Recording Prep Play by Play (Our Request)

Dear friends,

We thank you all so much for the support that you’ve given us thus far. We are greatly encouraged by the concern you’ve shown us as we’ve been getting ready to record.

This is it.

We’re diving into the studio next week.

I humbly ask that you keep us in your prayers. This is where you become a part of the band. We need your support now more than ever in this vital way. To pray for the impact of our songs as they are being recorded would be the greatest applause that we could ever hope to receive from anyone.

Thank you so much. We really do appreciate it. I’ll continue to post info and photos on the blog as we are at the studio so stay tuned.

-andy

Recording Prep Play by Play (rehearsal slide show)

Band practice happens twice a week. For me, this happens an hour away from where I live. Still, I look forward to it every time. I put together this lovely little slide show so that you can enjoy a night of practicing and good-time-having with us.










To start out this particular night, Foday will show off his lack of inhibitions by performing (with Matt's accompaniment) the worst rendition of "I Can Only Imagine" that I've ever heard.








Dolly surfing is a skill I've developed over many arduous practice setups. Yes, I am a trained professional.




























We do knuckle down and do work eventually. I can't wait to show you all the new stuff we've been working on.













The process of putting together and preparing these new songs has really brought our rehearsal times to life. There is a new energy that we are all just dying to share with you. Stay tuned...

Recording Prep Play by Play (pen to paper)

The band and I are diving head first into a brand new song. We are all putting this monster together at once. I've found this to be a very organic concept for writing.
I'm not walking into the practice room with a fully finished song, someone will do something on their respective instrument and change the whole feel of that particular section.

I give most of my attention to the lyrics. Every word and phrase gets second guessed. We're very excited to write this song, but this is a process that requires a big investment of time.This is the first draft of the song. It just kind of has its own schedule...




-andy

Recording Prep Play by Play (I'm not all there)

We don't start recording until January. However, I've been in recording mode for about 4 weeks now. Every shower, every meal, every car ride alone is it's own session. Different melodic sections and tones will be mixed, moved, and adjusted as I wander through Walmart.
I'm getting lost more and more frequently. Not necessarily in a physical sense, more in an "oops, I forgot I was doing something mundane" sort of way. Staring blankly at my sock drawer for 5 minutes doesn't mean I can't seem to find the right pair. I'm just aloof and that's okay with me.
In these days, I'm pretty much functioning and interacting at about 60% of my essence. The rest of me is at the studio...where the other part wants to be.
So if you happen to bump into me and I'm not all there, now you know why.
...can't wait to get this album to you.

-andy

Recording Prep Play By Play (Tentative Track Listing)

Our flight from Chicago to STL got delayed for a couple of hours last night so Matt (the master of focus and on-taskness) suggested that we use that time to start talking about the track listing of the new album. Of course, everything that was decided last night is subject to change since we're not recording until January, but I just wanted to drop everybody a line on what we're looking at here.

Probable Album Title: Barefoot
Possible Track List:
1. New untitled full-band song (you've never heard it, eeeee!)
2. The Poet and the Painter
3. Drop Your Nets
4. New Acoustic Song that I haven't finished writing
5. For the Ones Who Are Willing To Take Off Their Shoes
6. The Sound of Your Song
7. Acoustic Song that doesn't have a title yet
8. Bread and Wine (the 4th one with banjo and stuff)

So as you can see, we've got a lot of work ahead of us and I've got a lot of writing to do, which is what I should be doing now. I promised myself I would set this time aside to write but instead, I'm talking to you. Why are you so distracting? Leave me alone. j/k, I like you.

andy

The Most Exhausting Cycle

I've given up some things
For just a time, of course
The trampled trails
And vintage vails
All in the hopes that I'd prevail
To kill sin from the source

I felt like such a saint
For suff'rings deep and wide
If gifts to give
Were relative
I'd have a fragrant life to live
Instead, I stunk with pride

I found to my dismay
There's always more to lose
What man lets go
His heart will stow
The sin with even more to grow
His good will sinks him ever low
But wait, there is good news...(mark 10:26-27)

band update

I'm not going to lie, the band was on the rocks for a month or two.
Foday wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to continue. As stressful as it was, I slept like a baby through this time, nothing really on my mind to think about.
Now that things are on the up and up again, it takes forever to get to sleep. Too many ideas.
It's like a nervous energy that I absolutely love.
As long as the band continues to produce, I'll continue to not sleep and that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.
-andy

The Poet and the Painter

Dear Poet,
Write Your words
Upon my heart
Like canvass
Noun and verb
This sacred art
My hands, I think
Could be Your ink

Dear Painter,
Paint my mind
One solid hue
Like poems
Each brush stroke
A hint of You
My pride must hush
To be Your brush

And Your poetry
Is Your grace in me...
My death, Your potpourri

Bread and Wine #4 – lauda spirituale

Oh, Bread and Wine
Lend me Your heart
If You‘ll allow
I will take part
In this communion
Then sings my soul
I‘m whole
Oh, Bread and Wine
Covered in skin
Stand on the grave
Birth me again
Where there was dirt
There is a tree
And I‘m free

As sure as the curtain was torn
I am not forlorn,
I am not forlorn
As sure as the curtain was torn
I am not forlorn

Oh, Bread and Wine
Light on my feet
Show me the way
And I‘ll walk that street
But my eyes are poor
So be my light
Tonight

As sure as the curtain was torn
I am not forlorn,
I am not forlorn
As sure as the curtain was torn
I am not forlorn

Oh, Bread and Wine
Warmth on my face
Take me to You
To that great place
I can‘t wait to go there
But ‘till that day
I‘ll stay
And I‘ll obey

Oh Sunrise, fill my soul
Give me communion
Now I‘m whole

Bread and Wine #2--Soul

Oh soul, I
See dead men
Walking dead
But Bread brings truth

Your city has
Old buildings
Painted white
Where Wine wakes youth

The curtain has been torn
So won‘t you lift your head?
There are babies being born
So go raise the dead
Sell it all to have the
Wine and Bread

Oh soul, don‘t
Be weary
This can‘t be
A teary time

So run to your
City, its
Begging for
More Bread and Wine

The curtain has been torn
So won’t you lift your head?
There are babies being born
So go raise the dead
YOU ARE FULL, NOW SHARE WHAT YOU’VE BEEN FED