London show this Thursday

I am playing at the Acoustic Duke show this Thursday (25th August) at The Dukes Head in Putney.

Check the facebook event here.

End To The Lies...

Hello!

I am currently in the middle of writing a new record. So far I probably have about 6 songs written. This process started off much slower than the writing for the last record, but I think that was mainly because I was so creatively wiped out by everything it took to make that record (the EPIC and sometimes CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED (!) debut, UPON A PAINTED OCEAN, if you haven't heard it yet, seriously WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?....), so writing for the next one was always going to be a slow and gradual process.

Right now I am trying to figure out the direction it is heading in, the sound and feel I want on the record, and probably most importantly - just how the hell I am going to finance it, bearing in mind we are in the middle of THE CREDIT CRUNCH. (And my crunch has definitely been credited recently.) However, I am confident that this batch of songs I have been writing is by far the best stuff I have ever written in my last misspent decade of (trying) to write songs. And weirdly enough they have been coming much more naturally to me this time. I heard a quote from John Frusciante once about how the Chili Peppers almost weren't musicians but conduits to whatever outside forces in the room wanted to play music... That probably doesn't make sense, but anyone who has ever spent time making and writing music will appreciate that sometimes it is weird! Sometimes a sound, riff, entire song just hits you out of nowhere and you just have to hitch a ride, and hang on as long as you can to try and capture the magic you heard the very first time you ever played that riff. That's how I feel anyway. And that's what I'm constantly trying to convey in my music, that sense of awe and wonder I experience when I play a riff that I don't know where it came from for the first time. That is what I want anyone who listens to my music to hear. And this is another crazy part about being a musician - it is impossible for you to ever fully appreciate how anyone else EVER listens or responds to your music. It's all a big mystery. Sure they can tell you, "It's great," "I don't like it," or "WHY ARE THERE NO VOCALS??! I DON'T UNDERSTAAAAAND!" But I can never truly get into the head, the mind, the thoughts of someone who is listening. (And if I could I'd be a sick fucking freak...)

Are they getting it? Are they hearing this part? Do they know that this theme has been in about 7 songs already? Why am I such a loser?! Anyway, I guess what I am trying to say in this overly long, Max Bemis-ish 'rant' is that the process of writing music and songs continues to be this wonderful mystery to me that I don't think I will ever crack (and I don't want to either). And a new record / music from me will emerge at some point in the not-too-distant-future... I thank you for listening.

RJ.

End To The Lies

For the Love of Music...

A couple of pics from the FLOM show last month in London.