it a lot and so many new ideas and things and characters have crossed my mind and found their way to little sticky notes around my home. I’m really looking forward to diving back into this story and the events of Hadder and evermore…. Perhaps during my pilgrimage later this year, which is looking to be a new adventure in unfamiliar lands. For now, I think it best to focus on this book, between records. If your new here, feel free to read the first few pages of the “Diamonds Hadder’ tale… all signs are pointing to this novel turning into some strange opera or play of sorts in the future. Who knows, lets just get through today today.

That’s all for now. Hope your enjoying your “Stranger Things” in June.

-j

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/77466a_814d7596958f433598ac7eb7a9c9090f/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Video Info: The working solo for "Long is the Road" to some Furious footage from Mad Max..

The Death Cult Rising

Image Info: An album cover from an old friend: Hippie Death Cult

Good Morning, it’s a Hippie Friday. I was on a little week long pilgrimage away from the tower and so here’s a little update on hadder things and some other fun stuff.

It’s a full June here in Bok. Oh the hills are magical this time of year. So intoxicating in fact that the ghosts do pull me away from the daunting work and grind of Hadder things. But it’s ok, life is seasons… and hadder is no different.

Record Artwork: Well, the first round of artwork is in for the new hadder record. I’ve shared a few sketches and things so far. To date I have 4 pieces completed, 2 outstanding and another 4 yet to commit to, I also commissioned one larger piece for the cover of the record and I’m imagining a concept for that piece. That piece will take 2 to 3 months to complete. It’s a rather larger piece and it will most likely grace the cover of the Album. Unless some of these other commissions take center stage instead. I’ll wait till all the artwork is done before I choose a cover. A cover is important. It’s the door to forever.

Music: Well, I’ve been busy. The orchestration for “Long is the Road” has kept me very occupied… more so than some of the other songs for sure. I’m not sure exactly why, although I suspect it has to do with the chorus of the song, which has been quite the little puzzle filled with many odd little pieces that are slowly but surely coming together. It has not been easy connecting these dots. But, I will say… it’s quite a piece of work. Overall the record is nearing some final weeks of contemplation and tweaks… I hope it all finishes in time, but to be honest it doesn’t really really matter if it goes longer. Does it? No. Life is about the journey, not the destination… remember? And this record is forever now, hardly defined by a few days more if needed. I’m guessing it will be a soft release as I then have so much more to decide upon, labels, release, art, merch, rehearsals… there’s a lot behind the scenes to something like this, so we’ll see what shakes from the tree.

The Death Cult: Well, lets talk about something else. Recently a good friend of mine toured through Bok for a little earth shattering show downtown. I played music with him years ago in LA, so it was nice to catch up. A jolly young chap is he. I thought it would be nice to share some of his music today. He’s quite the guitarist, although really, he’s amazing at a lot of things. There’s a certain kind of beautiful insanity that comes with all the work involved with making music with a band, recording and writing records, touring, advertising, merch… the list goes on and on… and this guy is certainly sitting at his own throne of sorts…. Surveying the land and planning his assault. He’s always been that way and I admire that about him. His new band is called Hippie Death Cult. I’ve added some links to his music. Give them a good listen, I promise this music all comes from an amazingly positive and uplifting place in the universe, born with the most humble and honest intention. I mean, who doesn't wear shoes in the city, but the most grounded. I’ve had my share of run ins with characters in time, and this guy is certainly a lord his is own tower. Love you Ed. Stay the course brother.

Other things: A quick heartfelt thank you to some of the artists who took time to work of Hadder related things. Thank you so much for your talents and energy. I’ve had a great few months here in this new tower, it’s not quite as eventful as the magic space behind door 408, but it’s a different season for me. I’ve come to appreciate the many seasons we walk through on the quest of art, each has a purpose and each plays a part in the sculptures we create. There’s a peace in the tower that I haven’t felt in a while.. so many pages left to write… so many songs left to sing. So many ages said the night… so many wrongs turned to things.

Thank you for reading and for following along. See you soon.

-j

The Wolf and the Fire

Image Info: Some Diamonds Hadder artwork from comic artist and illustrator Julius Stroehlein. I love a good story. Amazing artist. Check him out online @juliusstroehlein_artist

Good morning, it’s Friday and the fog is thick this weekend in a good way. Which means a quick little update while I frolic in the hills above BOK.

Music: I’m steady into the “Long is the Road”… it’s just about done and I’m thinking quietly on the final “Ballad of the Dead rabbit” song edits while I do a lot of hilltop traveling with Ezra. I’ve been thinking about some piano for the track… as I play a lot of piano in my spare time. It’s the final song to close it all out and I might really strip it down to the simple lyric which always meant so much to me.

“I saw a wolf last night… in a dream… it rode the smoke from the fire that I set… it spoke in tongues I’m yet to understand, but one thing was clear, it said that we’re… headed for the end.”

It was a lyric I wrote one afternoon as the sun was setting on the hillside. I had a strange feeling that there was a giant wave about to crash on me… little did I know it was a fire that was racing to the hills. It hadn’t started yet, but I could feel it. I didn’t understand the lyrics then, but I saw a wolf in the clouds above the hills… I was having strange dreams then… in my room in the loft, when Mr. Evermore first showed his face to me around that time. Somehow I have to bring this all together, Diamonds Hadder, Tor, The Fire, The story of a who and a why I long to create this piece of art.. all in the wake of so much lose that fell on me during the start of this. This is the best kind of art… art with honest purpose, art with closure and finality. Anyway, lets just say I’m steering the ship straight ahead and enjoying some fog these days in “almost” June.

Stargazer Crew Covers: Just finalizing all my vocals now that I have the master tracks. This is just fun side stuff between all the Hadder work. It’s great for keeping my voice in shape on those lonely nights when I’m burned out and just want to sing… for the sake of singing. It also gives me an opportunity to study and learn more tricks from the masters, which I can never get enough of. These 2 new cover songs will be out this year… so not much to say other than I’m tracking and it will be released soon.

Art Commissions: Behind the scenes of the Hadder world, there is art. Commissions are taking place for various pieces of art for the story of Diamonds Hadder. To some degree the photography associated with Hadder is an art and almost painting like. I don’t really see Diamonds Hadder as a band, I see it more of an uncompleted story. A thing. A visual. A fable. An idea sketched into the brain… not to be taken to seriously, but at the same time… to take you away maybe to that place when you need a simple break. A break from the NRA and the Monsters overseas who kill woman and children for land, and then justify it. Little ole me, I’m a story teller iz all… painting pictures with sounds and color. I dabble in the dark and the light, the hope and despair and the happy and the sad. Today I share a piece of art from an amazing artist who is doing a few pieces for me, I’m honored that he is helping me tell the story of Diamonds Hadder with his very own talents. I’m forever appreciative to all the artist that are working with me on various pieces of art and I’ll be sharing it all along the way in time.

I suppose that’s it for today, I’ll keep it short and foggy. Embrace the people around you today, they are precious… and then go look out the window, lots out there to see.

Farewell

-j