Image: Some artwork I liked from an unknown artist. Aren't we all.
Good morning, it’s Friday in July. A little progress update as I inch closer to my personal deadline and pack for a little pilgrimage.
Music: I’m working on the final song now. “Long is the Road” came out great BTW. Well… great enough for me… the mix goes by me and that’s really all that matters. When you have 50 things to do, you learn to not get caught up on the little things. The bigger picture allows for a little lee way and compromise. That track is now in a simmer mode where I just cruise around listening to it while life passes me by. I’m in the land of the Dead Rabbit now. In every way shape and form. From what I can tell, it takes about 3 to 4 weeks on average to go through a song and complete it. During that time I enter into some kind of dance with the song, surrounding myself with the key structures and scales and patterns of the track. Building bones for flesh. I’ve been in ‘Long is the road” mode for the last month so transitioning into the rabbit lyrics and melodies was a pleasant turn of events. The last track… wow… exciting. So why do I call it “The ballad of the Dead Rabbit”, well… because that is what the wolf called me. I saw a wolf one day driving through the canyon, it was a wolf like a cloud, and he was talking to me about the end of the life I was living. What else would a wolf call a little pesky human…. But a dead rabbit. That’s how he saw me. I was dead to him I suppose, of course I couldn’t see the future as he did.
“Tears they fall like winter leaves, call me the master of the weeds, tending the garden once a week, shame somethings we can never keep.”
I think even then I knew something was happening to me and there was an overall feeling that it was all out of my control. I held on as long as I could then. Anyway, I’m sure you’ll hear more about the dead rabbit over the next few weeks. You might even see some video from the Tyme Seer of what he looked like. Aside from all that, Ramsay material and Cover song material and field notes are all on Holiday while I zero in on the Rabbit melodies and bring this song to life once and for all. I am however very excited to get back to some of that other work. Tic toc.
Other little things: Yes, I caught a bad virus and was delirious for a few days wandering around in a sweaty dream. Ezra lay by my bed side shaking me once and a while just to make sure I was still coming back. I saw Zabble there, he was writing something and mumbling. I missed him. He didn't seem worried. Anywho... I survived. It’s been a few days now as I piece things back together and get back to work. The tower is a little dusty with wire clippings, dry flower pedals and moondust but it's back in order now.
Artwork: Most of the initial commissions for artwork have been completed, I finally have a nice rendition of Ezra and Skylark for the novel. This one came by accident as some fan art from Lord Dullahan. The best things in life come as a surprises indeed. Born without commissions, but simply brought to life by sitting still and listening to the wind. Thank you lord Dee. I have the final full spread for the record that is being painted soon by an amazing artist from Oregon, pretty excited about that. 2 page. Such a piece will take a month or so… and I also have a few other commissions that are due on the 10th of July. I’m still not sure of the cover, perhaps it will be the painting or perhaps it will be one of these other pieces I’ve had done… or something entirely different. For now I’m in music writing mode for one last push, I’ll worry about the cover when it’s time to worry about the cover.
Finally, a little pilgrimage is happening this week. I’ll take the rabbit mixes with me to the white peak. Maybe I’ll see a wolf out there again and ask him what's next. That’s all for now.
Be well.
-j
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