For those of you who don’t know what Zeebu is, it’s a youth retreat that features three days of very little sleep, a lot of yelling, dances that feature me screaming the pretender as loud as humanly possible, sugar, and discussions of a theme. (For those of you who ARE from Zeebu, you are in the right place)  The theme for this retreat was centered around bullying and acceptance, and during the first “theme time” we had a slideshow on the topic. Instead of just pulling a song out of someones music library and attaching it to the slideshow, Troy Rayner and I decided to record something to use instead.

We settled on Innocent by Our Lady Peace, took over a meeting room in the church as our record studio, and between 5:15 and 7:00 (ish) we layed down all of our tracks, and got as many other people from the retreat to sing with us on the last chorus as we could. After everyone heard it we had a lot of people ask us if they could have a copy, so I decided I would put it up for free right here.

The file is on the Music page right below Aqueous, (click the “music” link at the top) where you can listen, or download it free. Right click the link that says download, and then click “Save Target As” to download it.

The first 2/3 of the song is Troy and I, with our acoustic guitars. We did the vocals with one earphone each, together (meaning if one of us screwed up, it wrecked it for us both. ) and I think the harmonies ended up way tighter this way cause we could adjust to each other on the spot. It felt more like making music than just recording a take, it was a way more natural recording process, which seemed to fit with what we were going for with this. (I mean, we only had 2 hours, it’s not like we had time for polish)

The best part of the song, however, is that during the last chorus, there are over 30 voices.  Troy and I are in there again once on our regular parts, and once on other harmonies (He’s the guy wailing on the “One Day…” part. Killer eh?) and after our 2 parts each were in, we just brought down friends 2 at a time, to sing the last chorus. When it was all finished we had about 15 pairs of people come down to sing on the track, some loud, some quiet, some high, some low, some harmonizing and some nervous just to see the mic, and when it all mixes together, it sounds like exactly what it is. A whole lot of people, with different voices, singing the exact same song.

Hope you like it, whether or not you were at the retreat from which it came.

Joel

Now I know you’re all thinking “Man, he has his own band on his iPod? What a goon!” and it’s true, I not only have all of Aqueous on my iPod, but I have every single revision of every track on it, since I listened to them all 100 times in order to maximize how much of a pain in the ass I could be while Alex was mixing the thing. (Not really true, though I was probably a pain, but I’ll be damned if he didn’t do a good job!) And truth be told, sometimes I do listen to it. Part of the reason I’m so proud of it is that once I can stop listening to it like it’s my own (stop trying to think of how we could change guitar tones, change melodies and things to make it better) and just listen to it as music I actually like listening to it. Now maybe it’s just because Sam is so good, but it’s possible that it’s actually just good music. So I was wondering, does anyone else still listen to it too? So if you do? I want to know. In fact, I feel like I owe you one, for enjoying our music. It means a lot.

SO, if anyone still listens to it like it were any other CD they own, I want to know.

I want to know your play-count of Aqueous. On iTunes, in your car, just something approximate, and if yours is the highest, I’ll buy you lunch! (if a lot of people have listened to it a lot, I’ll buy you ALL a Slurpee, or foot the bill for a free show somewhere once we’re practiced and ready to go again)

You guys are all the best.

Also, to all the people who are probably like “JOEL WHAT THE HELL YOU SAID A WHILE AGO YOU WOULD GET US THE AQUEOUS BOOKS!” I’m almost done, I swear. Want to know why they’re taking so long? Because writing them while being a student takes a LOT of time, and they each take 1 to 3 hours, ish. That’s if I’m on a roll.

Why do you ask? Here’s Ali Mullin’s

YOU’RE WRITING THEM UPSIDE DOWN? No. No I’m not, I was just holding them like that to take the picture as proof, but her’s is 10 or 11 pages, which at this point, is only a little above average. And that was writing pretty small. So to get them all done, I’m literally writing out upwards of 100 pages, which takes time. But I PROMISE I haven’t forgotten and will get them to you. Your support means so much, and I’ll never take it for granted. They’re coming. I promise. 7 – 12 pages of lyrics and insights into our band and our little EP and what’s next and maybe other things about the world. Who knows.

Thanks for being the best, guys.

P.S. Central Manitoba Youth Choir is on tour this weekend, so you should go see them. They are fantastic. Their tour schedule is on facebook here. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=194135480660236&ref=ts

It’s been 3 years since I’ve been a part of it but I check them out every year, cause they’re so great. So show up if you can!

Also one last thing, go to http://www.facebook.com/mammaryducks and tell them that you’d like us to play at their breast cancer fundraiser Rock for the Cure, and then if they ask us to play, make sure you show up to support the cause! It’s always a fantastic show, and it’s a great great cause.

Thanks for being the best ever!

Joel

We’re still a band. I just wanted you to know that. We’ve been working on an idea for the fall, once we’re not all doing farmwork, we’ll be able to start playing again, and we’ve got a new way to play for you, that will hopefully be all worked out and ready to go in September or October.

I’ve been writing a lot, too. Lots of new lyrics, riffs, ideas.

Here’s a thought about one, though.

A lot of times, people are under the impression that someone has hurt them, but more often than people hurt eachother, they actually just give eachother reasons or methods to upset themselves. They’re an innocent gun, so to speak, they can be the weapon, but without fault. Can cause the damage, but not by any fault of theirs. It’s an interesting thought, anyway. I’m working on a song about it right now. Cool? I hope so.

Keep on Keepin’ on! Hope you’re having a great summer!

Joel

Hope you like it.

Joel

Those of you who donated to our cause to receive a special printed version of the Aqueous album with a handmade book included? You’ll be happy to know that we’ve got the Cd’s all printed up, and are in the process of getting them signed by everyone, and we’ve gone to working on the handmade lyric booklets as well.

Thanks for the support, don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten you. We just had to pass our exams first!
Look for your special copies of Aqueous soon!

Joel

Remember our awesome awesome friends in Pocket Change? Right now, they’re in a contest to be named the best high school band in the province. If you saw them live? You know they deserve it, I mean who else could have a sound so refined and so tight? They’re great musicians, and we’d love to see them win this, so you should lend your support. It’s pretty easy, and you can listen to their new tune “Classics” while you do it! Here’s what they posted on their facebook page earlier today or late last night or something…

”

Hey Everyone!

We REALLY need your help!!!

CBC is running a contest looking for MB’s best high school band. Since 4/5 of us are still in school. We qualify!

New Song – www.radio3.cbc.ca/play/band/Pocket-Change/Classics

Ways to help

- Post your vote – http://www.facebook.com/CBCRockUTS
- Send a vote to cbcrockuts@cbc.ca
- Become a fan of us – www.radio3.cbc.ca/#/bands/Pocket-Change

THANKS ”

I don’t know about you guys, but the first week play count of their EP? Was only rivaled by the first week playcount of the new Foo Fighter’s cd Wasting Light. (Which is perhaps their best album, and perhaps one of the best albums I’ve ever heard, you HAVE to check it out. You can listen free for the time being at wastinglight.foofighters.com ) We listen to the Pocket Change ep all the time around our place. So we hope you’ll do the same, and give them some support, just take five minutes to sign up and vote for them, even less to vote for them on that facebook page. But in 5 minutes? You could do all three of those things, and give Pocket Change the win they deserve. So help out?

Thanks!

Joel

Thanks for all the support when we put our album up online! (over 1000 mp3 listens in the first few days!) SPECIAL thanks to those who made the trip all the way out to Manitou to pickup their copy right away, and to see the show! It meant a ton to us. (Also, how good is Pocket Change, right? You can check them out here on their website! )

So just as a thanks to everyone, we’re putting the whole thing online for free to download! You can check it out on our music page, and if you donate money to us for the album? We’ll send you a properly printed, signed copy of the disk with a handmade lyric and info book, which we’ll also sign for you. (Plus you’ll be a fantastic person!) If you don’t donate? I propose a deal. In exchange for downloading the album free? You have to share our music with at least 2 of your friends.

Hope you enjoy having Free Kittens on your iPod!

Joel

Album drops TOMORROW!

Here’s another little clip for you to listen to. It’s got the wrong guitar tracks to it, so they’re a tiny bit sloppy, but I posted it for the drum work by Sam. Check this out. Too good. (Make sure you listen to this in stereo)

Sam is too good.

Ah, what the heck. Here’s an early mixdown of part of the song Disappear. This one sounds HUGE now. Possibly the best on the album. Here’s what the first mix sounds like.

Chorus?

Enjoy that!

Album Tomorrow!

Joel

Here’s just a snippet of a song you’ve never heard before.

Solo Teaser

I had fun with this song.

Joel