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Okay, now onto this blog's subject.. MUSIC.
Some of you might not know where my website, IDIOTHEAD.COM got its name from. Well, it started back in 2004 when my friend of 20 years Shane Logan and I started a band. We had bands back in high school and we played a couple gigs. But mostly we enjoyed tooling around in the studio and making music. Our best project was a joke band called (drum roll)... "IDIOTHEAD." It was basically like Weird Al, but very vulgar. We would record in any genre of music and we enjoyed it. It started as a goof, really. But in the end, we found it easily accessible and fun to do.
Shane has been one of the only people on this planet that I have been able to collaborate with comfortably. We read each other's minds and catch up to each other well. Our music tastes are similar, but he leans towards more heavy stuff, whereas I love other genres like Jazz, Swing, Ska, Rap, etc. But we both love grunge, progressive, punk, rock and classic rock. We meld together quite well.
From 2004-2006, we recorded THREE ALBUMS as IDIOTHEAD.
For the longest time, these albums were available for purchase here on the website. But after a time, the focus shifted from music and went mostly toward my comics and what I was doing. Shane got busy raising a family and he moved out of state. Our last CDs sold and we never reprinted them. The idea was to release them digitally, but we wanted to remix them and even re-record some of the songs to present them in the best form. It was one of those "back burner" projects that maybe, possibly, we'd get to one day.
The years went by and he is now back in Michigan and we talk weekly. We'd occasionally talk about recording music again, but my comics have always been more of a priority in my life. My guitar sat in the closet, quiet and collecting dust. I sold off my amps and piano over the years. But I couldn't let my beloved Fender Strat go.
Recently I've been thinking a lot about music again. I've discovered new bands. I've gone to more concerts. My vinyl addiction is strong. My musical idols are dying off. Its just a weird time for me. And sometimes when we're faced with a clean slate in life we ask ourselves, "What do I want to do?"
It was through this soul searching that I found I had the interest and drive to make music again. I started writing ideas and lyrics down, like I hadn't done in almost ten years. I never stopped loving music, but I just lost the zeal to make it. But that has recently changed.
In 2015, Shane and I got together for the first time in 7 years and jammed. I was rusty as shit as I haven't played in years and that is evident, but we had a good time:
It sparked the conversation of doing it all again. We're older, more experienced in the world. Maybe we got more to say. Maybe our new musical influences can shine a bit. Maybe I can finally take some of the demos I've had laying around for years and make them into something. Maybe not Idiothead even, but a personal or SOLO album, if you like. There really is no limit to what I'd like to do.
Pie in the sky dream: I'd love to do some more Idiothead stuff as well as other genres and styles. I'd love to release a ton of music digitally and maybe.. just maybe.. make a vinyl record of our best stuff. Maybe raise the money via a Kickstarter... who knows, man. There's no limit!
But the drive must continue. I'm pretty pumped up about it right now. My birthday is in a week. I am considering getting a new amp, effects pedal and maybe even a bass guitar. I will record some demos in garage band and we'll swap them. We've already set aside a weekend this year to get together and record some music. I am looking forward to it. I got demo ideas and we're talking about it.
Would this be a FOURTH Idiothead album? Or maybe redo some of the old songs, make new ones and release it as a serious version of the band's music? Maybe use up all the old video footage that I have and release a documentary along with it? There's tons of demos and things archived. We'll get out of it what we put into it, honestly. And right now, I feel like going all out. Cause why the fuck not!
Anyway, that's something to keep an eye on for 2016. New music is coming from me. In one form or another. I'm making music more of a priority in my life. It should've always been that way. But I'm not gonna turn my back on it. Never again.
Ten years is too long to stay musically quiet. Even for our silly little band. This summer, we're gonna fix that.
Cheers, T
1 comment:
Cool 2016 possible event. I wish I just new how to play. Have had gutair and amp for like 30 years. Always believed someday... good luck
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