The Album is Dead. Long Live the Album!

Reflective. i’m going through this year to find out what went right, what went horribly wrong, and where i’m headed next … it’s been a year of curveballs, laughter, triumph over adversity … and adversity personified.

Reflective. i’m going through this year to find out what went right, what went horribly wrong, and where i’m headed next … it’s been a year of curveballs, laughter, triumph over adversity … and adversity personified.

I didn’t really create a lot this year. it seems to be a theme among other artists i know. something in the stars, maybe? but the reflection, the presentation and the performances have combined to make for an interesting template to base the next adventure upon …

So in the early part of the year, i was planning to release my album and tour it through Ontario and Quebec, then on to Winnipeg and westward to Vancouver. I booked dates, talked to all kinds of people who might help make this happen for me, and i met some amazing advocates along the way … and some who didn’t really do anything at all except for cause me a LOT of stress. One thing i’ve learned, and it’s pretty obvious to anybody in this business of indie music/art/anything creative, is that nothing works based on the old model anymore. NOTHING works. even things that should work, hypothetically, they don’t work anymore either. I also learned that just because people say the right things, it doesn’t mean they will follow through. And ultimately, i re-learned some things i’ve always known: you have to trust your gut. your first impressions are always right. and when your gut tells you to cut and run — just do it, before it comes back to bite you in the ass! i’m not going to get into any mud-slinging or name-calling, no finger pointing accusations … suffice to say, i’ve learned my lesson. re-learned it actually. and to those at whose hands i suffered the most, let me say this: my friends and loved ones made this year happen for me, not you, so g*&^$**^$&*yourselves. i think it was G.W. Bush who so eloquently said: “fool me three times, i won’t get fooled again” and to that i say … yeah. amen. just goes to show you: in the life of the spirit, you are always at the beginning. at the end of the day, you go back to the beginning: it was about the music, the camaraderie, the mutual admiration, and fuck the trolls. i’ve learned my lesson well.

One of the cool things about planning the tour was that my cousin, Matthew Davies, and I had decided it would be good to play together. Matt and i are close to the same age, a couple of years apart, both dyed in the wool studio-rats of the highest order — and had i not been living in Los Angeles through the 1980's and 1990's, we likely would have done this sooner. however, it was good timing this year as his band, Monkey Fightin’ Snakes, had also just released an album and we thought it might be cool if we did some shows together. So this is how Matt Davies became the hardest working man in my band this year: working at his studio during the day, playing with his band and then mine in brief succession … making it through with the help of a good micro-brew and a single malt … or five …

Not to say we all weren’t working at our limit: Matt King, a longtime musical partner of mine, was doing triple duty on bass, guitar and background vocals … absolutely the rock of the outfit, he makes me sound great! we also got lucky enough to have my co-producer, Victor DeLorenzo, on the road with us for the better part of the summer. It was a wild ride playing with two drummers at some shows (Victor and Ray Farrugia) but we adjusted … the band totally took on a different feel and attitude with each and either of them, but probably most impressive for the audience was (like at the Drake Hotel in Toronto) when we had them both — plus the ‘deluxe’ addition of the lovely Kim Koren on background vocals, that put the shimmer on our glimmer for sure! i also found out for the first time what it was like to have a really good guitar tech all my own, tuning my guitars and handing them to me when needed … i could certainly get used to that! Many thanks and other various kowtows to you, Ed Sculthorpe! its fair to say that the people behind the scenes made this happen: the list is long, and i could not have done it without you — Linda, Tamara, Ed, Darcie, Mel, Lorraine … the list goes on. i wish there was a way to let you know how crucial you all are, a mere honourable mention doesn’t seem like enough!

Here’s a link to a funny little video i made, just for Ed!

The big news of this year of course, was that i finally released One Night at Giant Rock. Though the record was done and finished, it was important to choose the right time to release it … and though it was originally intended to be released in April, it was held up by one of the aforementioned snafu’s, and was not released until June. We did a release party at the Gibson Lounge in Toronto, and it kind of looked like this:

for most bands i think the biggest hurdle is standing out amongst your peers, and through various comments and things that happened, i think we succeeded! For instance — sound guys actually buying the CD at the end of the set. Doormen doing the same. People at one club saying we were the “best band they’d ever seen” there, and they “attend all the shows”. Even a posse of twenty-something chicks from the disco next door coming in to dance as a group in front of Victor — that’s got to say something! We met and gathered fans everywhere we went, and i was always surprised to see people singing along to Patchouli Boy … from my friends at Kaffe 1870 in Wakefield, to that long-haired metalhead in Vancouver, i feel your love like a warm hug on a cold day!

I had planned to take a VIA Rail train from Toronto to Winnipeg, and begin our westward tour there. Sadly, for a number of reasons, those dates were cancelled, but i did re-schedule the train trip, and travelled from Toronto to Vancouver and back on VIA Rail’s historic cross-country passenger train ‘The Canadian’ and got to meet some cool people, train geeks and interesting world-travellers, all the while enjoying some spectacular scenery along the way.

Returning home to Ontario to prepare for the new-and-improved release for One Night at Giant Rock, i’ve been since busy at work compiling new songs, video, and making plans for 2015. I’m starting to plan the next record, and also the double-vinyl release for One Night at Giant Rock, release date TBD but likely in June. I have had to stop myself from being a bit discouraged at times, because it’s hard when you have your trust in good outcomes squashed like a grape … and though i am facing new challenges in the months ahead, i am looking forward to some new projects on the horizon: first, an internet TV show called “Live From Somewhere and Wine” which is currently in the planning and pre-production phase — it will be a combination of the two things i love best, music and wine! and second, some European dates in the second half of the year — working with some tried and true people who care about this record being a success, and care about quantifiable results more than they care about empty promises and endless yakkity yak. had enough of that. And so should you, my friends.

Look out for me, now. you’ve been doing a great job so far.

See you somewhere, sometime.

Get a signed CD here: http://www.astridyoung.net/...
Download it from iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/ca...

My website: http://astridyoung.net

my blog: http://blog.astridyoung.net

my newsletter: http://eepurl.com/6e_FbI didn’t really create a lot this year. it seems to be a theme among other artists i know. something in the stars, maybe? but the reflection, the presentation and the performances have combined to make for an interesting template to base the next adventure upon …

So in the early part of the year, i was planning to release my album and tour it through Ontario and Quebec, then on to Winnipeg and westward to Vancouver. I booked dates, talked to all kinds of people who might help make this happen for me, and i met some amazing advocates along the way … and some who didn’t really do anything at all except for cause me a LOT of stress. One thing i’ve learned, and it’s pretty obvious to anybody in this business of indie music/art/anything creative, is that nothing works based on the old model anymore. NOTHING works. even things that should work, hypothetically, they don’t work anymore either. I also learned that just because people say the right things, it doesn’t mean they will follow through. And ultimately, i re-learned some things i’ve always known: you have to trust your gut. your first impressions are always right. and when your gut tells you to cut and run — just do it, before it comes back to bite you in the ass! i’m not going to get into any mud-slinging or name-calling, no finger pointing accusations … suffice to say, i’ve learned my lesson. re-learned it actually. and to those at whose hands i suffered the most, let me say this: my friends and loved ones made this year happen for me, not you, so g*&^$**^$&*yourselves. i think it was G.W. Bush who so eloquently said: “fool me three times, i won’t get fooled again” and to that i say … yeah. amen. just goes to show you: in the life of the spirit, you are always at the beginning. at the end of the day, you go back to the beginning: it was about the music, the camaraderie, the mutual admiration, and fuck the trolls. i’ve learned my lesson well.

One of the cool things about planning the tour was that my cousin, Matthew Davies, and I had decided it would be good to play together. Matt and i are close to the same age, a couple of years apart, both dyed in the wool studio-rats of the highest order — and had i not been living in Los Angeles through the 1980's and 1990's, we likely would have done this sooner. however, it was good timing this year as his band, Monkey Fightin’ Snakes, had also just released an album and we thought it might be cool if we did some shows together. So this is how Matt Davies became the hardest working man in my band this year: working at his studio during the day, playing with his band and then mine in brief succession … making it through with the help of a good micro-brew and a single malt … or five …

Not to say we all weren’t working at our limit: Matt King, a longtime musical partner of mine, was doing triple duty on bass, guitar and background vocals … absolutely the rock of the outfit, he makes me sound great! we also got lucky enough to have my co-producer, Victor DeLorenzo, on the road with us for the better part of the summer. It was a wild ride playing with two drummers at some shows (Victor and Ray Farrugia) but we adjusted … the band totally took on a different feel and attitude with each and either of them, but probably most impressive for the audience was (like at the Drake Hotel in Toronto) when we had them both — plus the ‘deluxe’ addition of the lovely Kim Koren on background vocals, that put the shimmer on our glimmer for sure! i also found out for the first time what it was like to have a really good guitar tech all my own, tuning my guitars and handing them to me when needed … i could certainly get used to that! Many thanks and other various kowtows to you, Ed Sculthorpe! its fair to say that the people behind the scenes made this happen: the list is long, and i could not have done it without you — Linda, Tamara, Ed, Darcie, Mel, Lorraine … the list goes on. i wish there was a way to let you know how crucial you all are, a mere honourable mention doesn’t seem like enough!

Here’s a link to a funny little video i made, just for Ed!

The big news of this year of course, was that i finally released One Night at Giant Rock. Though the record was done and finished, it was important to choose the right time to release it … and though it was originally intended to be released in April, it was held up by one of the aforementioned snafu’s, and was not released until June. We did a release party at the Gibson Lounge in Toronto, and it kind of looked like this:

for most bands i think the biggest hurdle is standing out amongst your peers, and through various comments and things that happened, i think we succeeded! For instance — sound guys actually buying the CD at the end of the set. Doormen doing the same. People at one club saying we were the “best band they’d ever seen” there, and they “attend all the shows”. Even a posse of twenty-something chicks from the disco next door coming in to dance as a group in front of Victor — that’s got to say something! We met and gathered fans everywhere we went, and i was always surprised to see people singing along to Patchouli Boy … from my friends at Kaffe 1870 in Wakefield, to that long-haired metalhead in Vancouver, i feel your love like a warm hug on a cold day!

I had planned to take a VIA Rail train from Toronto to Winnipeg, and begin our westward tour there. Sadly, for a number of reasons, those dates were cancelled, but i did re-schedule the train trip, and travelled from Toronto to Vancouver and back on VIA Rail’s historic cross-country passenger train ‘The Canadian’ and got to meet some cool people, train geeks and interesting world-travellers, all the while enjoying some spectacular scenery along the way.

Returning home to Ontario to prepare for the new-and-improved release for One Night at Giant Rock, i’ve been since busy at work compiling new songs, video, and making plans for 2015. I’m starting to plan the next record, and also the double-vinyl release for One Night at Giant Rock, release date TBD but likely in June. I have had to stop myself from being a bit discouraged at times, because it’s hard when you have your trust in good outcomes squashed like a grape … and though i am facing new challenges in the months ahead, i am looking forward to some new projects on the horizon: first, an internet TV show called “Live From Somewhere and Wine” which is currently in the planning and pre-production phase — it will be a combination of the two things i love best, music and wine! and second, some European dates in the second half of the year — working with some tried and true people who care about this record being a success, and care about quantifiable results more than they care about empty promises and endless yakkity yak. had enough of that. And so should you, my friends.

Look out for me, now. you’ve been doing a great job so far.

See you somewhere, sometime.

Get a signed CD here: http://www.astridyoung.net/...
Download it from iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/ca...

My website: http://astridyoung.net

my blog: http://blog.astridyoung.net

my newsletter: http://eepurl.com/6e_Fb