Hello Everyone!
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a new blog update, but I’m back and hoping to make this a more regular thing. If you’re an old salt at this, I’m glad you’re still around, for those of you just joining this madcap adventure of a life, welcome! 2016, what a ride! I had some ups and downs like we all did, but I’m really trying to focus on the ups. I’ve got two big pieces of news so let’s dig right in.
I finally released my second, full-length, studio album, and it sounds amazing! You can click on this sentance to listen/stream it to your heart’s content over on bandcamp. Also worth checking out over there are all of the liner notes and lyrics which will be included in the physical copies of the album.
This project keeps going through changes most of them exciting and positive, most noticeably the name of the album. I had intended to call this record “Joy Compactor” using the nickname I use in my mind whenever thinking of accordions, but then a few things dawned on me. First, all of the songs on this record were either used in my previous show “Roaring Accordion” or written while touring the show. It is, in a sense, the soundtrack of that two year chunk of my life. I’ve also decided to hold onto the title “Joy Compactor,” using it as the title of my touring show, so if you really want an album from me with that title, I’m sure there is one forthcoming!
Back in December I put the album up for digital download. It’s 12 tracks that I am immensely proud of, full to bursting with excellent work from a cavalcade of incredible friends. That done, I began to dig into the process of producing finalized album artwork and liner notes. I’ve never had liner notes before but seeing as I usually spend more time in my shows explaining the stories behind the tunes than actually playing them, I really should! Mere hours before the album went to press Aaron J. Shay, (bless ‘im!) sent me the little track now included with the album as the “prelude.” I had been hoping something would com along that would just tie the whole thing together and Aaron provided it.
The phenomenal Paulina Barry (Check out her Patreon!) was such a wonderful collaborator to work with on the artwork for the finished album, and The Carnelian Agency (Find them on Facebook here!) turned it into the disc I now hold in my hands. I can’t wait to get this out to all the Kickstarter Backers, and various folks who have been so supportive of my music over the years, this is the album I’ve always known I could produce. I’m so excited to share it with you!
Even as one chapter of musical creation passes so too another begins. I spent the better part of last Friday holding my glorious beard much too close to a fire, as I played a piano as it burned almost entirely down to the ground. Eventually I did have to step back because it got too hot, but my uncompromising director >> Micah Knapp << pushed me to my limits and I'm really happy with the results! I'm not sure of the exact release date as we're still in the final stages of mixing and mastering a new recording of the song, but it will be soon.
I hope this finds you all well and in good health! Let's all make 2017 one for the books, shall we?
Cheers!
- Strangely
