Escape Plan

2012 - From A TAE Perspective

2012-01-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

We didn't really want our first post of the year to be a rant about something silly like Beyonce's baby. However, we do hope that everyone out there sees the absurdity in respect to what appears to be the two most important human beings on the planet? So instead, let's remain positive and talk about what great and amazing things are going to happen in 2012. Here are a few nuggets we believe will be as good as gold, or platinum, since we're emitting positivity.

Our album Escape Plan will finally break free on March 6 (Spectra Records).
One and/or many singles, TBD, will chart somewhere on this planet.
We will be showcasing at this year's SXSW in Austin Texas.
TAE will be playing a lot of shows in the US as well as some international shows.
All of the members of this band will at some point hug.
Shawn will finally get his Wolfgang guitar fixed or perhaps buy a new one! Either way, he'll be adding a new guitar to his arsenal.
We will be recording new songs to give away as free downloads and/or package as a new album.
There will be many a grudge-eye battles fought on the blood stained ice of the TAE table hockey game. It is expected that Brent will win most of them. Does that sound like a challenge, anyone? Anyone?
Pretty sure Jesus will not be performing at the halftime show at the Superbowl this year, however, TAE will most likely be performing at some festivals.
We will make many new friends in 2012, at least 2012 of them.
Jay will NOT get arrested!
It is widely anticipated that our personal vinyl collections will triple by year's end.
and lastly, thanks to you, this will be the best year EVER for The Apollo Effect!

In The Twilight of Divinity

2011-11-22T11:48:00.001-08:00

The room was lit like an ancient sunset

The speckled dust frozen in the streams of half light

And the walls stood weary from the passing years

Her face like a painting by Michelangelo

A thought left to be finished for another time

She stared out a glassless window across the fields of pale gold

A life that lay dormant under the weary hands of time

Questions chasing themselves in circles

As the reverie of lost years crutch her spirit

Nothing amputates the sting of failing dreams

Noted in the hint of her soulless smile

Her eyes speak like a silent tongue

A truth more obvious than a feeble lie

In times of desperation does one’s character grow stronger?

Or does it fade away in the twilight of divinity?

A wrinkled portrait of Jesus rests in a frame on the wall

Like a beacon smothered in a dense fog

There is peace in his eyes but pain in his heart

Things are never what they seem

The Big Give

2011-11-03T11:51:00.000-07:00

As we live in times where “standing out from the crowd” is what seems to be the desired effect, essentially we all just want to feel normal. In this “Me” world it’s always good to be involved in something much bigger than yourself and on Tuesday night, as we performed at the 1st annual The Big Give event at The Great Hall in Toronto, that’s exactly what we did.

Look Good Feel Better is an organization that holds 1200 seminars for women and teenage girls who have just been diagnosed with cancer. The seminars teach these women how to maintain their self-confidence and elevate their self-image through their battle with cancer. The LGFB workshop brings women with cancer together in a safe and supportive environment where they can share stories, insights, laughter, and feel “normal.” LGFB should be applauded for their efforts in providing some comfort and self-assurance to those who truly need it.

A Massive Thank You to Margot Grant Witz for putting together a fantastic event and all those who gave their time and those who came out in support. We were honored just to be part of it.

What We're Listening To...

2011-10-18T08:07:00.000-07:00

Switchfoot - Vice Verses

More of the same from these lads but sometimes familiarity satisfies like a pair of warm slippers. Plus, when you write songs this good, why change things? Though this album seems to have been recorded during a darker time for the band, the results are very uplifting.

Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys

A bit of a continuation of their previous disc, The Seldom Seen Kid, however, this one is even more melancholic but happily so.

Filter - The Trouble With Angels

The most kick ass album of the past 2 years. Great lyrical themes as well. Another gem from Richard Patrick. Even the bonus tracks, only available with the deluxe edition, are incredible. I think Patrick is in the most focused and prolific period of his career.

Kasabian -Velociraptor!

It’s no secret these guys are one of our favourite bands. 4 albums in now and yet another completely different record. A little less electronic and a little on the softer side than their previous 3 efforts, but equally enjoyable.

Bush - The Sea Of Memories

Back under the guise of Bush, Rossdale seems to have found the spark again. Good collection of songs, if only mildly different from his solo disc Wanderlust. At least he turned up the guitars this time.

IAMX - Volatile Times

We're not likely to see the former Sneaker Pimp, Christoper Corner's IAMX project crack the North American market any time soon. His cabaret-esque dark electronic sound seems strickly European in appeal, which is unfortunate really because it's too interesting and different not to be experienced.

Out In The Open in The Hideout

2011-10-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

Saturday night @ The Hideout was monumental in many ways. Our first electric show in Toronto for many months felt like an eternity. We were victorious because we killed. We were victorious because so many of you came out in support (some faces we hadn't seen in a long time). We were victorious because on a beautiful Saturday night in our beautiful city we got to do what we do best and we feel we did it beautifully. Thank You All.

It's a night like this that makes it all worth it. The chaos and the often discordant rhythm of life become muted sneers on a passing train, fading quickly among the fierce winds of what will be yesterday. Goodbye Dark Cloud, your bags are backed and your ticket is in the front pouch. Time to drag your negative ass off into the sunset and go be a fuckface somewhere else. Would like to say it was nice knowing ya...

The Weekend That Was

2011-08-24T12:50:00.001-07:00

Don’t know where to begin to describe the weekend that was. So let us just say this, the Spirit of Peace and Music Festival in Freeport, Illinois was an experience we won’t soon forget. Nevermind the 30 hours we spent in the van travelling from Toronto to Freeport and back again. Nevermind the impossible task of finding a late night watering hole in downtown Freeport (oh, believe me, we tried). And nevermind the technical difficulties that plagued the first half of our set. Despite all of the attempts from external forces to drag the weekend down some dark alley and leave it for dead, Magnificence strong armed the bullshit, with the help of all the beautiful people who worked the festival and those who attended, and saved the weekend in glorious fashion.

Now, we can’t speak on behalf of every artist who performed nor every soul that came to enjoy the fest, but we can tell you that TAE (aka: The Apollo Effect) made the most of what came our way. We enjoyed our set and gave it our best. So many wonderful locals confirmed afterwards that they too appreciated our efforts and to them we are extraordinarily grateful. You people really know how to humble a bunch of Canadian boys with your pleasant nature and genuine smiles.

Highlights of the day included a backstage acoustic jam and sing-a-long, watching a great set from Tonic as well as a monster set by Filter. More importantly, the time we spent chatting with both bands backstage made the day even sweeter than we thought possible.

Shout outs to Pat Scully, Fred Brennan, David Hogan, Norine Smythe, Dawoge and everyone who helped make the event the experience it was.

See ya next summer!

Jammin' Backstage @ Festival

2011-08-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

In The Movie Theatre

2011-06-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

In the movie theatre
Where my life became a flicker
On the big screen like a bad dream
You were there holding my hand
As I shot a man - in a black coat
With a crumpled note - that read
“Careful of the man who shakes your hand he is a traitor - take the elevator to the top floor and ask for Red Rose.”

And when i turned around you were gone,
Like a dog across a lawn - chasing a car,
Halfway to the stars
I thought we were forever
So much for ‘never say never’
It’s a pipe dream, it’s a bad scene
Let’s go for ice cream - in the winter
I like pancakes for dinner
Saved your bacon - excuse me? you must be mistaken

One of these days we’ll make it to the end – you and me friend
We’ll say goodbye, tears in eyes and all that good stuff
Watch our spirits rise because that’s what spirits do.

That's A Wrap!

2011-06-07T06:56:00.000-07:00

We finally finished shooting the Night Time video. After the meat locker type atmosphere of a freezing warehouse, this shoot took place in the tiny confines of a sweaty rehearsal space. Either way, i'm sure you won't notice the temperature of the environment when you see the video. A big shout out to Jimmy Keegan and his crew for an amazing experience all around. We're hoping to do it again very soon. Sooner than you might think.

The Cars Finally Roll into Town

2011-05-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

24years sounds like a prison term. In many ways that's exactly what it was. So finally getting to see one of the most influential bands in my life for the first time Friday night at the Sound Academy was beyond surreal. Sadly, since the passing of original bassist and part-time lead vocalist Ben Orr in 2000 to pancreactic cancer, the show was missing a little something to say the least.

Never ones for a flashy stage show, the remaining Cars picked up where they left off so many years ago. A righteous but rigid performance delivering solid versions of their biggest hits, minus a few very significant ones such as Magic, Shake It Up and Drive. The latter being their biggest hit as sung by the late Mr. Orr. Along with the hits, 6 songs from their enjoyable new disc Move Like This were presented in the "this ain't a reunion for the sake of a reunion" fashion.

From a long-time fans persepctive, it was bittersweet. Ric Ocasek could have taken a big shit in the middle of the stage and I would have been satisfied just fine thank you very much. But instead we got a delightful show with no surprises. My only wish is that now they make another record and give us at the very least, one more tour.

Check out the awesome Blue Tip from the new Move Like This album:

Behind The Scenes

2011-05-03T06:16:00.000-07:00

Thems Fightin' Words!!

2011-04-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

I think I might have discovered my true calling, as evident by me and UFC legend, Chuck Liddell.

Night Time Video

2011-04-19T10:50:00.001-07:00

Ask anyone who has filmed a video and they'll all tell you there's a lot of waiting around, but it's all good. After all, there are worse ways to spend a day. So, standing around in a freezing cold warehouse working on a music video leaves little room for any complaining. However, when it came time to film the rain scene, we were all re-thinking that.

What is it with playing music in the rain that seems appealing? Though the lyric does state "like dogs in the rain" it makes no mention of a subzero warehouse or rock hard nipple inducing ice cold water. However, we are dogs playing our music in the rain and we are happy to forgo the comforts of warm water and heated warehouses to prove our commitment.

Perhaps i'm being a little dramatic here, after all, it's just a music video. Nevertheless, we are 100% committed to the music and we're lucky enough to be working with some amazing people who are equally committed to the project. Jimmy Keegan is directing our most recent visual adventure and he`s proving himself to be an amazing talent. His crew is also fantastic and a real bunch of pros. It`s been a pleasure working with everyone on this video. We`ve got one more day of filming to complete, which includes a helicopter and office break-in. After a couple of weeks in the editing suite we will share the final product with you all. But let me reassure you, we`ve seen the dailies and things are looking incredible.

be back soon...

Let's Sign a Deal!!

2011-04-11T10:45:00.000-07:00

As you've all seen from the posting on our website/facebook, we've signed a worldwide deal with Spectra Records based in the U.S. Needless to say, we're over the moon excited about it. I don't want to address the whole thing in detail but what is great about it all is that Escape Plan should get the proper attention it deserves. I know we've been talking about this disc for what seems like an eternity, but this really is the record we've been working towards for a long time and we're very proud of it regardless of what the results turnabout to be public wise.

Simply, it was the album we had to make. Shawn's playing is absolutely brillant. Jay really brought the energy we had been missing and I sang my ass off. What Escape Plan represents to us is how we were able to exorcise the demons from our recent past and properly align TAE's musical journey once again.

Bring on the summer!

Does Change Mean We're Changing...

2011-03-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

Will a change just feel the same?
Will this time ever come again?

With winter retreating and spring about to make a grand entrance, I can't help but feel an oncoming presence of good fortune. New times for a new time? I am feeling a certain positivity that generally reserves itself for the fortune of others. Maybe our time has come? Just Maybe.

Big News...Coming Soon!!

2011-03-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

We have some big, big, big news to announce...later this week. Hopefully by Friday. Just need to clarify and confirm before we make the big announcement. In the meantime, we're still soldiering on, waiting on the final mix of Promise from Mike B. At which point we would like to say the album will be finished. However, in connection with the soon to be announced big news we may indeed have to wait a little longer still as we try to put the finishing touches on a new version of The Honeymoon Is Over. Initially you see, we decided to scrap Honeymoon and let it go, but now it appears we may need to include it after all, giving us 8 tracks in total for the new disc. We'll know more within the next week or two.

Looks like we'll be filming a video for Night Time. We've had discussions with film maker Jimmy Keegan who has written a sick treatment for the song so hopefully we can start filming soon.

That's it for now...talk soon.

We Rocked De Island!

2011-02-07T08:56:00.000-08:00

We're back from our tour of St. Kitts. It was an amazing experience on all fronts. Though the majority of the shows were incredible a couple were disappointing. We played perhaps the best we've ever played but a couple of the shows weren't properly promoted and lacked somewhat. However, by the end of the week word had spread around the island and the crowds responded in numbers and with much love. Of course, the trip wasn't without its drama as we feared for our lives on more than one occasion.

There was Justin's near death experience while falling out of a tree. He also nearly lost a leg to a rather dubious looking barrel on the beach. Thank God for the liquor. There was ‘Paranoid Thursday’ as we searched for our disappearing manager while awaiting the death squad to dispose of the "Rock Band from Canada" as we were being evicted from the resort. Not to mention the invitation for a haircut by a local down a rather suspicious alley.

Then there was Brent’s Bono moment in Independence Square as he was surrounded by a throng of school kids requesting autographs. Seeing our faces everywhere around the town as our posters advertised the big event. The radio interviews, the press conference, photos with anyone and everyone. Surreal times indeed.

So many people to thank for taking care of us when we thought we’d have to resort to roasting the cockroaches for dinner. For introducing us to the drink stealing monkees. For giving us a sample of the Island’s untainted herbs. For introducing us to Mama and her makeshift beer store at 2.30 in the morning. For the venomous mountain moonshine we graciously drank one afternoon. For the hazy 4th set we barely managed to complete at Reggae Beach Fest. For driving through the mountains at twilight with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and Caribbean Ocean on the other. For showing us the best places to party! And finally, for preventing us from making the wrong turn down the alley to certain doom.

We Thank You All!

See posts below for more!!

Mountain Moonshine!

2011-02-07T08:45:00.000-08:00

Brent, Andy and Shawn kickin' it with some locals at a makeshift roadside bar. We were handed a bottle of fresh mountain moonshine that would burn the hair of your nuts! We quickly inhaled it and were given another even more venomous.

The people of island were beyond generous and kind. It were moments like this one that made the tour one for books. Big Ups to our boy Wayne (seated at the left) for making it all happen.

Bang Da Drum!

2011-02-07T08:42:00.000-08:00

Shawn and Justin jam backstage before the big show with the legendary Crucial Bankie, one of the many amazing local acts on the bill.

Meet 'n' Greet

2011-02-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

Fresh from the stage of the big show. Meeting the locals. Can't remember this cats name but he loved the rock 'n' roll show!

After Party

2011-02-07T08:30:00.001-08:00

Celebrating at the after party with one of the hosts of the big event. Needless to say we represented Canada very well ...the entire week!!

Surrounded!

2011-02-07T08:27:00.001-08:00

We were swarmed by a group of local school kids who just wanted us to sing! We were happy to see some of them at one of the shows a few days later.

Magnum Force!

2011-02-07T08:22:00.000-08:00

Brent, Justin and Shawn endorsing the local energy drink Magnum! Best ad campaign EVER!

Drink Stealing Monkees!!

2011-02-07T08:17:00.000-08:00

As you can see, these monkees go straight for the good stuff! Brent got a huge surprise as one monkey steathily ripped the drink straight from his unsuspecting hands. However, this guy wasn't so lucky!

Rehearsals

2011-01-12T08:33:00.000-08:00

Rehearsals have been going very well. The new songs are sounding amazing, so much fun to finally be playing these songs. The old ones have new life, which is refreshing. I like what we're doing with Me Against The World, it's got a cool new vibe yet maintains the charm of the original. I'm really liking Escape Plan and regretting it even more that we didn't record it for the album. Will it be odd that the title track isn't on the this album, but the next one?

Promise is killer! We're playing it like it's the last song we're ever going to play. It's bleeds passion and intensity, as it should.

Old Jizzoey is holding things down on the keys, really great to have him back. Justin is kicking the shit out of the drums and couldn't be a better fit for us! Things are really great in TAE nation right now, we're focused and pumped about the St. Kitts tour. Beyond stoked about the release of the new disc and lots of cool stuff planned.

Stay tuned.

Here's To 2011, Can We Final Release This Album?

2011-01-05T08:18:00.001-08:00

As we tip toe into the new year, closing the door on 2010 with a subtle thump, we find ourselves in a state of overwhelming anticipation. We're beyond stoked for the release of Escape Plan. It seems all we've been doing is talking about it, believe me, no one could be more tired of hearing about it than us. We're determined to make it awesome so we've decided to get a couple tracks mixed by some old friends. We've asked Mike Borkosky to handle Night Time and we've sent Promise to our friend Yohann in Paris to see what magic he can make.

In the meantime, we're currently rehearsing for our week long residence in St. Kitts in the Caribbean. We've got to thank our manager Cat @ Selective Image Inc. for all the sleepless nights she's incurred over the past 2 months putting this together. It's kind of a first ever Pop/Rock event at Carnival Village at the St. Kitts resort and yours truly will be headlining the event. Needless to say there's lots to be done between making the set list and choosing the proper SPF!...Fuck it!! We're going for the lobster look.

Now excuse me while I try to find my lime green flame embroidered speedo!

Escape Plan Trailer III

2010-12-21T19:00:00.000-08:00

Featuring the track Her Name Is Suicide from Escape Plan coming January 2011!

Fixin' The Mixin'

2010-12-10T11:15:00.000-08:00

Just got a listen to the Her Name Is Suicide mix and holy shit is it sick. It's nothing like anything we've ever done before nor is like anyone else i can think of. It would be in the vein of Kasabian meets Chemical Brothers. Some serious shit for sure.

We're just making some final tweaks here and there and hopefully this record will finally be done. We're exhusted looking back and just thinking about the entire process up to now. It's been another journey of self discovery and the band is another notch older and wiser...we hope. Still a lot to be done but we are very close now.

In other news, we played a private party to 400+ people last week and it was fabulous. It was another acoustic gig but with Andy on keys and Justin on percussion it felt like we were playing a stadium. However, we have started rehearsing again and we're getting pretty pumped to get out there and start playing these songs the way they are meant to be played.

be back soon

Escape Plan Trailer v2

2010-11-12T12:40:00.000-08:00

Escape Plan Trailer

2010-11-10T17:57:00.000-08:00

In Studio

2010-11-02T19:45:00.000-07:00

Night Time

2010-11-02T19:29:00.000-07:00

The Return of James!

2010-10-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

Andy and I were blessed to witness one of the best shows of the year at the rather stiff Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto. Making their second visit in as many years (we'll forgive them for the 11 year absence before that) Manchester's James gave us another stellar show. It began with a half acoustic version of Sit Down as Tim and Larry entered the theatre from the back of the room, drawing our attention away from the empty stage, only to hear the band break in half way through as Tim and Larry joined the rest of James on a now full stage.

The night overflowed with highlights including a sic version of Jam J from the Wah Wah album. That one totally caught me off guard. The only disappointment was the exclusion of anything from the Millionaires album (my personal favorite) which i quickly pointed out to Tim Booth in a chat we had after the show.

During said conversation with Mr. Booth, I asked him what the deal is with Downstairs (an amazing b-side from the Millionaires sessions). To my surprise, he had no idea what song i was speaking of. He apologized softly but was simply stumped even after i sang a snippet of the chorus for him. Much to his credit, the rest of the band also seemed a little hazy on the song, though Saul Davies gave a rather colourful description of those sessions, which may explain why the song has faded into a self-imposed haze. It's too bad really because Downstairs is probably the most rockin' song the band ever recorded.

Credit to old Jizzoey (aka Andy) for working the after party. Great job mate.

Antisocial Disorder is Global!

2010-10-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

Antisocial Disorder has just gone global. It is now officially available in all iTunes stores around the globe. Since Me Against The World appeared in Degrassi this season, we got a lot of requests for the song from fans of the show in the U.S.. Unfortunately, the album was only available in the Canadian store. However, that problem has be rectified and we are now available anywhere in the world.

So tell your friends and your enemies. We don't discriminate.

Listen Up!

2010-09-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a short list of discs we're enjoying this year:

A Brief History Of Love – The Big Pink
Hello Hurricane - Switchfoot
The Problem With Angels - Filter
Dark is The Way, Light Is A Place - Anberlin
This Is War – 30 Seconds To Mars
The Night Before - James
Foot Of The Mountain - A-ha
Waking Up - OneRepublic

Here are some old ones we've been enjoying as well:

Disintegration - The Cure
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
Amused To Death - Roger Waters
Modern Adventures In Recording – The Buggles
The Golden Age of Wireless – Thomas Dolby

War Child Busking For Change 2010

2010-09-23T06:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since we performed live so it felt really good to do so on Tuesday for War Child's 3rd annual Busking For Change. There's such an incredible feeling associated with War Child, the artists and the wonderful volunteers who donate their time. For one day it feels like the world is a little smaller. Everyone who stops to listen, clap and drop a few coins in the bucket truly do make a difference, whether they realize it or not. So, thank you to you all.

As for Shawn, Andy and myself, it felt good just to play some songs and get the rust off. As you know, we've been in the studio for over 5 months now and playing live is such a different beast. We're ready to start playing again...

please donate whenever and whatever you can @ http://www.warchild.ca/

In The Mix!

2010-09-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

So we're finally at the mixing stage. It seemed like we'd never get here, but it's all up to Matt now. It's in his hands while we wait like kids for the arrival of Santa. At this point we're kinda in a semi-permanent 'hold-your-breath' mode; anxiously playing out all the possibilites as to how these songs will sound in their final state. Obviously we have a clear vision in mind, as we've had since the first session; but in the recording process, things evolve as you move along and so what you end up with is not often the same as what you started with.

We hope to have something this weekend to share with you...fingers crossed.

One Last Time?

2010-08-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

I hate to even say it because that means it won't come true, but it appears we'll need just one last session before we can start mixing this record??? Shawn and I were in on Saturday spitting out some harmonies. We figure we'll need just one more session to finish off all the necessary bits before we start mixing. Of course, mixing is when the real fun begins but it too takes a little time.

We're so pumped about this record, it's been a long arduous process but we know the results will justify the distress. Sometimes I think we're the second coming of The Cure with our exasperating recording process and fragile psyches. But hey, it's all part of being in a band and loving what you do, right? Fuck yeh!

and so it continues...

What The F**K???

2010-08-09T20:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, so we know already that we don't do things the easy way. Such is life in TAE world. As Shawn so painfully puts it, making an album for us is a musical root canal. But, somehow it's joyously painful! Matt's been away on assignment somewhere, not exactly sure where, but once he returns this week, we will finally get this disc done! PISS!!

Just spent the evening with our manager going over the details for the album's release. Fun stuff talking about how to make us a household name. We just want people to hear our music and play as much as possible really. However, we've been getting tons of mail for Me Against the World since it appeared on Degrassi (view here). It Rocks! You can also watch an unofficial video here.

be back soon...

Almost There!

2010-07-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

So we're getting very close to finishing this disc. We're just putting the final pieces together so we're looking at an August release for Escape Plan. Matt's been building some amazing loops and believe me this record is going to sound sick!

This isn't the same TAE you heard on Antisocial Disorder.

be back soon...

Bit by Bit

2010-07-06T09:09:00.000-07:00

Chippin’ away bit by bit. As is our tendency, we’re behind schedule. Things happen, distractions occur; life goes on outside the walls of the music house. We’re getting there though. There is light at the end of the tunnel…hopefully, it’s not a train!

Did the vocals for Changing on Monday, which I think went pretty well. Neither Shawn nor I can figure out exactly how to produce this track, but we’re confident that Matt is going to make it all come together.

I only have to track the vocal for Honeymoon and then I will be done all the leads. Matt and I will work on the harmonies next week. Jay still has some bass parts to finish leaving only the electronics to complete. Still a lot of work ahead but we have a definitive deadline of July 19…which we hope is real time and not TAE time.

and so it continues...

Much of Nothing

2010-06-14T05:56:00.000-07:00

Too much!
Too much everything
Too much everything everywhere
So easily distracted
Distracted by a voice
Distracted by a view
Dis-tracked by the wind
Distracted by a thought
Thinking too much
Thinking about nothing much
Still thinking
Shut off the lights
Shut off the thoughts
Shut out the world
Shoot out my brains
The drip of a melting sun
Oozing onto the cement
Concrete abstractions
‘Cemental’ illusions
Ghosts from the future
Living in the past
Here and now
Here and how
Hear it now
Do the Gods know everything?
Do they know everything I know?
Do they have secrets?
Who would they tell?
Who would listen anyway?
We’re too busy doing too much of nothing.

Gone Fishing....

2010-06-08T08:01:00.000-07:00

So Matt's trying to land the big one! He's off fishing somewhere in the lost woods of Saskatchewan, which means we have a little time this week to take care of some other important things like the album cover and a photo shoot. Our brother in arms Andy L did us the honour of snapping some pics for the album. He is also the man behind all the shots you see here on the blog.

After much consideration, we’ve unanimously decided on an image for the cover, now we just need to see how much it’s going to cost us to use it. There’s always a catch…but it’s never a fish.

So upon Matt’s return we’ll be back in the studio finishing up vocals and then it will be time to mix. We can’t begin to tell you just how jacked we are to start mixing this thing. I’m sure it’s going to be almost as thrilling as losing our virginity…and for some of us, even more so! It’s been a complicated journey over the course of the past year + and the completion of this record will be an exorcism of epic proportions.

and so it continues….

Lighting In A Bottle...My Ass!

2010-05-28T13:01:00.000-07:00

Further proof that it is indeed impossible to catch lightning in a bottle, twice! Last night was a hit and miss experiement. Captured a great vocal for My First Robot, which was a relief because we had done some serious tweeking to this song. However, I was not so lucky with The Lost Art of Breathing.

Remember back during pre-pro, when we said this song was the thorn in our side? So, like an ugly cold-sore, just when you think it's gone up pops another one. Everything is there, the groove is kick-ass and the guitar bits are sic, but together, it's just not meshing. There's still a lot to add, with keys and loops, but something seems wrong in the chorus? I think my performance was solid, but I didn't like the style in which I delivered it. So we're going to come back to it later in the week and approach it from a different angle.

In the meantime, i'm looking for rabbits again, hopefully not dead ones!

and so it continues....

Let The Head Games Begin

2010-05-26T07:14:00.000-07:00

You might think that it would be very exciting for a singer to finally get in front of the mike and lay down vocals. Well, it is. Conversely, there's also a great amount of anxiety that comes along with it. The importance of a great vocal can’t be overstated, so obviously there’s a certain amount pressure involved. It isn’t about confidence or ability; it’s almost a sense of duty. Everyone does their parts, laying down some amazing tracks; the vibe of the song is there, and now it’s all about breathing, it’s about delivery, phrasing, passion, power, intensity, emotion. People have to feel it, they want to feel it. So you better damn well hope the singer is feeling it.

Last Night I was feeling it. It took a few passes; it always does before I get in the zone, but once I locked in, it felt incredible. Pumped out vocal tracks for Night Time and Screams of the City before calling it a day. Back in tonight hoping to pick up where we left off and recapture the magic.

*Special thanks to Yoko for the inspiration.

A Dead Set of Headphones

2010-05-19T12:28:00.000-07:00

Dead in my tracks
A priest in the high
Standing by a tree
Underneath a satellite
Underneath a dying sun
In-between a dead set of headphones
Can’t hear the air
Can’t feel my face
Can’t believe I waited for this
The surface is in the distance
Like a window on a high-rise
Like a cloud beneath the sea
I’m a tidal wave of emptiness
I’m a fish in a tree
Too good to be true
Just too lost to find you
Wheels on pavement
Nails on a chalkboard
Voices echo like fading bouquets
Howling scissors in a pop can
Drifting to the bottom of the top
Snapping fingers play foreign melodies
This music is making me sleepy
Doors to places unknown
Spread thin across a vast page
Blank stare from a reflection
What does the mirror say?
What does the reflection suggest?
Why can’t I get your voice out of my head?
How do I make such a mess?
I'm hearing your voice through a dead set of headphones.

NYC and Back

2010-05-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

Spent 3 short days in NYC. Took in a lot, walked a lot, saw a lot, drank a bit and saw A-ha! Couldn't have had a better time. Probably pop down for another visit once the record is done and before the summer escapes us.

A-ha was incredible. First tour of North America in 25 years and sadly their last. We saw the last of 3 shows in NYC but the Toronto show was even better. Check out the intro to the show here .

Back in the studio this week to finish off the bass. Vocals next. Can't wait for you to hear it when it's done.

and so it continues...

A Quick Update

2010-05-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hey, just a quick update to say things are moving along nicely. Shawn and I are headed to NYC for the weekend while Matt is on a well deserved vacation. Jay will no doubt be entertaining friends while pacing the confines of his cage. We'll all be back at it early next week. Jay has some bass parts to finish and then I will get started on the vocals, with keys and programming to follow. We're still on target to have everything done and mixed by the end of May.

We just got word that Me Against The World will be featured in an upcoming episode of Degrassi - The Next Generation. It will be airing on Much Music July 26. Meanwhile, our latest video The Honeymoon Is Over will be featured for the next three months at the Shanghai Expo.

and so it continues...

Tone Is Everything

2010-04-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

A studio can have the nicest console, a great isolation room and a slick, bowl-cut salesman to tell you how great his studio is. It means fuck all in the grand scheme of things because it comes down to that magic word, Tone.

I wrapped up most of the guitars over a 48 hour period, which meant sleeping at the studio. The collaborative effort and chemistry between Matt and I has been exceptional to say the least. We seem to click on every level and almost read each others thoughts when it comes to the melodic landscape of these songs.

Some moments that really stuck out for me were The Lost Art Of Breathing and Promise (which I'm especially excited about). I haven't really gotten to the clean guitars yet, but Promise is a song I'm particulary proud of and I will be doing other parts, including acoustic guitars, after we re-amp and change the set up. We got 5 different amps with a few different cabs and about a million mics to cover all the dynamics (TONE!..)

and so it continues.....

Happy Accidents to You All!

2010-04-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

Often it’s the happy accidents that make a song really interesting and last night we were treated to a few of those accidents. Reggie (aka Shawn) has been tracking guitars for the past few days and things are sounding amazing!! I get so inspired when I hear him lay down his guitar tracks. The thing is with Reg, he has it all locked up inside his head and we don’t ever get to hear his sound-scape until he gets into the studio. It’s the same sort of thing when hearing the songs fully produced when several months earlier they were born from the humble strings of an acoustic guitar. It’s overwhelming sometimes because they are bigger and better than I had ever envisioned. The great thing is is that we all get so motivated by each other’s ability and creativity.

For example, when Reggie changed his approach for The Lost of Breathing it gave the song the spark it had been missing; causing Matt to play a wicked groove on the kit, which in turn, caused Georgie (Jay) to tap out a sick bass line. Breathing has truly been the problem child of the bunch over the past several months, but with each passing session it’s becoming the most interesting track on the album.

and so it continues………….

2010-04-08T13:38:00.000-07:00

So finally I got in to the studio to start tracking. We've been in purgatory waiting for the drums to be tracked and edited but let me tell you it was well worth the wait. I did however show up late like usual but at least I didn't get lost! First song we did was Does Change Mean I'm Changing and God spoke to my fingers and created a groove that will get ya moving! To my amazement, it only took 3 takes (pretty sure i'm awesome now). It sounds incredible and somehow this once show opener has transformed into a great album track.

After a shit load of talking, which had nothing to do with the album and more to do with how amazing Matt and I are (haha) we eventually worked on My First Robot (f.k.a. Idiot's Guide To Genuis f.k.a. 4th Floor Pull-out), followed by Matt and I mutually stroking each others egos and talking about how shitty the music industry is. This song has come such a long way from its origins, I'm pretty sure we almost dumped it but now its a HIT! After completely forgetting the bridge we got on track and nailed this one in only a few takes as well and even came up with a couple extra bass lines to really help complement the drums. Unfortunately we had to stop there as it was getting late and we ran out of cocoa butter so we decided to call it a night.

Jay

The Big Pink

2010-03-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

Checked out the U.K.'s latest buzz band The Big Pink this week at the Mod club in Toronto.

I've been really digging their album A Brief History of Love for the past couple of weeks so I was very curious to see what kind of show they'd deliver. Gotta say it was more than I had hoped for. Very intense and dynamic. Something about the Brits and their knack for melody that always draws me in. It's all about creating a mood and not sacrificing the essential melody of a song. Great show, great record - check them out.

New York based A Place To Bury Strangers opened the show and i gotta say i was a little disappointed. I had heard a few things about this trio and to their credit they are an intense outfit. However, the sonic assault that left me nearly deaf is unjustified. It doesn't help that by the third song you feel you've pretty much seen their entire show, and you're only left with 30 more minutes of that same thing. It's nothing we haven't seen/heard before, but there is something strangely intriguing. I'll keep my eyes and half deaf ears open to see what direction they go in next.

Phase 1: Complete!

2010-03-19T10:35:00.001-07:00

So that’s it for pre-pro, with the arrangements locked down Phase 1 is now complete. We left the studio last night feeling really confident about the way the songs have come together. Matt’s been huge in helping us get these songs in shape just by keeping things simple and really focusing on the meat of the song. It’s easy to get caught up in the “artistic” side of an idea or ride an idea for so long it starts to get weighed down. Screams Of The City is a great example of that. We felt that of all the songs Screams needed the least amount of work, but we trimmed a lot of fat off it last night and it’s a much better song because of it.

However, Night Time didn’t change at all and I really thought that it might be a severe victim of the knife. I don’t know why I felt it needed something a little extra, or different, because every time we play that song it feels so right…as it did again last night.

Before last night we hadn’t touched Her Name Is Suicide since the day we first demoed it back in the summer, so it’s been marinating in apathy for about 9 months. Nonetheless, I think we uncovered a buried treasure. In fact, I will even say I think it's going to be the coolest track on the album.

So next week Matt is going lay down the drum tracks and then we’ll start adding all of the succulent bits swiftly…though by nature swiftly is not how we do things; sadly, a distinguishing trait of all things TAE.

…as they say, keep calm and carry on!

Stepping Out

2010-03-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

Shawn and I stepped out for a short acoustic set on Friday night. It was cool to play a handful of songs that aren't quite TAE material, but good in a different way. It got us out of our comfort zone enough to stretch the chops. With that said, it wasn't the tightest set we've played, but it was more about being in the moment than being perfect.

We really enjoyed playing The Lost Art Of Breathing. Since we've been having trouble with it in the studio it was nice just to bring it back to where it started in it's acoustic form.

Some of the new ones like The Arms Of Judas, Somewhere/Someday and Escape Plan, which were played for the first time ever, were also quite enjoyable. These songs are a little outside the normal TAE world, but hopefully one day we'll find a place for them. Promise and Me Against The World are always fun to play and seem to be fail-safe so it's always a pleasure having them in the set.

Despite the shitty weather, a good time was had by all. Special thanks to Reid @ Feather's for the invite.

Day 2 ~ The Magician Waves His Wand

2010-03-07T19:32:00.000-08:00

Good News! Jay found the studio with little or no unexpected detours.

Perhaps it was magic or maybe just the red bull, but day 2 seemed to find us a little more focused and in the zone. As a result, a miraculous breakthrough for Breathing appeared out of the thin stale air that circulates the room. Still a lot of work to go with this song, but at least the fetus exists.

Hey, how do you like your coffee?....CRISP!! After a short break and some chocolate bars the most exciting part of the day was a new twist on Promise. Matt believed this song to be more of a ballad, but we just didn't feel sold on that concept, so we compromised. After a simple suggestion of a Stewart Copeland type rhythm Promise emerged in an inspiring new form...can't wait to hear this song when it's done!

Back at it in a couple days. We still have a few songs to strip naked and expose in harsh lighting...much like Jay does every practice for some reason??

Day 1

2010-03-05T07:12:00.000-08:00

For the record, Jay could get lost in a circle (point A to B works much better when you don't take D).

Despite his bizarre driving ability we finally managed to find the studio and start pre-production.

Most of the night was spent on arrangements for Idiot's Guide To Genius (a.k.a. 4th Floor) and Does Change Mean I'm Changing?. I think we discovered some breakthrough moments for both of those songs. Matt's laidback approach to producing is a real asset. His demeanour in general hits an immediate comfort zone which allows us to relax and get the positive vibes bouncing about the room.

Oddly though, we can't seem to find a way to make 'Changing' stand out. All the elements are there and for such a simple progression, the song has a challenging nature to it. It's odd structure doesn't allow it to be as simple as it is. However, we've got the basic structure nailed down so we're confident the rest will come together in the production stages.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said for The Lost Art Of Breathing. Written with a specific groove in mind, which we have been able to achieve from time to time, the problem seems to have shifted to the guitar track. Shawn's come up with some great stuff, but unable to make it fit. The second half of the chorus needs some tweeking as well. If we didn't feel so strongly that there's something really special in 'Breathing' somewhere, we'd abandon it completely. However, we'll likely drown in sweat trying to guide this ship to shore. It seems a bit ironic that a song all about pulling back and taking a deep breath is the one song we seem to really struggle with...?

Time will tell...back at it tomorrow.

4 - 3 - 2 - 1.............

2010-02-19T19:14:00.000-08:00

So perhaps our biggest and most important decision has been made. We've chosen Matt Von Wagner to produce the new record. We feel really good with our decision as Matt is a kick ass dude and a 'blow your mind' musician. He's done most if not all of the USS (Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker) stuff among others, and his own band Alpha Galates is just sick!
The direction of the new material is much different from anything we've done in the past as we aim to bring some rather unusual worlds together. Think Filter meets very early Duran Duran. Toss in some Kasabian, a little Vast and maybe The Music and I think that's one tasty cocktail my friends.
Of course, things change as you start to progress and the songs often begin to take on a life of their own. New elements rise to the surface and then the experimental games begin. We suspect Matt is going to open a few trick bags and we'll all start rubbing our hands like twisted evil scientists. Ooh, it's going to fun.
We don't have an album title yet, but here are the working titles for the songs we've selected:
Does Change Mean I'm Changing?
Promise
Idiot's Guide To Genius
Night Time
Screams Of The City (I Feel Loved)
The Lost Art Of Breathing
Her Name Is Suicide

Preproduction begins next week and then the next 2 months will be non stop.
We'll be blogging after every session so we can share the process and progress with you.

be back soon....