snow summit

Haiku

First time up two years
I might have a couple bruised ribs
A fun time for all.

merry christmas!

In Newport Beach, the rich people put on a Christmas parade for each other. On the water. With their yachts as floats. And they have Ferraris. More than one. Because you need to own one before they let you buy one new. What a life.

Full set on Flickr.

what could have been

This weekend I went on a bike ride and stumbled upon a building that looked familiar.

I was last here three and a half years ago for an interview, about the same time I interviewed for my current job. They both called me with offers in the same hour if you believe that. I turned down this company and have been working with the other ever since.

I rode around the neighborhood a bit and couldn't help but wonder what life would be if I chose differently. Different coworkers, different commute, different restaurants for lunch. Could it have affected my bigger life decisions? It could have, but it is pointless and impossible to speculate. Life is what it is, and if there is a bigger plan for it all, we are all caught in it for better or for worse. Still, it is fun to wonder what could have been...

hardest days

This guy was playing in a bar on Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, 8 or so years ago. I bought one of his CDs. Good stuff.
www.paulhayward.com

The hardest days are the ones that I must spend away
And leave you in your ocean home
The hardest times are the ones that I can't ease my mind
To know it's the miles that are tearing us apart
Not the lack of love left in our hearts
Oh, hardest days

The hardest nights are the ones I try with all my might
To close my eyes and fade away
And wake up to the hardest days
The hardest words are the ones that I have never heard
Of why it is you went away
These are words you did not say
Oh, hardest days

The hardest nights are the ones I try with all my might
To close my eyes and fade away
And wake up to the hardest days
Oh, hardest days

Paul Hayward - "Hardest Days"

download away

All tracks uploaded! Listen right here or get MP3 with the down arrow at the right of each track.

Or go to the source.


01 - Concrete River by soldiersandcivilians

02 - The Long Way Home by soldiersandcivilians

03 - The Good Fight by soldiersandcivilians

04 - New York to LA by soldiersandcivilians

05 - There is Time by soldiersandcivilians

06 - Sail the Sea by soldiersandcivilians


Special thanks to the friends who contributed to this project. You guys are awesome!

Leo - Drums
Chi - Vocals on "There is Time"
Daniel - Electric Guitar on "There is Time"
Camille - Design and Artwork

it begins

Started to give out CDs. Dropped a few off a couple nights ago and just stopped by the Post Office this morning.

Awesome.

If you want one, please get me your mailing address or let me know when you're free if you're local. Will post tracks for streaming and download in a couple weeks.

Stay tuned....

some assembly required

it's done

It's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done it's done.

It's done. The hard part anyway.

to hug a porcupine

Please read if you have some time:
http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2008-06-26/news/to-hug-a-porcupine/

Absolutely heartbreaking article. Tragic and not for the faint of heart, but gripping and real. Fairly disturbing, so don't read if you are not willing to be shaken. It is difficult to comprehend the ugliness that people are capable of and the price others pay for it. We live in a broken world and no one is innocent. Sometimes there are no answers. Can we live with that and not lose hope?

I would love to hear some of your reactions. I imagine that some will be mighty confused.

[image via]

studio setup

I feel like I've been wasting my Flickr account, so I took a few pics around the apartment of my recording setup. It's also nice to get something out, because it feels like I've been working on these six tracks forever. It's almost ready, I'm just filling in some last cracks. Whenever I manage to fill a big crack, I always find a few smaller cracks that need filling. I guess that's how it goes.


My friend had these awesome monitors in storage while his garage studio is under construction. He let me borrow them. Much better than computer speakers let me tell you. Decent set of cans hanging on the left as well.



16 channel Mackie mixer I got off craigslist a while a go. A bit overkill for me, but oh well, it was cheap. Guitar effects hanging out in the rear.


Microphones used. Two large diaphragm condensers and the good ol' SM57. My company makes the one in the middle :)


These two got the most use on this project. Both cheapies and both bought online.


The drumset. Fearing noise complaints, I replaced the drum heads with mesh heads and pieced together a few things so the drums are electronic and silent. Cymbals are still loud though. But low frequencies travel through walls more readily. Right?


Closeup of the triggered snare. The black drum head is a screen door like material. That red piece senses the vibration of the stick hitting the drum and sends a signal to a controller you can barely see at the top of the picture, mounted to the bass drum. The controller has drum sounds programmed into it and you can plug it into a speaker or mixer or headphones.