Jay Mathes Live Journal

Lost

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 22:25:00 +0000

Say what you will
Say what you want
I'm not givin' up.

I am
I am lost with your love.

Christmas Giving

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 18:58:00 +0000

So what's Christmas all about anyway? Gifts. Lot's of gifts. Oh really? Is it now... Just the other day, I had one of the most candid conversations with Megan I've ever had about Christmas: It's not about mass consumerism and giving people you love (or don't even know) a ton of gifts.

Christmas is about *one gift. *The gift. It is Jesus. Jesus is the beauty behind the holiday. God come to earth. God becomes man. Emmanuel: God with us. God demonstrates with acute clarity that he cares especially for people - for his people.

I guess it's really hard to explain this concept to just any passer-by...

The Christmas message doesn't just stop with the coming of Christ, though. The story is really just beginning... The gift is not just Jesus being *born. It's Jesus *dying. It's Jesus *coming alive again, conquering sin and death itself, that we might live forever by simply *believing* that what I have said is true.

Christmas is not about all this "stuff". It's about Jesus. That's it.

Tendinitis

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:00:00 +0000

Some of you know that I have a little problem called tendinitis. I've been told that I have both "golfer's elbow" and "tennis elbow", which is to say, the tendons on the top and bottom sides of my upper forearm are wacked. I've been given two solutions, by two different sports medicine people:

1) "Build fortresses on your arms." Meaning: lift weights and build strong shoulder muscles, because the rest of the arms depend on strong shoulders. The other problems will soon go away.

2) "You need to constantly massage your arms." Meaning: hire an Asian woman with some strong hands.

Well, I say all this to say that I probably shouldn't be typing any more today. My tendinitis is flaring up. I'll probably try and rub them out tonight, and probably pop some pills, too, to try and pull the swelling down. Toodles.

The Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:58:00 +0000

I think we all have had someone whom we highly respect challenge us to do something. For me, I often come back to a single challenge that was made to me when I was a freshman in college. I was asked, "Are you a songwriter?" I answered, "Yes, of course." My professor replied, "Do you write every day?" I responded, "No." He looked at me funny, paused, and finally made a statement similar to this one:

"If you're a songwriter, you should be writing music every day - no exceptions. If you're a songwriter, making music would be as important to you as breath, as food, as life. You would *have* to do it, just like you *have* to breathe."

I thought about what he said for a minute, and I responded with less clarity than I now state:

"I *am* a songwriter, and I *should* write more than I do. It's difficult to write a song, and it's more difficult to write *every* day. And just because something is difficult for you to do doesn't mean that you're not meant to do it. In fact, I'd say that anybody who is any good at anything works hard to get that way."

Why Rob Miller is Right

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 20:06:00 +0000

Good afternoon, my name is Jay Mathes. I'm an indie songwriter - singer/guitarist/pianist, to be a bit more specific. I've been writing music since I was 13 years old, playing music since I was 10, and listening to my mom play covers of Jim Croce, Gordon Lightfoot, James Taylor, and John Denver on the guitar for as long as I can remember.

There are few things more exciting to me in the world than a great song. They are rare grains in a sea of musical chaff - a world where everyone has access to GarageBand and thinks he can be the next American Idol.

Rob Miller, of Bloodshot Records, recently wrote an article for knowthemusicbiz.com (republished here: http://www.chicagoartistsresource.org/music/node/17404) about what indie labels look for before signing a band. I couldn't be happier to hear from his own lips that it's really, really, really simple: 1) you have to be serious - career serious, and 2) you're music has to be great.

The label has to be able to stand behind your record 100%. They'll never fight for it like you will, but if they love it, they'll give it everything they can. Plus, if they weren't behind it 100%, they would not be living true to their own convictions - which is the only reason that indie music succeeds in the first place!

You DO NOT want a label that is not behind you every step of the way, so don't pursue a deal with a label that doesn't know where you stand or where you're coming from. Again, all of this is pretty much just regurgitating what Rob said, but he's right. Don't waste your time sending your music to labels that aren't a GREAT fit for you. Do your research.

Back to the first point, you need to honestly evaluate why you're pursuing music, a label deal, songwriting, etc. Is it about the chicks, the fame, the money, the booze? Is it a hobby? Is it something else? Are you willing to bleed for your music? For me, it's simple, and again on this point, I line up with Rob:

Who am I? I am a songwriter. What does that mean? It means that I can't help but write. I can't help but compose. I can't help but hum new melodies in the car or on the El. It's who I am. It's who I was born to be. It's what I'll do until the day that I die, and there's nothing anyone can do to change that.

I couldn't agree with all of Rob's remarks more, and I am anxious about the release of my new record, Glimmer. I'm putting more time, more sweat, more passion into this record than anything else I've done before in my life. And I expect it to pay off.

The Basic Human Struggle

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:24:00 +0000

I am learning more and more each day about a particular, and pervasive, universal, human experience: the struggle to do what is right - when it is situationally difficult or just "internally", emotionally, willfully difficult.

Sometimes we face external pressures to do the wrong thing. Most of the time, this is caused by our peers. Sometimes known consequences of doing what's right inhibit us from acting in accordance with our consciences. Though still not acceptable, actions contrary to what is "right" in these cases is atleast understandable. We can relate - or at least put ourselves in the others' shoes.

But other times, we face pressures from within: our wills are strong and, often, stubborn. We often do what's wrong just because the immediate result is a "good feeling". Lying to your parents is easier than telling the truth, in the short-term, because the consequences for what you did wrong are delayed. Fessing up means taking a hit right away - sometimes literally!

But I think for most of us (especially me), we have an obstructed view of the *real* consequences of our behavior. Often times, the punishment for what we do isn't as immediate and visible as we're used to. Some wrongful actions won't reveal their consequences until years later. Other behavior, words or thoughts, deeds or deeds left undone, don't seem to have any apparent effects at all.

Here's something to chew on: nothing in life is free. I don't know if I've ever heard this life motto applied "backwards" to describe that every negative action has a negative consequence. You pay for your choices in life by accepting the repercussions they cause. I do some pretty stupid things sometimes, and I really do wonder if they'll ever catch up to me, or if I will continue to receive "grace upon grace".

Tuesdays, Fridays are for Recording

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:27:00 +0000

Well, last week, I sat down and figured out how much recording time I'm going to need to complete the new album, "Glimmer". I figured around 180 hours for 10 songs, which covers tracking, initial mixing, and working with mixing and mastering engineers. A daunting task, but certainly manageable.

In working towards my goal of release the album in the Spring, I have set aside two, full days each week to record. It was a necessary designation. This past Tuesday (yesterday) was my first, big recording day, and I couldn't be happier with the results! I tracked guitars and bass for my song "Wine and Rose", after Jameson Cunningham layed down drum tracks last month. The song is going to be raw, catchy, and full of energy. Still more guitars to track, though.

Also, there have been a few other major changes on the home front for me: I've asked a good friend of mine and fellow songwriter, Gary Stanton, to co-produce with me on Glimmer. He has great ears, and I'm looking forward to sitting down with him to analyze and tear apart every, single song.

And another big change: I'm still in process on this, but I've begun a search for a side-kick - someone who can help me with booking and promotion, and someone who is as passionate about my music as I am. After reaching out to a friend of mine who works for Warner Bros. Records in Chicago, I think I may have found my (wo-) man. Stay tuned.

The Greatest Guitarist of Our Generation

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 02:39:00 +0000

I just spent this past weekend listening to John Mayer's new, live album, "Where the Light is", and I am convinced that he is, and will be known as, the quintessential guitarist and songwriter of our age. His lyrics are well crafted and clever, his guitar versatility and command is unmatched, and his live performances demonstrate his increasing control over his voice and his mastery of melody.

When I watch Mayer play (I got the live DVD, too, for my birthday), I'm not inspired to just hone one aspect of my musical "game". I'm left in awe of the depth of his expression - lyrically, melodically, and altogether musically. I don't want to be John Mayer; but man this dude has some serious skills.

In the past six years, no single artist's music has pushed me as hard as John's has - to strive to write a better song than the last, to improve my live performances, and to capture the essence of a song on a great record.

Why I Love the Cubs

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:47:00 +0000

I've been a Cubs fan all my life. I've been a baseball fan all my life. Never any other sport, really, though there have been teams (in addition to the Cubs) that I've respected, admired, and cheered for. The White Sox, The LA Dodgers, and, more recently, the Red Sox have all been on my "cheer list". Of course, I have always loved the history of the Yankees... (I didn't want to say "Red Sox" and "Yankees" in the same sentence.)

Just as an additional caveat, over the last five or six years, I've started to pay more attention to college football and basketball. Both my brother and sister go/went to the University of Illinois in Champaign, which is probably a major part of the cause...

So why baseball, and why the Cubs?

I think it's pretty simple, don't you? My dad grew up on the North Side. Not figuratively, not almost Chicago, but actually within a mile of Wrigley Field. He grew up in the neighborhood, went to grade school, went to Amundsen High, and went to college at Loyola University.

I grew up playing baseball in the Chicago suburb of Lombard, and I remember the 1988 Dodgers. They and the Cubs were my two, favorite teams at the time. I can't even count the number of games I've gone to, including seeing every California team play at all but one of their stadiums on a trip to Cali, when I was young. The Cubs (and baseball) are a family tradition.

Every month or so we'd drive into the city to visit my grandma in the house where my dad grew up. I loved (and love) the skyline - especially the view driving southbound on the Kennedy.

When it came time for me to pick a college, I decided to stay local. In fact, after talking with my dad and my grandma, they thought it would work out all right for me to stay in one of Oma's four-flat apartments at 1619 W. Balmoral Ave. That started my sophomore year at Columbia College, after a year of pseudo-commuting and crashing in the basement of my grandma's place.

For three solid years, I passed by Wrigley Field two-times a day on the El, at the Addison stop. There were days (including the playoffs in 2003) where, on my way home, I'd hop off the train during games and just watch them from the El platform. You can't see much, but you can see the digital scoreboard on the left field upper deck, the pitcher, and home plate.

And so tonight begins the playoffs. Many people have been waiting a very long time for this. The Cubs have a very tough road ahead of them. They should be able to squeak by the Dodgers and the Phillies or Brewers, but look out for those Angel's, whose 100-win season gives them the best record in the league.

Onward and upward.

Always Recovering, Never Recovered

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:17:00 +0000

After a week on the road, and a week home, "recovering", (sorry for the delay in posts. I've been seriously crazy busy with working through details for an upcoming show and a trip to California - where I now am) I've discovered something:

The life of a touring songwriter is one of continuous recovery, yet without ever fully recovering. The word "recovery" brings with it this idea of "getting back to full strength" or even "settling in to regular, normal life again." Both of these ideas are two which can be creativity and motivation killers.

If you're comfortable (a state to which humans tend to gravitate towards), you're disinterested in change. If you're disinterested in change, you will never dream. And one can't pursue dreams that don't exist.

Many of you know that I'm a dreamer. But I can tell you that my dreams have never felt as alive as they have these past two weeks. It's a feeling I never again want to lose, and I hope it sets the trajectory for my life for many years to come. I never want to be comfortable. I never want to settle. I never want to recover.

Let me strive. Let me press on. Let me be thankful for being given these opportunities - experiences and successes I don't deserve. Let me be alive. Let me try and fail, and try again. Let me continue to learn how to love. Let me long for better days, but let me enjoy these moments today.

Yes, It's 2:30 AM

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 06:40:00 +0000

Yes, it's 2:30 AM. And yes, I will be up for atleast another half hour. And yes, I will be in a car by 7 AM to drive to New Have, CT, where I have to be by tomorrow (today), early evening. Right now, I'm at my Aunt Simona's house, in Cleveland Heights, OH. I had a great time tonight, hanging out with her and her husband, David, along with a bunch of their friends. We watched an okay new episode of SNL and played Taboo.

Thanks to everyone who bought merch at my Borders show! You all made my night! You rock!

Time to shower. Then bed. Tomorrow, expect lots of coffee.

New Tour Vlog and Pics Up! Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 16:17:00 +0000

Here are a couple links. Watch it on YT or FB:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuKH0Dckj5I
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=534276329277

I also uploaded new tour pics to Flickr:

http://flickr.com/photos/jaymathes

Packing

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 03:19:00 +0000

Many of you know that tomorrow I embark on my first-ever tour. It's not long - only seven performances in six days, including travel. But it's still really exciting. I get to start it all off by playing at one of my favorite places on earth: The University of Illinois, Champaign, IL. Tonight I told my parents, who are this day celebrating their 31st anniversary, that "it took me ten years [to go on the road], but I'm finally doing it." Thank you. Everyone.

Well, it's back to wrapping things up. And packing. Yeah. Lot's still to do. And I'm way behind.

I Am Not Bitter, Am I?

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 03:07:00 +0000

I'm Not Bitter, am I?

I posed a question to a friend of mine the other day: how do I come across to you, emotionally speaking? The response: well, honestly, a little bitter. Wow. His answer just hit me like a pillow case filled with sand to the face. I was floored. I couldn't believe it. But then I thought about it; and I realized, it was the truth.

For one reason or another, I guess I have been bitter lately - or, some would say, for a long time. And though close friends have said it in the past, I never really believed it. A while back, one friend went so far as to say that he thought I would have more friends if I wasn't so depressingly negative about everything.

So the question becomes "why?" And after thinking about this issue for a few days, I may have the answer: I think I deserve more than I've been given. I think I'm entitled to greater musical success, greater wealth, greater joy, greater whatever than everyone else.

I think one remedy to this problem of pride is simply reminding myself of who I actually am: a flawed creature, who sometimes (even often) wants to do good but either doesn't or doesn't know how to. Willful omissions leave rights undone.

And so I will do well to remember who I am, what I have been forgiven, and how I have been blessed by the things that I *do* have, knowing that I have been given all that I need.

Rainy Day in Chicago

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 03:14:00 +0000

I rode my bike to work today. It was raining. It's 10 PM right now, and I'm home. Thanks, mom, for picking me up, so I didn't have to ride home in the rain, too! Actually, I'll tell you something: I'll take riding in the rain over riding in the cold (or snow) any day! But, today did remind me of how great the weather has been this summer. I don't think I have ridden in the rain in over a month - maybe two.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow, and making final preparations this week for my tour. And I'm even still hoping to line up a few more shows! Maybe I'll play in Cleveland and New Haven...

What a Back Ache...

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 02:40:00 +0000

So, honestly, I have never, ever before in my life had a back ache. Today, I type in pain. It's not horrible, but it's bad. What's it from? you ask. Well, just over a week ago, I switched to new, hybrid tires on my mountain bike. The sleeker tires are faster, thinner, and take a higher PSI, but I *think* it's taking a toll on my body - my back being the first, visible effect of the new tires.

Why do I care, and why should you? Well, from September 11th through the 15th, I have shows every night, and I would sure like to hope that I'll be healthy for those - able to jump around, have some fun on stage, etc.

But I don't know the plans for my life - the specifics, that is. I know all of the "plans to prosper you...", " meant it for good", "all things work together for the good..." lines. But I'm talking about the *hows*. And here's what I've concluded at the end of this night:

However I think it's going to happen is not how it will.

I've heard it said that God's ways are "counter-intuitive", and I believe that. I never would have thought that I could schedule three shows of a mini-tour less than two weeks before I hit the road, but I'm confident that it is the least likely way for it to happen, which *should* mean, actually, that it's the most likely.

Labor Day is NOT a Win for Organized Labor

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 03:32:00 +0000

Have you recently asked yourself how much average Joe American works in a given week? What about you? My guess is that you're pretty average, too. And that means you're being overworked. Maybe you actually like the challenge of work, maybe you like your job more than your family, maybe you need the money, or maybe you just want the money. But the answer is still the same - for right intentions or wrong - you work too much.

And so do I.

It's only 10:20 PM, but to me it feels like it's midnight. Today, I road my bike to work, put in five hours, road home, immediately turned on my computer and started doing some graphic design stuff that I wanted finish today (and didn't), then I went to Office Max, to have transparencies printed for screen printing, and now back at home, I'm writing to all of you.

Two more comments (okay, three):

1. Yes, I did eat dinner, so I had to break there. I also cooked part of dinner tonight. I also watched part of the Cubs game. Ramirez hit a grand slam in the seventh to take the lead against the Phillies - 6 to 4! (Again, this wasn't work.)

2. Yes, I love sharing life with you, so this isn't completely work either. There is some self-satisfaction in it. But shouldn't some of our work be fun, too?

3. Okay, so this might not describe your life. But dang, this is really hard for me. This music thing is hard work! I wish I could just sit on the couch, or at the theater, or at the beach (no beaches in Chicago, really), but I can't.

So this Labor Day, I'll be doing what I always seem to be doing: working on my music. Monday is screen printing day. Wish me luck! It's my first soiree with "ink pulling"...

Why I Love Rock Climbing

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:01:00 +0000

Staring at a picture of the Cuernos Del Paine, in Chile, I asked myself a seemingly insignificant question: "Why do I love rock climbing?" The answer, as you will see, is slightly more complicated than the six words that comprise the inquisition.

1. I love climbing because I love the outdoors. I love the outdoors because: a) it's beautiful and captivating to look at, b) it gives me a "smallness of self" perspective, and c) it reminds me that the world was not created by chance.

2. I love climbing because it is physically challenging. Tough routes are tough on your body. Training - whether in the gym or on other climbs - is absolutely essential. Nobody I know on-sights 5.11b, let alone 5.15a, and everyone I know works for 5.11.

3. I love climbing because it is mentally challenging. Climbing requires attention to the smallest of details in body movement. Body movement is one of the most basic functions of human existence, yet we rarely think about it. In climbing, these movements require a climber's fullest attention; and by thinking about them, he is, in a sense, doing what is most natural to the human existence.

4. I love climbing because I get to spend time with friends. As Christopher McCandless once said, "HAPPINESS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED".

5. I love climbing because I love playing with cool toys. You have to admit, there are few sports out there that offer the enthusiast as great an opportunity to tinker with devices with alien names like "ATC", "Cordelette", "tricam", "hexcentric", and "quickdraw".

That about sums things up. Please let me know if I have forgotten anything.

You Always Want What You Can Not Have

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 15:25:00 +0000

I woke up this morning, wanting more sleep. I couldn't have it. I rode my bike to my part-time job, wanting a car. I couldn't have it. I want a million dollars, and... (well, most people have to work for that.)

Here's what this all comes down to: humans are wired with a craving. It's not so much a craving for *things*, but for *satisfaction*. As I am sitting here, teasing this out, I have time and time again observed people trying to satisfy with material possessions what some people call the "God-shaped vacuum" inside of each one of us.

Right now, I feel like I'm in a really, really dangerous place in life. Let me explain: I love music. I am so passionate about writing and performing - and listening to others play. I am single-mindedly pursuing to achieve notoriety with my music and to play for a living to hundreds of fans all across the world. And I am misguided if I think that these things will satisfy my deepest longings and desires.

This is the danger: to pursue with deepest passion those things which are of lesser importance. There is no such thing as "rock 'n' roll immortality." Every image fades. Even with better technology, what we capture on HD today will only be a small essence of the true rockstar in fifty years.

So this is an admonition and a call to action: a life of value is spent pursuing valuable things - not fleeting things. "The grass withers and the flower fades..."

Behold! The Bicycle.

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:46:00 +0000

Most of you probably don't know this, and I want you to know it. About a month ago, I wrote a post about how making a career in music is difficult to do. Yeah, I meant it.

The biggest difficulty has always been in the tense balance between doing what you love and making enough money to live on. "Money: it's just green paper," a good friend of mine often says. And, for me, needing that green paper has led me to get a part-time job at a computer company in Naperville, IL. It's a great job - honestly - with a great staff and boss. It's just not music, though.

Okay. Enough about that. You all just needed a little background before I went off on the real point of this post:

As many days as I work in Naperville are (almost) as many days that I ride my bicycle. Yes, to and from work, 12 miles, round trip, on the road (half of my route doesn't have sidewalks, and the half that does is completely unsafe to use - due to traffic patterns, layout of the sidewalk, other pedestrians, etc.).

You should also know that Megan works in the exact opposite direction of where I work, and she works twenty minutes away from our apartment (30 from where I work), so she takes the car. By me riding, we save around $200 in gas - every month.

So. I just wanted to say that I'm getting sick of riding my bike to work. But I'm not sick enough to waste $200 a month in gas. Plus, it's healthier for me and the environment.

Screen Printing is the Future

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:50:00 +0000

Just this afternoon, I finished reading a book that I bought last week on Screen Printing. Basically, I've decided to start screen printing my own T-shirts and, maybe, a few other things, if I can manage it. It's an investment of a couple hundred dollars, but after I print two different T-shirts using my supplies, it would have cost the same amount (or more) to buy the shirts from another company. Plus, I hear it's really fun to do.

So anyway, the book I bought was written by some folks over at Print Liberation. They sound like some really cool people, and they wrote a great book. Oh, by the way, it's called "Print Liberation: The Screen Printing Primer". So, not that I need to diversify any more or anything, but I've decided that having this sort of "equipment" might be beneficial in the future anyhow: I can print shirts or other paper art for fun, and maybe even help out friends by printing stuff for them.

New Vlog Post: Recording Journal

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:51:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhvpOqWHt1s

Free Sox Tix: Cha-ching

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:06:00 +0000

Okay. So anyone who knows me knows that I love the Cubs. And Wrigley Field. But nobody is going to question rooting for the home team - whoever they may be.

A guy I know sent out this huge email, saying that he had free White Sox tickets to give away - to the game *that* night (which was yesterday). I just happened to be at my computer, online, when the new message popped up. I immediately responded, "I'll take them". Score.

Section 509, Row 11, Seats 10 and 11.

No, they're not the greatest seats in the park, but the view was much better there than in the terrace reserved section of Wrigley - where my brother and I stood from a few weeks ago. My hunch is that, overall, the view of the field is better at U.S. Cellular. But, there's no surpassing the history, look, and feel of good ole Wrigley. Though originally named Weegham Park (1914-1920), then Cubs Park (1920-1926), the name has remained the same since the 1927 season.

The game was great. Megan really likes the Sox (she's from a Sox family), so I was happy to take her. Plus, I had not been to Sox Park since it was "New Comiskey, Rev. 1". Sox 3, Royals 0.

Memphis BBQ

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:47:00 +0000

If you've ever been to Memphis, you've probably had dry rub barbeque. But if you haven't, you don't know what you're missing! Hanging out in Memphis this past month, I am convinced that I ate the best BBQ ribs I have ever had. The restaurant? Central BBQ. This stuff is just fall-off-the-bone juicy on the inside, but the outside is dry, rubbed with a secret combination of spices. It beats me how they do it, but the combination of dry and juicy is unreal. Here's a picture of what I got: the "slab for two".

Recording Day

noreply@blogger.com (Jay Mathes) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:07:00 +0000

Jameson Cunningham came over today, and we recorded drums for almost 13 hours straight for my new EP, "Glimmer". He's an awesome, local drummer, and I'm really happy to be able to team up with him on this stuff. I'm totally exhausted, though! I'm hitting the sack as soon as I post this.