Last night J, Sunny, and myself took some time in the ol' Studio 54 and tracked a scratch track for "No Greater Love", a song that J penned many years ago in his "solo artist" days. I think we've only played it live twice, yet we've got a lot of positive comments & feedback from it. It really is a well-written song and has that "hit single" quality to it (I'm just sayin'). We mustered up a click track (filled with sounds of cowbells, shakers, & Sunny's blackberry) and roughed out an acoustic & vocal track. We're also going to strip down the click/reason tracks from "Drums of Justice" and use them to re-track drums over.
That's actually all we got done, and although it doesn't seem like much, it's what we needed for now. Not only to get the feeling that we're accomplishing something we've been neglecting to do, but it's the important part of having something for a drummer to follow & track. Sometime soon, Sunny & Evan (along with SOMERS alumni, Jon Arsenault) will track the drums so we can really get the ball rolling.
We're also going to re-track instruments (using a Logic/Reason back beat) for a song called "Here Am I" which I dig.
So far, our little demo looks like this:
Drums of Justice
Ever
Of Kings & Rulers
No Greater Love
Here Am I
We may also add a live/studio take of a song called "Free (Indeed)", but that's just as tentative as everything else, so who knows what could change from now 'til then. All that to say, we' seem to be gettin' back on track and we're excited to get some work done and finish these puppies up so ya'll can hear em'.
But, until next time... Keep fit and have fun.
Jamie
Currently Listening to:
Vision of You - Shane & Shane
Dissapointed Together - The Myriad
Must I Wait - Phil Wickham
Adelaide - Anberlin
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Rolling Along
Hey Folks,
Just here to give ya’ll an update on some demo stuff…
J cut his finger open last week (fixing a toilet, none-the-less), so he wasn’t able to come in and finish his guitar trax for “Kings & Rulers”. But, when he’s able to do that, Jeff will only need to throw on some vocals, we’ll do a mix-down, and it should be all set. Late last week I tracked some guitar parts on “Ever” (neglecting to do the solo and turn-around riffs because I haven’t got anything I’m sold on yet), and Jeff will also be tracking his guitar parts this week.
Our resident (yet off-campus) studio drummer extraordinaire, Danny Bourgeois, is busy for a few weeks so Sunny is working hard to get some guide trax to Danny before mid-week so he can lay down some stellar drums for us. Once those drums trax are all down, we’ll be on our own to fill the other spaces to make some songs. It seems that our 5-song demo (with a 6th song on hold, yet to be determined) should be done in a matter of years. Ok, maybe not, but sometimes it sure feels that way! Our excitement to get some new material out makes the process seem long & arduous. We’re not putting a ‘completed’ date on it yet, but we’re certainly hoping to start making the tunes more public once the holidays roll around.
We really wanna have the best sound available to us for these songs as we’re happy with where “the music” is going. I think we’ve got a great blend of style, timbre, & content for a 5 (or 6) song demo. We really can’t wait to hear the finished product, and we know you’ll enjoy it too… we promise.
Oh, and don't forget to join us at The SPOT this Sunday night: 8pm @ Allison Baptist Church. Along with a small dose of SPOT house band, SOMERS, we will be joined by special guest Tim Milner, a fantastic worship leader from Nova Scotia. You won't want to miss this one! We'll see you there!
Just here to give ya’ll an update on some demo stuff…
J cut his finger open last week (fixing a toilet, none-the-less), so he wasn’t able to come in and finish his guitar trax for “Kings & Rulers”. But, when he’s able to do that, Jeff will only need to throw on some vocals, we’ll do a mix-down, and it should be all set. Late last week I tracked some guitar parts on “Ever” (neglecting to do the solo and turn-around riffs because I haven’t got anything I’m sold on yet), and Jeff will also be tracking his guitar parts this week.
Our resident (yet off-campus) studio drummer extraordinaire, Danny Bourgeois, is busy for a few weeks so Sunny is working hard to get some guide trax to Danny before mid-week so he can lay down some stellar drums for us. Once those drums trax are all down, we’ll be on our own to fill the other spaces to make some songs. It seems that our 5-song demo (with a 6th song on hold, yet to be determined) should be done in a matter of years. Ok, maybe not, but sometimes it sure feels that way! Our excitement to get some new material out makes the process seem long & arduous. We’re not putting a ‘completed’ date on it yet, but we’re certainly hoping to start making the tunes more public once the holidays roll around.
We really wanna have the best sound available to us for these songs as we’re happy with where “the music” is going. I think we’ve got a great blend of style, timbre, & content for a 5 (or 6) song demo. We really can’t wait to hear the finished product, and we know you’ll enjoy it too… we promise.
Oh, and don't forget to join us at The SPOT this Sunday night: 8pm @ Allison Baptist Church. Along with a small dose of SPOT house band, SOMERS, we will be joined by special guest Tim Milner, a fantastic worship leader from Nova Scotia. You won't want to miss this one! We'll see you there!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
We Won't Be Quiet
Despite our slow-moving fall (that followed a busy summers-end)(which is nice), we've taken a bit of a break with our live & studio work (barring the SPOT of course). Though our demo & live work has been quiet, we're trying not to be. We're starting to make some big, loud noise in Sunny's basement, at Studio 54. In fact, after a failed attempt to demo last week due to a flux-capacitor & memory belt-drive bearing break-down in Sunny's computer (aptly name the Millennium Falcon for it's "take-off" noises and fancy flashing lights), we're getting back to finishing "Kings & Rulers" tonight, and getting a fresh new start on "Ever".
Maybe even more excitingly, we've decided to try tracking and old song that J wrotecalled "No Greater Love" which got a fantastic response at September's SPOT. It fit with the theme for the night, and thought we'd bring it out of the reasure chest and throw it in. What we didn't realize was that it really spoke to a lot of hearts and got some great response. Even though our old-man in the group, Jason Muir, penned it years and years ago, we've decided to put a new musical spin on it an try demoing it. We'll keep you updated on its progress.
Really, though, we're excited to get back into Studio 54 and finish some work that we've been neglecting to do. But, I believe we have a new and fresh vision for the demos and we're striving to make some great music; and We Won't Be Quiet until it's all done.
BTW: go out and buy David Crowder Band's new album. It's awesomelicious.
Maybe even more excitingly, we've decided to try tracking and old song that J wrotecalled "No Greater Love" which got a fantastic response at September's SPOT. It fit with the theme for the night, and thought we'd bring it out of the reasure chest and throw it in. What we didn't realize was that it really spoke to a lot of hearts and got some great response. Even though our old-man in the group, Jason Muir, penned it years and years ago, we've decided to put a new musical spin on it an try demoing it. We'll keep you updated on its progress.
Really, though, we're excited to get back into Studio 54 and finish some work that we've been neglecting to do. But, I believe we have a new and fresh vision for the demos and we're striving to make some great music; and We Won't Be Quiet until it's all done.
BTW: go out and buy David Crowder Band's new album. It's awesomelicious.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Dance With The One Who Brung Ya
No, it's not just an uber-wicked Petra song from the glorious early 90s.
It's also a clever adage with wisdom to fill the cracks left by the grammatical impact.
We've had an up and down summer...sometimes really busy, sometimes not feeling like we're even in a band for lack of busyness. Lately we've been having to "think" and "meet" and "plan" a lot, which for musicians and ministers can eventually make you want to "puke" and "wretch" and "hit someone in the face with a roll of quarters tucked into an old gym sock". So to speak.
What I mean is we've been thinking a lot about what comes next and what our next move is. It's one of those seasons when we need to make strategic and/or business type decisions with regards to our future rather than just getting out and playing and making music (as "totally dude" as that sounds).
When God blesses you and decides to use you it's a fantastic ride. We've had that experience certainly in the past. The danger is that it can tempt you to want to cling to that feeling and manufacture it for yourself...or bring with it a sense of entitlement, that it will 'always be this way'.
I think to avoid those scenarios, we need to constantly remind ourselves of what it was we were asked to do in the first place...when God chose to move, what call were we answering? Are we still being the stewards we need to be of the things that God has chosen to bless, or have we gotten distracted from our first love?
I'm not sure why I decided to ramble on about all that or if it even made sense, but I've been thinking about it lately since fall has begun to arrive and things sort of 'begin again'. It's funny that when trees and plants starting to die, Christian programming and TV shows are coming alive again. Anyway, with our monthly worship event, The Spot, starting up again and things for me personally heating up in my position as a local church worship leader, I'm looking forward to a chance for God to recharge my passion and focus in those areas. Afterall, they're the simple "yesses" I answered in the first place that openend the door for so many other thigns God has done.
So in the midst of our journey in writing a new album and wrestling with the details that come with it, I'm trying my best to stop and smell the roses...or see the forest for the trees...
...or dance with the one who brung me.
Sunny
p.s. On a practical note, we're looking forward to sharing a couple of our new tunes that have made the short list for the new record this weekend at The Spot. If you're gonna be there, watch for "No Greater Love" and "Free Indeed". Ciao.
Currently Listening to:
"Dance With the One Who Brung Ya" - Petra
It's also a clever adage with wisdom to fill the cracks left by the grammatical impact.
We've had an up and down summer...sometimes really busy, sometimes not feeling like we're even in a band for lack of busyness. Lately we've been having to "think" and "meet" and "plan" a lot, which for musicians and ministers can eventually make you want to "puke" and "wretch" and "hit someone in the face with a roll of quarters tucked into an old gym sock". So to speak.
What I mean is we've been thinking a lot about what comes next and what our next move is. It's one of those seasons when we need to make strategic and/or business type decisions with regards to our future rather than just getting out and playing and making music (as "totally dude" as that sounds).
When God blesses you and decides to use you it's a fantastic ride. We've had that experience certainly in the past. The danger is that it can tempt you to want to cling to that feeling and manufacture it for yourself...or bring with it a sense of entitlement, that it will 'always be this way'.
I think to avoid those scenarios, we need to constantly remind ourselves of what it was we were asked to do in the first place...when God chose to move, what call were we answering? Are we still being the stewards we need to be of the things that God has chosen to bless, or have we gotten distracted from our first love?
I'm not sure why I decided to ramble on about all that or if it even made sense, but I've been thinking about it lately since fall has begun to arrive and things sort of 'begin again'. It's funny that when trees and plants starting to die, Christian programming and TV shows are coming alive again. Anyway, with our monthly worship event, The Spot, starting up again and things for me personally heating up in my position as a local church worship leader, I'm looking forward to a chance for God to recharge my passion and focus in those areas. Afterall, they're the simple "yesses" I answered in the first place that openend the door for so many other thigns God has done.
So in the midst of our journey in writing a new album and wrestling with the details that come with it, I'm trying my best to stop and smell the roses...or see the forest for the trees...
...or dance with the one who brung me.
Sunny
p.s. On a practical note, we're looking forward to sharing a couple of our new tunes that have made the short list for the new record this weekend at The Spot. If you're gonna be there, watch for "No Greater Love" and "Free Indeed". Ciao.
Currently Listening to:
"Dance With the One Who Brung Ya" - Petra
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Update... or lack thereof
Well, it’s been almost a month since our last blog, so I thought I’d at least say hello and assure you that we’re not dead, So… “we’re not dead”.
Not much brewing on the SOMERS front lately. We’ve actually been pretty slack, and we’re just winding down from our busy summers. The cool autumn air is quickly filing in, and we’re getting our parkas out and starting to build our igloos for the winter. Also, tonight will be our first rehearsal since we last played in August. It seems like forever, and it’ll be good just to see the guys again. Heck, J lives next door and I haven’t seen him in at least a month.
We’ll be rehearsing for this month’s SPOT event on the 30th (we’re working out the kinks for a venue, so please stay tuned). We’re excited to get back into the SPOT after a 3-month summer hiatus. It’ll be good to get back with the Spotters and worship again; starting the new (school) year off with a bang. And, we’ll be playing at First Church of the Nazarene on Sept. 21st @ 7pm as part of their Spiritual Life Week. All are welcome (I think… just show up).
As far as the “album” goes, we’re still praying into it. We’re waiting on the Lord to give us a direction & stance on the album, and are patiently (and impatiently) awaiting his “ok, go!” or “ok, no”. You know how it is! Where He leads, we’ll be soon to follow. We’re exploring some other demo options and are anxious to finish up the tracks that need to be completed and we’re going to schedule those in soon. Feels like forever! Can’t wait.
I’ll come back with an update as soon as there is one! Heh…
Currently Listening to:
"How We Operate" - Gomez
"Yahweh" - U2
"Everlasting God" - Lincoln Brewster
"Everything in it's Right Place" - Radiohead
Not much brewing on the SOMERS front lately. We’ve actually been pretty slack, and we’re just winding down from our busy summers. The cool autumn air is quickly filing in, and we’re getting our parkas out and starting to build our igloos for the winter. Also, tonight will be our first rehearsal since we last played in August. It seems like forever, and it’ll be good just to see the guys again. Heck, J lives next door and I haven’t seen him in at least a month.
We’ll be rehearsing for this month’s SPOT event on the 30th (we’re working out the kinks for a venue, so please stay tuned). We’re excited to get back into the SPOT after a 3-month summer hiatus. It’ll be good to get back with the Spotters and worship again; starting the new (school) year off with a bang. And, we’ll be playing at First Church of the Nazarene on Sept. 21st @ 7pm as part of their Spiritual Life Week. All are welcome (I think… just show up).
As far as the “album” goes, we’re still praying into it. We’re waiting on the Lord to give us a direction & stance on the album, and are patiently (and impatiently) awaiting his “ok, go!” or “ok, no”. You know how it is! Where He leads, we’ll be soon to follow. We’re exploring some other demo options and are anxious to finish up the tracks that need to be completed and we’re going to schedule those in soon. Feels like forever! Can’t wait.
I’ll come back with an update as soon as there is one! Heh…
Currently Listening to:
"How We Operate" - Gomez
"Yahweh" - U2
"Everlasting God" - Lincoln Brewster
"Everything in it's Right Place" - Radiohead
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Back from tour; back to tracking
Hey Kids,
Well, we're back from Soulfest, London, and Kingdom Bound and we have survived. Bubt, just barely with the mind-numbing travel, sweltering heat, all the bats & cockroaches, and deafening rock n' roll. Click Here to read all about our trip.
We had a breif refresher rehearsal last night @ Sunny's for a gig we're playing in Moncton this Friday. Be sure to come check us out! Friday, Aug. 17th @ 97 Hildegard Rd (right next to the fire station). The festivities begin at 8pm.
But, back to what really matters! The record! With no major events in the near future, we're going to put all of our focus back into the record and making sure we get great demos. We've got about 3/4 "Kings and Rulers" tracked and about 1/4 of "Ever" tracked. Once we finish those, we'll go back to the drawing board and choose a few more songs to demo. We hope our bud Danny Bourgeois will keep trackin' drums for us; his studio chops are phenominal. Who knows... by the time we're done, maybe we'll have a full record ready to release! haha, maybe not but we hope we can get something out to you guys really soon.
But, until then, keep checkin' this blog as we continue to working on new songs. Adios!
SOMERS
Currently Listening to:
"Death Machine" - Fiction Plane
"Remedy" - Black Crowes
"Hole" - Kelly Clarkson
"Our Love is Loud" - David Crowder Band
Well, we're back from Soulfest, London, and Kingdom Bound and we have survived. Bubt, just barely with the mind-numbing travel, sweltering heat, all the bats & cockroaches, and deafening rock n' roll. Click Here to read all about our trip.
We had a breif refresher rehearsal last night @ Sunny's for a gig we're playing in Moncton this Friday. Be sure to come check us out! Friday, Aug. 17th @ 97 Hildegard Rd (right next to the fire station). The festivities begin at 8pm.
But, back to what really matters! The record! With no major events in the near future, we're going to put all of our focus back into the record and making sure we get great demos. We've got about 3/4 "Kings and Rulers" tracked and about 1/4 of "Ever" tracked. Once we finish those, we'll go back to the drawing board and choose a few more songs to demo. We hope our bud Danny Bourgeois will keep trackin' drums for us; his studio chops are phenominal. Who knows... by the time we're done, maybe we'll have a full record ready to release! haha, maybe not but we hope we can get something out to you guys really soon.
But, until then, keep checkin' this blog as we continue to working on new songs. Adios!
SOMERS
Currently Listening to:
"Death Machine" - Fiction Plane
"Remedy" - Black Crowes
"Hole" - Kelly Clarkson
"Our Love is Loud" - David Crowder Band
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Ear buds and "Ever" bass trax...
Just a quick note...
Today after rehearsal, I pulled my in-ear monitors out of ears and noticed that one of the plastic buds was gone. After looking around, I noticed my left ear was muffling sounds. Then, I put two and two together and knew my small plastic in-ear bud was lodged deep into my ear canal. It hurt. So, Ross took me to his apartment so his wife, Dr. Michelle Cunningham (well, almost... she's in residency), could take the bud out from my audio canal. After using her ear-light-looky-thingy, she saw that it was indeed in there far. She found the necessary tools (a pen cap, tweezers, and scissor-plyers with a serrated edge), she dislodged the said object out from my audio peripheral. I didn't hurt so much anymore and my hearing was back to normal. Michelle will make a great doctor someday. And, J and I were able to be entertained (for a short time) by Ross's adorable daughter, Emma. She didn't smile, but she didn't really have to. She's so cute. If I have a girl, I hope she looks identical to Emma. Oh yeah, for those who don't know, my wife Catherine is pregnant. Yes, it's mine.
After my emergency procedure, Ross went to Sunny's and retracked a few bass licks on "Kings/Rulers" and then tracked bass for our worship tune "Ever". I haven't heard the trax yet, but I'm sure it sounds stellar. Ross isn't capable of playing poorly. Nor is his wife capable of not pulling in-ear buds out of ears. We have another rehearsal tonight, and then J is gonna stick around to finish his guitar & keyboard trax. Hopefully soemtime this week, we can finish off "Ever" and have at least 2 songs ready for some mixing. If we get lucky, maybe Danny Bourgeois can get drum trax done for "Drums of Justice" and we may be able to finish that before we leave next week for the US and London. I'm excited.
My ear is sore.
Jamie
After my doctor's appointme
Today after rehearsal, I pulled my in-ear monitors out of ears and noticed that one of the plastic buds was gone. After looking around, I noticed my left ear was muffling sounds. Then, I put two and two together and knew my small plastic in-ear bud was lodged deep into my ear canal. It hurt. So, Ross took me to his apartment so his wife, Dr. Michelle Cunningham (well, almost... she's in residency), could take the bud out from my audio canal. After using her ear-light-looky-thingy, she saw that it was indeed in there far. She found the necessary tools (a pen cap, tweezers, and scissor-plyers with a serrated edge), she dislodged the said object out from my audio peripheral. I didn't hurt so much anymore and my hearing was back to normal. Michelle will make a great doctor someday. And, J and I were able to be entertained (for a short time) by Ross's adorable daughter, Emma. She didn't smile, but she didn't really have to. She's so cute. If I have a girl, I hope she looks identical to Emma. Oh yeah, for those who don't know, my wife Catherine is pregnant. Yes, it's mine.
After my emergency procedure, Ross went to Sunny's and retracked a few bass licks on "Kings/Rulers" and then tracked bass for our worship tune "Ever". I haven't heard the trax yet, but I'm sure it sounds stellar. Ross isn't capable of playing poorly. Nor is his wife capable of not pulling in-ear buds out of ears. We have another rehearsal tonight, and then J is gonna stick around to finish his guitar & keyboard trax. Hopefully soemtime this week, we can finish off "Ever" and have at least 2 songs ready for some mixing. If we get lucky, maybe Danny Bourgeois can get drum trax done for "Drums of Justice" and we may be able to finish that before we leave next week for the US and London. I'm excited.
My ear is sore.
Jamie
After my doctor's appointme
Friday, July 20, 2007
Of Kings and Rulers (take 1)
Hey folks,
Jeff, Ross, and I spent last night in 'the stood' last night tracking "Of Kings and Rulers". It went well. Danny Bourgeois (our Origin engineer) laid down some great drum trax for us at the Pumpkin Patch on Tuesday and we brought em' to Studio 54and began the instrument tracks. After a few listens to sync up with Danny's thumpin' kick, Ross nailed a few bass trax and it sounds great. I then laid down the first (of many) guitar rhythm tracks and threw in some other spicy lick tidbits. Sunny will throw in his own rhythm trax this morning and J will come in sometime next week to put in his turnaround riff and some keys parts. Was a good start to a great song. Kinda sounds like Delirious-meets-Coldplay with a Muse-ish ending.
Sounds Like (in my own opinion):
Coldplay - Yellow
Delirious - Grace Like a River
Muse - Invincible
Danny also tracked drums for "Ever" and Ross will come back into the studio sometime this weekend and lay down some bass. Sunny also left "Drums of Justice" (maybe my favorite track of the new tunes) with Danny and we may be able to get those trax done in his own time. Man, that guy can play drums.
We'll be doing some more rehearsing on Tuesday. Can't wait. I'm getting excited to play live again. Yesssssssss....
My wife, Catherine, was in St. Louis last week and got to see David Crowder Band play. I guess they're amazing. She met him after the show. Lucky.
Notice the power-sweat stain from his ginormous goatee. Pure rock-star.
Jeff, Ross, and I spent last night in 'the stood' last night tracking "Of Kings and Rulers". It went well. Danny Bourgeois (our Origin engineer) laid down some great drum trax for us at the Pumpkin Patch on Tuesday and we brought em' to Studio 54and began the instrument tracks. After a few listens to sync up with Danny's thumpin' kick, Ross nailed a few bass trax and it sounds great. I then laid down the first (of many) guitar rhythm tracks and threw in some other spicy lick tidbits. Sunny will throw in his own rhythm trax this morning and J will come in sometime next week to put in his turnaround riff and some keys parts. Was a good start to a great song. Kinda sounds like Delirious-meets-Coldplay with a Muse-ish ending.
Sounds Like (in my own opinion):
Coldplay - Yellow
Delirious - Grace Like a River
Muse - Invincible
Danny also tracked drums for "Ever" and Ross will come back into the studio sometime this weekend and lay down some bass. Sunny also left "Drums of Justice" (maybe my favorite track of the new tunes) with Danny and we may be able to get those trax done in his own time. Man, that guy can play drums.
We'll be doing some more rehearsing on Tuesday. Can't wait. I'm getting excited to play live again. Yesssssssss....
My wife, Catherine, was in St. Louis last week and got to see David Crowder Band play. I guess they're amazing. She met him after the show. Lucky.
Notice the power-sweat stain from his ginormous goatee. Pure rock-star.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
We've got a busy 3 ½ weeks ahead of us. Amidst the preparations/rehearsals for our festival visits in the U.S., we're in the beginning stages of re-demoing a few songs for an EP we want to bring to KB & SF. Our friend Danny Bourgeois (who engineered our Origin of Moonlight album) will be laying down some drummy-drums for us next week and we’ll continue tracking the other instruments at Studio 54. We’re not sure how many songs will be on the EP, but we have two in particular that we have completely arranged, written, and are comfortable with that will make the EP for sure.
”Of Kings and Rulers” and “Ever”, will most likely be part of our sets for KB & SF so if you want to hear em’, you’re gonna hafta come down and see us! The new tunes are music to our ears (both figuratively and literally speaking) and hope they will be to yours as well.
Your Truly,
Cam & Co.
Currently Listening to:
Sober - Kelly Clarkson
One Minute - Kelly Clarkson
Face of Love - Sanctus Real
Everything by Oceans Above (I strongly reccomend you go to your local Christian music retailer and pick up the "Oceans Above" record. It's an great record that has familiar worship tunes, but all done through programming, loops, sequences, etc.)
”Of Kings and Rulers” and “Ever”, will most likely be part of our sets for KB & SF so if you want to hear em’, you’re gonna hafta come down and see us! The new tunes are music to our ears (both figuratively and literally speaking) and hope they will be to yours as well.
Your Truly,
Cam & Co.
Currently Listening to:
Sober - Kelly Clarkson
One Minute - Kelly Clarkson
Face of Love - Sanctus Real
Everything by Oceans Above (I strongly reccomend you go to your local Christian music retailer and pick up the "Oceans Above" record. It's an great record that has familiar worship tunes, but all done through programming, loops, sequences, etc.)
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Gearing up for some re-demo-fying & live action
Hey Guys,
As we prepare for our summer gigs at New Hampshire’s SoulFest, New York’s Kingdom Bound, and Sunday morning worship with West London Alliance (Aug. 5th), we've given the demo process a yellow light, just for now. We are by no means abandoning the project. On the contrary, we’re crazy passionate about this project, are still writing, and still looking for some quid to help with its fruition; we can’t wait to get back into it.
What we hope to do is pick 5 or 6 songs from our list (I lose count on the number of songs/ideas we have after using all 20 fingers/toes) and re-demo them to make an audibly fantasic EP. Who knows if it’ll be heard by public ears, but Sunny is making an awesome webpage and press kit (check out Bananappeal Deisgn) to prepare the music industry masses for what is to come: the world domination of SOMERS. Ok, maybe not world domination… no one could handle that responsibility (except maybe Bono), but we truly desire our music to be heard by everyone who loves music, loves music with meaning, and loves music with a message that goes beyond music itself: the worship and love of our God who is just, compassionate, worthy, and ever-loving.
In the meanwhile, we're concentrating on our live performance for the next month or so. We're ridiculously excited to jump back on the stage for Kingdom Bound again this August, as well as NH’s annual Soulfest. We're surrounded by a plethora of other great bands & artists, and we're just as excited to play as we are to see the likes of David Crowder Band, Chris Tomlin, Lincoln Brewster, Charlie Hall, Disciple, Leeland, Tree63, Derek Webb, Tim Hughes (shall I continue?). Please pray for us as we prepare and learn some new songs and fine-tune some old ones. We’re real excited to share some new tunes as well as bring back some Origin goodies. Our regular SPOT attendees (as well as a few ppl from Sussex) have heard our new song “Ever” and “…Of Kings and Rulers”. The new songs bring new life and energy into our set; we love it.
Until then!
Much Love,
Jamie (& Jeff, J, Ross, & Evan).
As we prepare for our summer gigs at New Hampshire’s SoulFest, New York’s Kingdom Bound, and Sunday morning worship with West London Alliance (Aug. 5th), we've given the demo process a yellow light, just for now. We are by no means abandoning the project. On the contrary, we’re crazy passionate about this project, are still writing, and still looking for some quid to help with its fruition; we can’t wait to get back into it.
What we hope to do is pick 5 or 6 songs from our list (I lose count on the number of songs/ideas we have after using all 20 fingers/toes) and re-demo them to make an audibly fantasic EP. Who knows if it’ll be heard by public ears, but Sunny is making an awesome webpage and press kit (check out Bananappeal Deisgn) to prepare the music industry masses for what is to come: the world domination of SOMERS. Ok, maybe not world domination… no one could handle that responsibility (except maybe Bono), but we truly desire our music to be heard by everyone who loves music, loves music with meaning, and loves music with a message that goes beyond music itself: the worship and love of our God who is just, compassionate, worthy, and ever-loving.
In the meanwhile, we're concentrating on our live performance for the next month or so. We're ridiculously excited to jump back on the stage for Kingdom Bound again this August, as well as NH’s annual Soulfest. We're surrounded by a plethora of other great bands & artists, and we're just as excited to play as we are to see the likes of David Crowder Band, Chris Tomlin, Lincoln Brewster, Charlie Hall, Disciple, Leeland, Tree63, Derek Webb, Tim Hughes (shall I continue?). Please pray for us as we prepare and learn some new songs and fine-tune some old ones. We’re real excited to share some new tunes as well as bring back some Origin goodies. Our regular SPOT attendees (as well as a few ppl from Sussex) have heard our new song “Ever” and “…Of Kings and Rulers”. The new songs bring new life and energy into our set; we love it.
Until then!
Much Love,
Jamie (& Jeff, J, Ross, & Evan).
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Ever watch "Degrassi High"?
Ever watch "Degrassi High" on CTV way back in the day?
Remember the Degrassi-borne band "The Zit Remedy"?
Remember the red-headed character (and bass player of "The Zit Remedy") named Wheels?
Well, familiarize yourself with him, because you may bump into the world champion Wheels-look-alike on stage with SOMERS next time you check out a show (which, by the way, is this Saturday, June 23rd, at Burton Park in Sussex, NB @ 5pm).
Our new bud, Ross Cunningham, is tentativley going to be joining the SOMERS crew for some/all of our upcoming gigs. He's got mad bass guitar skills. Mad. So mad, in fact, we call him Dr. Ross. We're super-stoked to have him on board, and we can't wait for you to hear him (oh, and he's a mega-nice guy too).
Remember the Degrassi-borne band "The Zit Remedy"?
Remember the red-headed character (and bass player of "The Zit Remedy") named Wheels?
Well, familiarize yourself with him, because you may bump into the world champion Wheels-look-alike on stage with SOMERS next time you check out a show (which, by the way, is this Saturday, June 23rd, at Burton Park in Sussex, NB @ 5pm).
Our new bud, Ross Cunningham, is tentativley going to be joining the SOMERS crew for some/all of our upcoming gigs. He's got mad bass guitar skills. Mad. So mad, in fact, we call him Dr. Ross. We're super-stoked to have him on board, and we can't wait for you to hear him (oh, and he's a mega-nice guy too).
Monday, June 4, 2007
A Little Less Pressue
Hey Folks, Just wanted to say hello and let you know what we've been up to for the past 2 or 3 weeks (sorry, I have no excuses for not keeping you updated).
First off, we had a great SPOT experience last Sunday. A big thx to Glad Tidings for hosting us. We got to break out some new tunes, which was fun, as well as take a look into how deep our personbal relationships with God go. He knows all of our names, our deepest thoguhts, and most intimate beings. Thx for coming and singing along. No word yet on where June's SPOT will be held, but be sure to keep your eyes and ears open on our Facebook group, our MySpace page, or your inbox for details.
Secondly, we got to provide some music for the Pregnancy Resource Center's "Walk for Life" this past Saturday morning. The PRC raised over $20,000 (I think) and it was pleasure for us to be involved, despite the early morning ;)
Third, we got some news that our studio dates may be pushed to the Fall due to some scheduling stuff. This is both good and bad. Good because it will give us more time to write, re-examine some tunes, become better at recording demos (Sunny is becoming an expert), and pray into the whole process. Bad because we really wanna make this record happen... yesterday. We're mega-excited to get it off the ground, and we know ya'll will be pleased when it's all done.
Fourthly, our search for a bass player and drummer is still on our minds. Please continue to pray for this as we start to prepare for our summer gigs. A big thx to Evan and Tim who're always willing & able to help us out. Too bad they won't stay available for us :( But, we believe that things are starting to come together ni this regard, so keep and eye/ear out for when we have some new blood in the group.
Finally, I love grape kool-aid. Here're some pics from last Sunday's SPOT at Glad Tidings. Enjoy!
Muchos Loveos,
Jamie (& my brothers from other mothers in SOMERS)
PICS:
Listening to:
"To Zion" - Lauryn Hill
"Sahib Teri Bandi/Maki Madni" - Derek Trucks Band
"Godspeed" - Anberlin
"Obsession" - David Crowder Band
"Sacred Place" - Future of Forestry
First off, we had a great SPOT experience last Sunday. A big thx to Glad Tidings for hosting us. We got to break out some new tunes, which was fun, as well as take a look into how deep our personbal relationships with God go. He knows all of our names, our deepest thoguhts, and most intimate beings. Thx for coming and singing along. No word yet on where June's SPOT will be held, but be sure to keep your eyes and ears open on our Facebook group, our MySpace page, or your inbox for details.
Secondly, we got to provide some music for the Pregnancy Resource Center's "Walk for Life" this past Saturday morning. The PRC raised over $20,000 (I think) and it was pleasure for us to be involved, despite the early morning ;)
Third, we got some news that our studio dates may be pushed to the Fall due to some scheduling stuff. This is both good and bad. Good because it will give us more time to write, re-examine some tunes, become better at recording demos (Sunny is becoming an expert), and pray into the whole process. Bad because we really wanna make this record happen... yesterday. We're mega-excited to get it off the ground, and we know ya'll will be pleased when it's all done.
Fourthly, our search for a bass player and drummer is still on our minds. Please continue to pray for this as we start to prepare for our summer gigs. A big thx to Evan and Tim who're always willing & able to help us out. Too bad they won't stay available for us :( But, we believe that things are starting to come together ni this regard, so keep and eye/ear out for when we have some new blood in the group.
Finally, I love grape kool-aid. Here're some pics from last Sunday's SPOT at Glad Tidings. Enjoy!
Muchos Loveos,
Jamie (& my brothers from other mothers in SOMERS)
PICS:
Listening to:
"To Zion" - Lauryn Hill
"Sahib Teri Bandi/Maki Madni" - Derek Trucks Band
"Godspeed" - Anberlin
"Obsession" - David Crowder Band
"Sacred Place" - Future of Forestry
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Lyrics
It appears as though our ever-growing list of song ideas/demos is coming to yellow light; at least for now. I believe we've got 2 songs left to track, 1 song to re-track, and numerous songs that are still in need of lyrics. Lyrics haven't been neglected, but we certainly want to make sure we've got the best words on paper. Not to mention, we've been rolling out music/song ideas like a red carpet. Right now, we're concentrating on some lyrics for songs called "Perfect Mystery", "Run", "Jesus Christ the Righteous", "Your Glory Surrounds", and "the Dave Matthews-ish one" (probably a temporary title) and we're looking forward to wrapping them up with some great rims and rhymes.
Sun & J are coming up with some great stuff. Wirting music is often easy for me, but my lyrical & melody abilities are less matured than theirs. They're teaching me a lot. I was happy with some lyrics I wrote a while ago for the "Run" song, but I'll have to hear them in context of the demo and get Sun & J's thoughts.
That's yer update for now. Don't forget about the SPOT next Sunday, May 27th, @ Glad Tidings Chruch. I think it'll be good'n. We're working on a few great new tunes that we hope ya'll enjoy & sing along to. As a band, there's no greater sound than hearing the voices of his people sing over the music. Bring a friend.
Cya then!
Jamie
Sun & J are coming up with some great stuff. Wirting music is often easy for me, but my lyrical & melody abilities are less matured than theirs. They're teaching me a lot. I was happy with some lyrics I wrote a while ago for the "Run" song, but I'll have to hear them in context of the demo and get Sun & J's thoughts.
That's yer update for now. Don't forget about the SPOT next Sunday, May 27th, @ Glad Tidings Chruch. I think it'll be good'n. We're working on a few great new tunes that we hope ya'll enjoy & sing along to. As a band, there's no greater sound than hearing the voices of his people sing over the music. Bring a friend.
Cya then!
Jamie
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Slow Week
Hey Doods and Doodettes,
A slow week @ Studio 54 the last 7 days or so. But, for good reason. Jeff and Father Charles got their hands on some free (1 of my 5 favorite words) drop-ceiling and installed it in the jam room. Control room is next. They did a great job for amateau ceilingsmen. Looks good, and I'm sure will help improve sound quality in their.
We had a Somers pow-wow on Tuesday night and decided that since we're not quite at our mark as far as album funds go (we're getting there), we're going to concentrate on making great sounding demos; quality over quantity, at least for now. We've got bulk of good-to-great sounding new tunes, and we really wanna find some and really make them sparkle and shine in quality. More on this later...
I've been really sick this week, which hasn't been fun. But, I hope to get into the studio this week and finish up some trax with the guys. We'll keep you posted (and hope with some new pics).
Until Then,
Jamie
A slow week @ Studio 54 the last 7 days or so. But, for good reason. Jeff and Father Charles got their hands on some free (1 of my 5 favorite words) drop-ceiling and installed it in the jam room. Control room is next. They did a great job for amateau ceilingsmen. Looks good, and I'm sure will help improve sound quality in their.
We had a Somers pow-wow on Tuesday night and decided that since we're not quite at our mark as far as album funds go (we're getting there), we're going to concentrate on making great sounding demos; quality over quantity, at least for now. We've got bulk of good-to-great sounding new tunes, and we really wanna find some and really make them sparkle and shine in quality. More on this later...
I've been really sick this week, which hasn't been fun. But, I hope to get into the studio this week and finish up some trax with the guys. We'll keep you posted (and hope with some new pics).
Until Then,
Jamie
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Poo Tart Time
Greg, a personal acquaintance and Epic Union’s vocal boy, visited the stood last night and took a listen to Eric/Brad’s trax from the previous night. He also got to witness me and Jeffy-poo tracking another new tune. Somewhere during his stay, Greg exhaustively replaced the phrase “two part-time jobs” with “poo-tart time jobs”. I laughed. Poo Tarts… yum.
Maybe I shouldn’t compare our songs to anything, especially unfinished ones, but… it kinda sounds like a Maroon5 tune (I’m a fan), but without the nasally vocalist (again, I’m a fan). I like where it’s going so far. It’s definitely one of Sun’s tightest drum trax, and not to mention a beefy bass track.
Hopefully, J and I can get in to finish it up and see what it evolves into.
Wanna get a vibe of the new tune? Listen to…
So Help Me God – dc Talk
Harder to Breathe – Maroon5
Used to be Alright – I Mother Earth
Talk to ya'll soon; going to bake some poo-tarts.
Jamie
Maybe I shouldn’t compare our songs to anything, especially unfinished ones, but… it kinda sounds like a Maroon5 tune (I’m a fan), but without the nasally vocalist (again, I’m a fan). I like where it’s going so far. It’s definitely one of Sun’s tightest drum trax, and not to mention a beefy bass track.
Hopefully, J and I can get in to finish it up and see what it evolves into.
Wanna get a vibe of the new tune? Listen to…
So Help Me God – dc Talk
Harder to Breathe – Maroon5
Used to be Alright – I Mother Earth
Talk to ya'll soon; going to bake some poo-tarts.
Jamie
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Epic Proportions
Hey Folks. Just wanted to give ya’ll a heads-up on what’s going on in the stood (studio).
Last week Sunny demoed a tune by himself which came out pretty cool; kind of a Black Crowes vibe, but a rockin' worship tune. Boy-oh-boy; Daddy like (I'm referring to myself as “Daddy” here). Sun and I sat over a good ol’ Charles Wesley hymn (“And Can It Be That I Should Gain?”) for some lyrical inspiration and it came out quite well. This one could be roof-shaker when played live. I can’t wait to try it out on stage. Awesome-Power! (one of the few Simpson's quotes I know).
So far this week has been kinda quiet for us, but our friends Epic Union (who led April’s Spot at Riverview Baptist this past Sunday) stopped by last night and started tracking some demos of their own with Sunny. With Brad poundin’ the skins and E-Train thumpin’ on the bass, I was inspired to get back into Studio 54 tonight and start trackin' a new tune with Sunny. So, hopefully we get some work done with it. I’ll fill ya’ll in later.
Word to Big Bird (& Snuffleupagus).
Jamie
Last week Sunny demoed a tune by himself which came out pretty cool; kind of a Black Crowes vibe, but a rockin' worship tune. Boy-oh-boy; Daddy like (I'm referring to myself as “Daddy” here). Sun and I sat over a good ol’ Charles Wesley hymn (“And Can It Be That I Should Gain?”) for some lyrical inspiration and it came out quite well. This one could be roof-shaker when played live. I can’t wait to try it out on stage. Awesome-Power! (one of the few Simpson's quotes I know).
So far this week has been kinda quiet for us, but our friends Epic Union (who led April’s Spot at Riverview Baptist this past Sunday) stopped by last night and started tracking some demos of their own with Sunny. With Brad poundin’ the skins and E-Train thumpin’ on the bass, I was inspired to get back into Studio 54 tonight and start trackin' a new tune with Sunny. So, hopefully we get some work done with it. I’ll fill ya’ll in later.
Word to Big Bird (& Snuffleupagus).
Jamie
Monday, April 16, 2007
On the Mountain
Hey Kids,
Just a bit of an update on what we've been up to.
On Sunday morning, we lead worship at Lutes Moutain Nazarene (my home church) and also shared a bit about our ministry and where we're heading. Among the great repsonse to worship, we were also barraded with encouraging words and a gracious love offering to help with our fund-raising efforts for the new record. A big thank you to Lutes Mtn for inviting us to worship with them and we can't wait to do it again.
This week, we hope to finish up some tunes that have been awaiting some tracking, vox, and other goodies as we try to wrap up the demo process. Although it may take a more hours/days in the studio to get where we want to be with the current tunes, we're getting new song ideas, lyrical concepts, and new melodies all the time. We've got an ever-growng list of tunes we're going to have to narrow down come recording time, but we figure the more the merrier. We're always trying to add on.
Don't forget to let us know which "Origin of Moonlight" tune you'd like to see us possibly re-track on the next record (see last post). An update on tracking process will be coming soon!
Word.
Currently Listening to:
"I'm A Sucker for a Kind Word" - Copeland
"A Whisper and a Clamour" - Anberlin
"Red Sky" - Thrice
And, hey... You can almost see Sunny's brain through his nostrils. Look closely.
Just a bit of an update on what we've been up to.
On Sunday morning, we lead worship at Lutes Moutain Nazarene (my home church) and also shared a bit about our ministry and where we're heading. Among the great repsonse to worship, we were also barraded with encouraging words and a gracious love offering to help with our fund-raising efforts for the new record. A big thank you to Lutes Mtn for inviting us to worship with them and we can't wait to do it again.
This week, we hope to finish up some tunes that have been awaiting some tracking, vox, and other goodies as we try to wrap up the demo process. Although it may take a more hours/days in the studio to get where we want to be with the current tunes, we're getting new song ideas, lyrical concepts, and new melodies all the time. We've got an ever-growng list of tunes we're going to have to narrow down come recording time, but we figure the more the merrier. We're always trying to add on.
Don't forget to let us know which "Origin of Moonlight" tune you'd like to see us possibly re-track on the next record (see last post). An update on tracking process will be coming soon!
Word.
Currently Listening to:
"I'm A Sucker for a Kind Word" - Copeland
"A Whisper and a Clamour" - Anberlin
"Red Sky" - Thrice
And, hey... You can almost see Sunny's brain through his nostrils. Look closely.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Who Reads this, Anyway?
I figure this blog is more like a personal diary...er, wait, we're dudes...journal, yeah that's it...anyway, more like a journal cuz I'm not sure who would be spendin' their call centre union-mandated break to read this nonesense, but regardless. or, irregardless.
As we're working towards our next project, we've tossed around the idea of revamping one of the tracks from our previous release, "The Origin of Moonlight" (2005 CMC). Just thought I'd throw the idea out there on the internet machine and see what you thought. Yeah, you. I know people say that jokingly all the time, but really this time I actually mean you.
So, if there's a track you'd like to see a fresh version of on our next record, post a comment and tell us which one and why. If you don't have the album, head on down to yer local Christian retailer and snag one, silly goose.
'Til next time, keep fit and have fun.
Jefferee
As we're working towards our next project, we've tossed around the idea of revamping one of the tracks from our previous release, "The Origin of Moonlight" (2005 CMC). Just thought I'd throw the idea out there on the internet machine and see what you thought. Yeah, you. I know people say that jokingly all the time, but really this time I actually mean you.
So, if there's a track you'd like to see a fresh version of on our next record, post a comment and tell us which one and why. If you don't have the album, head on down to yer local Christian retailer and snag one, silly goose.
'Til next time, keep fit and have fun.
Jefferee
Friday, March 30, 2007
Some(rs) Pics
Hey all you pals, chiefs, buddies, guys, chicks, fellas, fullas, sports, squirts, bosses and champs.
We've been pretty lazy with the pics and i figure its time to pony up, so here's a few.
Studio 54 needed some upgrades to make it more functional for our demoin' progress, so of course i contracted the best help available. Sadly, I could not afford said help so I called my dad. Just kiddin' Pops!
Here's "the desk" as it stands at this point...normally littered with a lot more coffee cups, twizzler bags and random garbage. Classy, I know.
Here's Evan lookin' like he knows what he's doing.
Here's Evan (aka Bernie) looking like he doesn't know what he's doing.
J always brings style with a smile.
Cam sayin', "Come on, just ONE Dream Theatre solo...pleeeeeease..."
Behind closed doors. That makes it sound much, much more exciting. sadly...
There, finally. More to come. Including a funny vid of Jamie's voice on a pitch shifter. I know, right?
Jeff
We've been pretty lazy with the pics and i figure its time to pony up, so here's a few.
Studio 54 needed some upgrades to make it more functional for our demoin' progress, so of course i contracted the best help available. Sadly, I could not afford said help so I called my dad. Just kiddin' Pops!
Here's "the desk" as it stands at this point...normally littered with a lot more coffee cups, twizzler bags and random garbage. Classy, I know.
Here's Evan lookin' like he knows what he's doing.
Here's Evan (aka Bernie) looking like he doesn't know what he's doing.
J always brings style with a smile.
Cam sayin', "Come on, just ONE Dream Theatre solo...pleeeeeease..."
Behind closed doors. That makes it sound much, much more exciting. sadly...
There, finally. More to come. Including a funny vid of Jamie's voice on a pitch shifter. I know, right?
Jeff
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
What does it mean if you hear drums when you shower?
I haven't posted anything (personally) on here in a while. So much so, that as I type this I'm talking to Cam on MSN and had to ask him for the login info. My memory is amazing, but it's short.
My shower had a soundtrack this morning. Drums. Aggressive, angry drums, coming from below my feet...drum sounds borne out of the angst of a childhood spent on the Mighty Miramichi.
Those crazy peddlers of irony, rock, and high fashion known as The Silent are my "People Under the Stairs". They've invaded Ye Olde "Studio 54" (also known as Ye Olde My Basement) to work on some new stuff. That doesn't really have anything to do with us, other than I wanted to be a bit of a wiener (can I say that on TV?) and steal their thunder, cuz that's what friends do. If you don't look forward, you should, to whatever they pump out next cuz it's soundin' good. Although, I feel like Marc may have had a bad experience with an electrical appliance and is now unfairly taking it out on all appliances through song. Ye Olde...heh...funny.
We, the SOMERS gang, are gonna take over the place tonite and work on some stuff again. Cam's been busy workin' on some tuneage as has J so lookin' forward to wrestlin' some of those ideas on to tape (or hard drive, but tape sounds way hipper). We're also gonna throw down our own special versions of a couple of worship tunes we didn't write...I think the kids call that a "cover" (which to me is something you sleep under, or an assumed identity involving a moustache and aviator sunglasses).
We're still trying to find money to get our project underway as well, so if you have any, please send it to us. In exchange, we will provide you with a tasteful and personalized thank you card a free car wash.
That is all.
Jeff
Listening to:
Nothing...my sister took my iPod to Toronto.
My shower had a soundtrack this morning. Drums. Aggressive, angry drums, coming from below my feet...drum sounds borne out of the angst of a childhood spent on the Mighty Miramichi.
Those crazy peddlers of irony, rock, and high fashion known as The Silent are my "People Under the Stairs". They've invaded Ye Olde "Studio 54" (also known as Ye Olde My Basement) to work on some new stuff. That doesn't really have anything to do with us, other than I wanted to be a bit of a wiener (can I say that on TV?) and steal their thunder, cuz that's what friends do. If you don't look forward, you should, to whatever they pump out next cuz it's soundin' good. Although, I feel like Marc may have had a bad experience with an electrical appliance and is now unfairly taking it out on all appliances through song. Ye Olde...heh...funny.
We, the SOMERS gang, are gonna take over the place tonite and work on some stuff again. Cam's been busy workin' on some tuneage as has J so lookin' forward to wrestlin' some of those ideas on to tape (or hard drive, but tape sounds way hipper). We're also gonna throw down our own special versions of a couple of worship tunes we didn't write...I think the kids call that a "cover" (which to me is something you sleep under, or an assumed identity involving a moustache and aviator sunglasses).
We're still trying to find money to get our project underway as well, so if you have any, please send it to us. In exchange, we will provide you with a tasteful and personalized thank you card a free car wash.
That is all.
Jeff
Listening to:
Nothing...my sister took my iPod to Toronto.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Melody to Overture in 3 minutes & 12 seconds
God gives us melodies at the oddest times.
While driving in his Jeep, Sunny had an idea for a melody & vocal line for a tune. Thing is, when you think up that kinda stuff, you’re always in the most inopportune place or you quickly forget it. Unless, of course, you’ve got some sort of recording device. Enter the cultural phenomenon called “the cellphone”. In a panic, Sun called his cellphone’s voice-mail and sang the melody line & recited the chord progression to himself via his voice-mail. Ingenious, eh? God gives us melodies at the oddest times.
So, just to be sure, we started to track the song last night. What started as a simple worship melody line, ended up into a Starfield-meets-Switchfoot pop-worship tune. After quickly droppin’ down a drum track, acoustic, bass, and electric track, Evan, Sunny, & I kinda sat back and said, “This is really cool! Sounds like a possible single!" Like a thought can turn into a philosophy, a melody can turn into an overture. Ya dig?
Oh, btw, we (SOMERS) are playing at Hillside Baptist this Sunday morning (9:15 & 11:00am). Hillside are having a "U2 & God" service, and it should be really cool. We're playing a few U2 songs, and we'll get to watch Bill Hybel's interview with Bono about world poverty & the Aids crisis in Africa. So, without discourging you from going to your own Sunday morning service, come and check out Hillside's "U2 & God" service; should be really cool.
Jamie
Currently Listening to:
Beautiful Letdown - Switchfoot
Filled with Your Glory - Starfield
Yesterday, Tomorrow, Today - Stereophonics
While driving in his Jeep, Sunny had an idea for a melody & vocal line for a tune. Thing is, when you think up that kinda stuff, you’re always in the most inopportune place or you quickly forget it. Unless, of course, you’ve got some sort of recording device. Enter the cultural phenomenon called “the cellphone”. In a panic, Sun called his cellphone’s voice-mail and sang the melody line & recited the chord progression to himself via his voice-mail. Ingenious, eh? God gives us melodies at the oddest times.
So, just to be sure, we started to track the song last night. What started as a simple worship melody line, ended up into a Starfield-meets-Switchfoot pop-worship tune. After quickly droppin’ down a drum track, acoustic, bass, and electric track, Evan, Sunny, & I kinda sat back and said, “This is really cool! Sounds like a possible single!" Like a thought can turn into a philosophy, a melody can turn into an overture. Ya dig?
Oh, btw, we (SOMERS) are playing at Hillside Baptist this Sunday morning (9:15 & 11:00am). Hillside are having a "U2 & God" service, and it should be really cool. We're playing a few U2 songs, and we'll get to watch Bill Hybel's interview with Bono about world poverty & the Aids crisis in Africa. So, without discourging you from going to your own Sunday morning service, come and check out Hillside's "U2 & God" service; should be really cool.
Jamie
Currently Listening to:
Beautiful Letdown - Switchfoot
Filled with Your Glory - Starfield
Yesterday, Tomorrow, Today - Stereophonics
Monday, March 5, 2007
Minor Update...
Hey Kids,
Just wanted to give ya’ll a quick update. We’ve been a bit slow on the demo process for the last little bit for numerous reasons. And, we thought we lost some trax on a few songs because we tried exporting them to an external hard-drive. Luckily, Sun & Evan recovered most of them, so we just gotta dust off a few trax & get back to it. We’re all busy souls, but we realize we have less than 2 months before we head to the studio.
Speaking of which… news to come soon. Though I’m sure the people closest to us know the plans we have for the record, but we just wanna make sure we got all of our ducks in order (my dad’s expression) as far a finances & schedules go. So, hey, keep praying for us as we seek more some investors & God’s direction on summing up plans for the project. Prayer is the biggest thing we’re asking for right now, and we ask your continued progress with that. Pics coming soon!
Jamie
Just wanted to give ya’ll a quick update. We’ve been a bit slow on the demo process for the last little bit for numerous reasons. And, we thought we lost some trax on a few songs because we tried exporting them to an external hard-drive. Luckily, Sun & Evan recovered most of them, so we just gotta dust off a few trax & get back to it. We’re all busy souls, but we realize we have less than 2 months before we head to the studio.
Speaking of which… news to come soon. Though I’m sure the people closest to us know the plans we have for the record, but we just wanna make sure we got all of our ducks in order (my dad’s expression) as far a finances & schedules go. So, hey, keep praying for us as we seek more some investors & God’s direction on summing up plans for the project. Prayer is the biggest thing we’re asking for right now, and we ask your continued progress with that. Pics coming soon!
Jamie
Monday, February 19, 2007
Talk, Spot, & Rock
Getting together tonight to talk a bit about the progress of the record, chat about this week's Spot, & get a little rock off the shoulders sometime this week. It's been a month since we last played together (too long!). I've been itchin' to get back in the studio with the boyz all week. I'll also be doing some audio samples for Glen Morris @ MORRIS AMPS (www.morrisamps.com), so keep 'yer ears peeled for those on his site. Oh, and buy a hand-wired point-to-point guitar amp while you're there.
The Spot is this Sunday night, 8pm, @ First Church of the Nazarene (21 Fieldcrest Dr, behind Fergueson Knowles Funeral Home off Mtn. Rd). Be there.
The Spot is this Sunday night, 8pm, @ First Church of the Nazarene (21 Fieldcrest Dr, behind Fergueson Knowles Funeral Home off Mtn. Rd). Be there.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Sunshine & Boredem
Not much has been going on in the Somers camp these past two weeks. Mainly because Jeff & Evan went to Florida for a week with the Charlie Somers family clan so J & I have been huddling together collecting body heat in the corner trying to stay warm in the rediculously cold NB weather... with our wives, not each other. We don't like Jeff or Evan anymore.
Last week, we started a new song that J wrote called "Your Glory Surrounds". It's a good one with a bit of a "Nothing Left to Say" vibe. I enjoy. I stayed around for the beginning stages of the track, but I was sick & sleepy, so I just went home to watch "24" and go to bed. Not sure how the track turned out, but can't wait to hear it & lay down some trax.
My wife, Catherine, is gone to Calgary for a week so it gives me a great excuse to spend my extra time at the studio finishing up some tracks & writing while she's away. I hope to get a lot accomplished, including a possible new tune I'm working on that's pretty rockin'. I just need a melody/lyrics & some other musical direction for it.
Do me a favour. Go to www.morrisamps.com and check out Glen Morris's amazing hand-wired guitar amps. He's pretty much the most awesomest guitar amp maker ever. I own one. So does Matt & Dennis from the Silent. They agree. If you look around long enough, you may even see a pic of me & my amp. Dig it! Morris Amps
Oh yeah! Big news as far as our producer search goes! I can't give out too much information right now, but we're super excited to start the album. I'm not telling you anything yet because then I'll have to kill you. Patience, grasshopper.
Jammy Jammer Jamma Cam
Listening to:
Goodbye - Army of Anyone
Is it Any Wonder - Keane
We Win! - David Crowder Band
Everlasting God - Lincoln Brewster
Futures - Jimmy Eat World
Studio pics will be up soon, I promise. In the meantime, here's my new axe: a '99 US Lonestar Strat. Heck yes.
Last week, we started a new song that J wrote called "Your Glory Surrounds". It's a good one with a bit of a "Nothing Left to Say" vibe. I enjoy. I stayed around for the beginning stages of the track, but I was sick & sleepy, so I just went home to watch "24" and go to bed. Not sure how the track turned out, but can't wait to hear it & lay down some trax.
My wife, Catherine, is gone to Calgary for a week so it gives me a great excuse to spend my extra time at the studio finishing up some tracks & writing while she's away. I hope to get a lot accomplished, including a possible new tune I'm working on that's pretty rockin'. I just need a melody/lyrics & some other musical direction for it.
Do me a favour. Go to www.morrisamps.com and check out Glen Morris's amazing hand-wired guitar amps. He's pretty much the most awesomest guitar amp maker ever. I own one. So does Matt & Dennis from the Silent. They agree. If you look around long enough, you may even see a pic of me & my amp. Dig it! Morris Amps
Oh yeah! Big news as far as our producer search goes! I can't give out too much information right now, but we're super excited to start the album. I'm not telling you anything yet because then I'll have to kill you. Patience, grasshopper.
Jammy Jammer Jamma Cam
Listening to:
Goodbye - Army of Anyone
Is it Any Wonder - Keane
We Win! - David Crowder Band
Everlasting God - Lincoln Brewster
Futures - Jimmy Eat World
Studio pics will be up soon, I promise. In the meantime, here's my new axe: a '99 US Lonestar Strat. Heck yes.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Back in the Saddle
Hello again. Nothing too interesting to comment on, but I thought I'd give ya'll an update.
But first off, thanks to all who came to the Spot on Sunday evening. We had a large crowd, and we were super happy to get back in the swing of the Spot. After a 'sabbath' of sorts in December to really pray about the future and growth of the Spot, it was very refreshing to get back into a communal sense of worship and we certainly felt God's prescence with us. What an amazing time of worship. And, hope ya'll enjoyed the new Somers tune (called Ever)!
With this January behind us, we gotta get back on the demo saddle. We've been away from the studio for about 2 weeks because we've been redecorating/remodeling Sunny's basement. Sunny, along with a few helping hands, managed to take out the furnace & duct work, move the hot-water heater, put a window between control room & practice space, as well as paint, sand, & clean up the walls. It's coming along quite nicely. We're hoping to get that all finished up this week so we can get back to demoing. It seems the more time we have to demo, the more songs we keep fleshing out. Of course, we've still got a lot of work ahead of us with unfinished songs. Lyrics, melodies, Reason, and mixing are what's left for about 67.94% of the songs, but I imagine we might be able to whip up a few more tunes before we collect them all and send them in for pre-production. I think we're all pretty excited about the songs thus far, and we really can't wait to hear the songs in their entirety. It'll be relieving to get them all recorded.
As far as producers go, we think we've found a great producer for what we want to accomplish. Without giving too much info away, we think he'll help make our ideas come alive both sonically & creatively. Again, nothing is concrete, but we are seeking God's will and wisdom/guidance to make the right decision. I've probably said too much, but please continue to pray for us as we make plans & schedule the record process. We promise, you won't be dissapointed.
Until then, make sure to schedule in February's Spot event on Feb. 28th, 8pm @ Moncton First Chruch of the Nazarene (21 Fieldcrest Dr. behind Ferguson Knowles Funeral Home). We all know Nazarene's have the most fun...
Thx,
Jamie & the Somers crew.
But first off, thanks to all who came to the Spot on Sunday evening. We had a large crowd, and we were super happy to get back in the swing of the Spot. After a 'sabbath' of sorts in December to really pray about the future and growth of the Spot, it was very refreshing to get back into a communal sense of worship and we certainly felt God's prescence with us. What an amazing time of worship. And, hope ya'll enjoyed the new Somers tune (called Ever)!
With this January behind us, we gotta get back on the demo saddle. We've been away from the studio for about 2 weeks because we've been redecorating/remodeling Sunny's basement. Sunny, along with a few helping hands, managed to take out the furnace & duct work, move the hot-water heater, put a window between control room & practice space, as well as paint, sand, & clean up the walls. It's coming along quite nicely. We're hoping to get that all finished up this week so we can get back to demoing. It seems the more time we have to demo, the more songs we keep fleshing out. Of course, we've still got a lot of work ahead of us with unfinished songs. Lyrics, melodies, Reason, and mixing are what's left for about 67.94% of the songs, but I imagine we might be able to whip up a few more tunes before we collect them all and send them in for pre-production. I think we're all pretty excited about the songs thus far, and we really can't wait to hear the songs in their entirety. It'll be relieving to get them all recorded.
As far as producers go, we think we've found a great producer for what we want to accomplish. Without giving too much info away, we think he'll help make our ideas come alive both sonically & creatively. Again, nothing is concrete, but we are seeking God's will and wisdom/guidance to make the right decision. I've probably said too much, but please continue to pray for us as we make plans & schedule the record process. We promise, you won't be dissapointed.
Until then, make sure to schedule in February's Spot event on Feb. 28th, 8pm @ Moncton First Chruch of the Nazarene (21 Fieldcrest Dr. behind Ferguson Knowles Funeral Home). We all know Nazarene's have the most fun...
Thx,
Jamie & the Somers crew.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
A Break from the Demo Process
Last night, we took a break from the demo process to prepare for this month's Spot. After having been in 'new song' mode for so long, I forgot how good & rewarding it is to actually play/practice together. It's been months since 5 of us crammed ourselves in the Studio 54 rehearsal space to practice for something. It felt good... really good.
With our sound-tech wonder-boy, Evan, playing drums and our old friend Tim playing bass, we fleshed out a few tunes to prepare for this month's SPOT (Sunday, Jan. 28th, 8pm @ First Baptist Church, Moncton).
It was relieving to turn off the Mac & Firepod, take off the head-phones, and pop in the in-ears for some live musical experience. Writing new tunes & demo-ing is exciting n' all, but for different reasons. It was good to plug in & play with the boys. Can't wait to go on the road & do it more often. I know the other guys agree.
Cya Sunday night!
Jamie
For Your Meditation:
Psalm 63:1-8
Isaiah 40:28-31
Listening to:
"Belief" - John Mayer
"Everlasting God" - Chris Tomlin
"King and a Kingdom" - Derek Webb
With our sound-tech wonder-boy, Evan, playing drums and our old friend Tim playing bass, we fleshed out a few tunes to prepare for this month's SPOT (Sunday, Jan. 28th, 8pm @ First Baptist Church, Moncton).
It was relieving to turn off the Mac & Firepod, take off the head-phones, and pop in the in-ears for some live musical experience. Writing new tunes & demo-ing is exciting n' all, but for different reasons. It was good to plug in & play with the boys. Can't wait to go on the road & do it more often. I know the other guys agree.
Cya Sunday night!
Jamie
For Your Meditation:
Psalm 63:1-8
Isaiah 40:28-31
Listening to:
"Belief" - John Mayer
"Everlasting God" - Chris Tomlin
"King and a Kingdom" - Derek Webb
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Back in the day...which was a Wednesday...
I (Sunny) used to be a drummer. I started out playing drums, played drums in several bands for over a decade. But let's just say it's been a while. I'm playing all the drums for our demos right now for the sake of convenience, and Evan and I were working on a new tune called "Drums of Justice" last night. Its a song about the connection between worship and ministry to the poor/social justice issues (check out Amos 5/Isaiah 1). Anyway, its a little be more demanding percussionally speaking than some of the other stuff we've done thus far...170 BPM, a switch from 4/4 to 6/8 mid-song with a dropped beat every second bar (6/8, 5/8, 6/8, 5/8, etc). Not a huge challenge for an everyday player I'm sure, but I was getting a little frustrated that my limbs wouldn't do exactly what they were asked anymore. Man, use it or lose it I guess! Oh well, it's down now.
Looking forward to this song being finished, and someday hearing the actual finished product as well. It's a very neato-mosquito groove with some cool noise and ambient stuff going on, but also I'm pretty passionate about the subject matter. I could ramble on for a while about it, but I'll leave that for another post I guess.
Anyhoo, keep yer stick on the ice.
Sunny
"Chaos" - MuteMath
"Eat, Sleep, Repeat" - Copeland
"Crystal Ball" - Keane
Looking forward to this song being finished, and someday hearing the actual finished product as well. It's a very neato-mosquito groove with some cool noise and ambient stuff going on, but also I'm pretty passionate about the subject matter. I could ramble on for a while about it, but I'll leave that for another post I guess.
Anyhoo, keep yer stick on the ice.
Sunny
"Chaos" - MuteMath
"Eat, Sleep, Repeat" - Copeland
"Crystal Ball" - Keane
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Demo vs. Studio
Not much to write about here. Sunny and I continued to track a new song last night. It has potential to be a cool song, but I suspect it would sound better once we get a live sound out of it. It'd be interesting to see what we could turn it into.
Last night, my wife asked me what the difference between the demo & studio processes were. She asked, "Why don't you just record your album in Jeff's basement? What do you need a producer for?". I thought about the question for a moment realzing it was a valid question. But demo-ing & doing real studio work are two different things. The studio, being ultimately the more rewarding of the two, is kinda scary but can open up some really creative space and it's always exciting to hear the end product. A producer knows the difference between a good & great take are. The demo process usually only hears the 'good' takes. The demo process, however, is cool because you get to hear your full songs in their entirety for the first time and with a full-band sound. The demo process can also be kind of a let-down because takes (I'm speaking of my guitar tracks especially) never sound a good as they could be. The studio/producer force you to do your best takes all the time.
But, these are demos; their existence serve as a good base for pre-production. They're a solid stepping-stone to what you imagine to accomplish in the studio with a producer. Songs get changed, skewed, dumped, shortened, etc in the studio. That ebing said, we're not doing too bad at all. I'd say we've got abuot 12-15 new songs that are finished or in teh midst of being finished/recorded.
Anyway... as we continue to search for a studio/producer it makes the demo process seem long & arduous. But at the same time, the longer we demo, the more songs we get to flesh out & tweak to our liking. Our little basement demo studio is working out great for that though we're still on the lookout for a producer. We've been on the phone a few times, but nothing concrete yet. You'll be the first to hear, we promise.
Don't forget to come to the Spot next Sunday night (Jan. 28th, 8pm @ First Baptist, Moncton). Maybe you'll get to hear a new tune... I said, "MAYBE".
Cya there!
Jamie
www.myspace.com/worshipperiod
www.myspace.com/somersonline
Last night, my wife asked me what the difference between the demo & studio processes were. She asked, "Why don't you just record your album in Jeff's basement? What do you need a producer for?". I thought about the question for a moment realzing it was a valid question. But demo-ing & doing real studio work are two different things. The studio, being ultimately the more rewarding of the two, is kinda scary but can open up some really creative space and it's always exciting to hear the end product. A producer knows the difference between a good & great take are. The demo process usually only hears the 'good' takes. The demo process, however, is cool because you get to hear your full songs in their entirety for the first time and with a full-band sound. The demo process can also be kind of a let-down because takes (I'm speaking of my guitar tracks especially) never sound a good as they could be. The studio/producer force you to do your best takes all the time.
But, these are demos; their existence serve as a good base for pre-production. They're a solid stepping-stone to what you imagine to accomplish in the studio with a producer. Songs get changed, skewed, dumped, shortened, etc in the studio. That ebing said, we're not doing too bad at all. I'd say we've got abuot 12-15 new songs that are finished or in teh midst of being finished/recorded.
Anyway... as we continue to search for a studio/producer it makes the demo process seem long & arduous. But at the same time, the longer we demo, the more songs we get to flesh out & tweak to our liking. Our little basement demo studio is working out great for that though we're still on the lookout for a producer. We've been on the phone a few times, but nothing concrete yet. You'll be the first to hear, we promise.
Don't forget to come to the Spot next Sunday night (Jan. 28th, 8pm @ First Baptist, Moncton). Maybe you'll get to hear a new tune... I said, "MAYBE".
Cya there!
Jamie
www.myspace.com/worshipperiod
www.myspace.com/somersonline
We don't look quite right as a trio, do we?
Friday, January 12, 2007
...Of Kings & Rulers
Hey Folks. Jamie here.
We started to track a new demo last night called "...Of Kings and Rulers" which we had actually written a little while ago. It's pretty rad. We revamped a Matt Redman worship tune and liked the riff we used so much that we wanted to use it in our own song. It's actually close to finished (as far as finished goes), though we've gotta lay down vox, bass, some "Reason" goodies, and J has got to throw in his "Warren Haynes" chops in a few places.
We also snapped a few more pics which will be up here pretty soon, we hope. We're still on the lookout for the right producer (which is exciting & frustrating all at the same time), but we're enjoying the pressure of having to get what we need done. Cool dizzle.
And, in case you're not aware (or even care), Sunny's little basement studio gem has been aptly named "Studio 54". His street number is 54, so there's no real hidden agenda behind the name.
Finally, when I post I'll usually throw in a few songs that I've been listening to or some songs that inspire or remind us of one of the new demo tunes. It's always reccomended listening!
Listening to:
"In My Place" - Coldplay
"Fix You" - Coldplay
"Worried Down with the Blues" - Government Mule
"Gifted Response" - Matt Redman
We started to track a new demo last night called "...Of Kings and Rulers" which we had actually written a little while ago. It's pretty rad. We revamped a Matt Redman worship tune and liked the riff we used so much that we wanted to use it in our own song. It's actually close to finished (as far as finished goes), though we've gotta lay down vox, bass, some "Reason" goodies, and J has got to throw in his "Warren Haynes" chops in a few places.
We also snapped a few more pics which will be up here pretty soon, we hope. We're still on the lookout for the right producer (which is exciting & frustrating all at the same time), but we're enjoying the pressure of having to get what we need done. Cool dizzle.
And, in case you're not aware (or even care), Sunny's little basement studio gem has been aptly named "Studio 54". His street number is 54, so there's no real hidden agenda behind the name.
Finally, when I post I'll usually throw in a few songs that I've been listening to or some songs that inspire or remind us of one of the new demo tunes. It's always reccomended listening!
Listening to:
"In My Place" - Coldplay
"Fix You" - Coldplay
"Worried Down with the Blues" - Government Mule
"Gifted Response" - Matt Redman
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
We Ran All Nite
Well, just worked on demoing a new tune tonite. It doesn't have a title or really a concrete melody line or lyrics yet, but we banged out a musical composition anyway. We're calling it "Run" for practicality sake at this point, not sure why, and certainly not sure it'll stay that way. We're pretty happy with how the track is sounding so far, cuz its rock n' roll. Loud guitars and then more loud guitars. Sometimes ya just need to get the rock off yer chest. Plus Jamie gets to unload some of his pent up Shreddy Shredderson moves, which is good, cuz if he doesn't every so often, his head explodes...its gross.
We also took a bunch of pics and a few video clips which will end up on here shortly, I'm sure.
Hopefully we'll be finishing up the tune in its demo form real soon so it can have a complete life, and maybe even a real title. Dream on, dreamers.
Jeff
We also took a bunch of pics and a few video clips which will end up on here shortly, I'm sure.
Hopefully we'll be finishing up the tune in its demo form real soon so it can have a complete life, and maybe even a real title. Dream on, dreamers.
Jeff
Welcome
Hey everybody...or nobody...or somebody...
Its the boys from Somers (formerly Jeff Somers Band) here, and we've created this blog to track our progress in doing a new album. We're very early on in the process, doing some writing and demoing and so on, but we thought it'd be cool to keep a bit of a journal with some info, pics, inside scoops and so on as we go along. Plus once the album is done it will be peachy keen and neat to be able to look back through the proverbial journey. Granted, it may be self-serving in that we may be the only ones reading it or interested, but still...
So if ya like, hang around and we'll be droppin' science periodically. Take 'er easy, lemon squeezy!
- Jeff
Its the boys from Somers (formerly Jeff Somers Band) here, and we've created this blog to track our progress in doing a new album. We're very early on in the process, doing some writing and demoing and so on, but we thought it'd be cool to keep a bit of a journal with some info, pics, inside scoops and so on as we go along. Plus once the album is done it will be peachy keen and neat to be able to look back through the proverbial journey. Granted, it may be self-serving in that we may be the only ones reading it or interested, but still...
So if ya like, hang around and we'll be droppin' science periodically. Take 'er easy, lemon squeezy!
- Jeff
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