Hey there and happy Friday to you!
Quick update on our new album: we’re making progress! Tentative title is Enemy Sublime which is a line from one of the songs. We’ve got about 15 tunes recorded and need to pare it down to 11 or 12. I’m feeling like Churchill about the process. He said it well: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” I love the “perhaps”; with the “perhaps” we have hope. And like Emily Dickinson said, “Hope is the thing with feathers.” Of course, Mr. Churchill was talking about a world conflict in which the very future of the human race was hanging in the balance. We’re just 4 guys from Jersey making some noise. But the noise is sounding great, and we are super excited for you to hear it.
Here’s a quick look at our song board for you (the green dots mean those tunes are being mixed…see, we are making progress!).
So for this week’s post I thought it might be interesting for you to hear a rehearsal of the song, “Face the Faceless”. I actually shared it here on my Substack before playing it for the band. We knocked it around at practice and plan on recording it at a final session this weekend. It might not be an album track but who knows, and we could always use it for something else. Here’s a link to the original post which was my demo, sang into my phone.
And here are the lyrics.
Plenty of things can still go wrong Drop like a warehouse on a farm The rope is tight that binds my arms Plenty of lights we could turn down Too many fights in this feisty town My boots have all hit the ground I turn around to face the faceless and I stare them down I stare them down The coffee is spilling down the side Of my cup, it crossed my mind You always laugh before you cry I wonder why You laugh before you cry I wonder why I wonder why Plenty of things can still go right We pass like shadows in the night Me to the left you to the right I will not fight with you That's how I fight with you I will not fight with you That's how I fight with you I will not fight with you That's how I fight with you For every day of the week There is a word for which I seek I am a man who drags his feet I will repeat myself At the risk of sounding meek I will repeat myself I will repeat myself I will repeat myself I will repeat myself I will repeat myself
And last, I’ll leave you with a picture…so lucky to get another couple days skiing in with this surprise snowstorm in Vermont! That’s me taking a break in the woods earlier today (writing this Thursday night)—very peaceful and quiet in the snowy woods, great time to think about songs!
Have a wonderful weekend! - Mick
Check out a complete list of all our upcoming shows here.
And the very last thing (I promise). Here’s that poem by Emily Dickinson I mentioned earlier.
“Hope” is the thing with feathers - That perches in the soul - And sings the tune without the words - And never stops - at all - And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard - And sore must be the storm - That could abash the little Bird That kept so many warm - I’ve heard it in the chillest land - And on the strangest Sea - Yet - never - in Extremity, It asked a crumb - of me.
Face the Faceless Revisited