two albums...oh my

Lofty ambitions and the need to make up for a recordless year have dictated that there will be two albums out this year.

Laying cards on the table, I think its safe to say that in my own day to day life I exhibit a certain Jekyll and Hyde persona. That same quality tends to exude over to my world of music - and how could it not?

My love - first and foremost - is the heavier piano driven cabaret tunes. Its a tough call, because on one hand I realize that the market for this type of music is still being built. "This kind of music" doesn't really have a niche yet - it's too soon. And I think that's a great thing. Music is a many facetted mistress - what she wants from you, she probably does not want from me. And let's be honest, she always seems to want the weirdest things from me... never satisfied, always wanting more. Just like a woman - that evil muse. We've had this problem when we've played festivals or competitions - and that is that the judges do not know where to put us. After hearing this many times, I have felt like throwing in my keys and saying Fuck It. "Whom would you like me to sound like, oh Gracious music Lords? Tell me whom to copy, so that you can label this and give me a good score!". But really? REALLY? That's not my MO. And I think that there are people out there who relate and love the kind of music we are making. Just because they don't have a clip board and an expensive pen doesn’t make them matter less. It makes them matter MORE.

Artists like NIN, Tori Amos, Maynard, and The Dresden Dolls brought this type of music out of me, as before them I was still inside the shell of where I wanted to go. The group Evanescence came out and I knew that even though I liked them and the tunes Amy Lee and Ben Moody were making - there was a different plane that I wanted to go to that was beyond metal accompanied by the piano (I do still frown when people compare me to Amy - a girl and a piano do not an Evanescence make).

This was one of the reasons that there were no guitars in Dreaming In Red, or the live band up to that point. I did not want to fall in to that metal & piano pocket, as I knew that would be an easy place to live. I wanted... different. The cabaret element to the music that I wanted to build is partially there due to my love of theatrics. The dark burlesque coupled with traditional indie rock melodies and a dash of something new was where I wanted to steer the boat. I'm still on my way.

I think this new album is going to have more tones of blues-rock, dancing somewhere in the middle with the cabaret flavor in there. A little bit heavier in areas, but not the way you'd expect. Be afraid. ;)


My second Love - The folk/indie pop music with a dash of wistful. I think I write a lot of this material because I spend so many nights by my lonesome with a piano and an acoustic guitar. The folky soft tunes come naturally by the light of computer screens and insomnia.

I also think that my softer side has a chance to shine, the part of me that really has been honed since I was younger. Belting out to the piano by myself is just as comfortable to me now as sliding in to a pair of jogging pants (lets all be honest - jogging pants make the world a better place).

I want to continue to let that music out - and I want to build it. I foresee cellos, mandolins, acoustic guitars and drums with brushes.


In short, good things. All good things. I hope you guys are looking forward to the albums as much as I am.. it's going to be an interesting ride.


xxx
T