Release Plan // Album Update
June’s been a great month. I took myself on a solo trip to Saranac Lake to kayak and write and be alone and ultimately to realize how much I really like my life and how much I’d now rather be with people than be by myself - a real shift in my mindset/mental health. My youngest nephew turned eight, Chris and I hit two whole years together, I re-committed to a regular yoga practice, I gathered with friends and family, and I got to revisit the studio.
Matt had about a week in between shows with Ice Nine Kills and Metallica, and flew back East to do some recording for me and his ska band ‘Big D and the Kid’s Table.’
I’d toyed with re-recording vocals and I’m SO glad I did. I touched up the beginning of Blessing in Disguise, as well as recorded some really spirited back up vocals to the end of that song. Matt also added pedal steel to Medicine, and we talked about next steps.
The songs are almost ready to be mastered, which means ‘finished.’ All the vocals and instruments are added except for live drums. We’ve got stand-in drum sounds that could pass as actual drums, but they were made with a computer instead of a real person. We want a real person to play drums on these songs, and we have a date for late July to track those with Matt’s friend Adam from Boston. This recording, this mastering, this drummer - all made possible by the Kickstarter that YOU funded. Pretty neat, eh?
This recording process is taking a lot longer than I anticipated - and I’m glad for it.
It’s so often in this busy, busy world that we rush from one thing to the next. I do at least, I don’t know about you. The fact that this process is taking time is really meaningful to me. Time. It’s a real gift.
Don’t get me wrong, I said this record would be out by now and it isn’t and I feel that.
But here’s the thing - the process is what this is all about, and then yes, of course, the songs.
Speaking of the process, I’ve been thinking a lot about the release plan for these five songs. You know when you find a good show on your favorite streaming network and you can just binge and delight in the next episode? I’m thinking of releasing these songs as singles, releasing one every 6-8 weeks or so, and giving each song it’s own kind of little mini-series of attention.
I’m wholeheartedly in love with each song, and I feel like the release energy wants to spotlight one song at a time.
Since we’re in this horrific moment of millions of Americans losing their health care and food assistance benefits (which I have been extremely lucky to receive SNAP benefits at several point in my life,) I feel it might be really timely to release Blessing in Disguise first.
That song came to me as a direct result of looking my poverty squarely in the eyes and embracing it fully. During that time, I had to move in with family after losing my jobs and gigs in the wake of Covid-19. I hit up food shelves, applied for food stamps, started working for myself as a house cleaner, and then I was able to move into my own tiny ass apartment thanks to continued food stamp support and housing assistance (literally the state of vermont paid for half of my security deposit.)
I didn’t get on my feet because of pulling myself up by some mythical and nonexistent bootstraps. I was able to live with dignity and get back on my feet thanks to receiving help from a governmental body that values helping the people it serves.
Blessing in Disguise is about cherishing one’s life and sovereignty in spite of massive wealth inequality. With the current administration cutting programs that support the poor and working and middle class in order to give massive tax breaks for the already ultra-wealthy, the themes presented in this song couldn’t be more timely.
More will be revealed about when, where, and how that song will be released.
To that extent, the CEO of Spotify (you know, the biggest music streaming platform IN THE WORLD,) just gave 700 MILLION dollars to fund a military defense startup … I really don’t want my art funding bombs, so I’m not sure if I’ll be distributing my music to Spotify. More on that in the coming weeks I guess?
Sigh.
There’s SO MUCH. If anything, these updates serve as a testament to what it truly takes to create, write, record, produce, and publish music.
How’s your summer? What are you up to? What are you most looking forward to in this month of July?
That’s all for now. As always, I love you being here.
With heart,
Allison
Love it! Singles are a great idea. Also- great pics from the studio. ❤️