Ok, so here’s the REALLY big news of late: last week Evan and I recorded a performance for the show Fearless Music. If you haven’t seen the show before, you should definitely check it out: http://www.fearlessmusic.tv/. It airs Saturday nights on Fox at 12:30 (so technically Sunday morning). It is going to air sometime in the next couple months, and it is broadcast all over the US of A, as well as a few other places like Brazil. I understand it will also be aired on the campus TV network at most colleges in the states, so for those of you who aren’t a thousand years old like me, maybe you know what that is. I have been wanting to be on this show for a really long time, and it was really surreal for it finally to happen. I was sitting in my apartment freaking out and trying to drink tea and practice and not sweat too profusely beforehand, and it occurred to me that there are bands I really look up to who have been on this show. Ok, if you know me, you know I’m mainly just talking about the Dresden Dolls, my all-time favorite band. I think this was the first time I can say I’ve really done something that some of my 'idols' (i dislike that word) have done. I know this sounds like a lot of cheese, but that’s gotta be a good sign, right? So I was practically on the verge of vomiting every internal organ I have for a couple days before, certain I would bomb the whole thing and choke during the interview (the producer, Jaime, interviewed me before I played). Here I am freaking out:
But . . . against my usual pessimistic worrying assumptions, I neither bombed nor choked! Evan played like a fucking champion, which he is. Champion. And I didn’t, like, vomit onstage or start crying or speaking in tongues or anything, so I consider it a win. Here we are not sucking:
AND, bonus, there was another film crew there who interviewed and filmed us for this music reality show called Ragged Road. That will be aired on a YouTube sponsor channel (it’s sponsored by Macy’s), as well as on PBS. I’ll get back to you with dates and details when I get that info. They were basically a bunch of fucking adorable college students (that sounded condescending, sorry) who are all interested in music industry careers of some capacity. And they were all so enthusiastic and nice . . . here they are:
2: I have begun work on my new album. It feels so good to say that. And to actually, you know, mean it, and not just be talking about some imaginary world in my head. This time it’s real, baby! Not only am I recording, but I’m recording w/ a fucking brilliant producer, Dan Romer of Drawing Number One Productions (he records a ton of amazing people who I love & you should too like Jenny Owen Youngs and Ingrid Michaelson). Check: http://www.myspace.com/drawingnumberone
And I also have added a couple more videos to my YouTube channel. A lot of you have probably seen these, but if not, here they is:
Amnesia (recorded w/ Evan @ a practice session) . . .
Holden Caulfield (me and my new life partner/guitar) . . .
Speaking of YouTube, I want some opinions. I want to post more, really I do. I want to be, like, interesting and post little 'vlogs' to go along w/ my song recordings, but I don’t know if musicians can really do this w/out looking like huge tools. Thoughts? Should I just stick to singing and the sporadic written word of the blog?
Ok, now I’m out of actual news and am just avoiding packing—but I really do want to say this. I’ve been thinking lately about how utterly amazing it is when listening to one of my songs makes other people want to create something. Like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMcYR5WZHNU or this: http://www.haileywojcik.com/images/jaketrustydino1.jpg or another thing I can’t link to yet, but it’s in the works (it involves puppets!!!). When I think about people doing these things, I just fucking love the world. And I know that sounds egotistical, but I mean it in more of the communal-hippie-art-fest way,
not the vain artist way (not that most artists, including myself, aren’t somewhat vain). And even just getting messages and comments from people. It really means a lot. In general I simultaneously hate and love the connection that technological advancements afford us (mainly because I think it usually creates a false sense of connection, and really just makes us more isolated blah blah blah . . . or maybe not more isolated, but it sure emphasizes the present isolation . . . and I suppose it does
make us more isolated), but mostly right now I'm feeling really good about it. Anyway, this is degenerating into a cliche argument about technology, when really all I want to say is that I’m so glad to be connecting with all of you on whatever abstract level we are connecting on. And I love to see the art you make, and to be a part of that.
And I wish I could bake you all a cake.
But then some of you are probably vegan and some of you probably can’t have sugar or whatever or can’t agree on whether icing or frosting are the superior cake topping . . . Furthermore, I would want to personalize them so they seem more cakey and less spammy, but I don’t even know all your names, and that would take a really long time. I would need something like a mail merge button, but I guess since it’s cake it’d have to be cake merge . . . I don’t know. I guess that won’t happen.
But i love you . . .
So I guess I'll leave you w/ this picture. It's one of olafer eliasson's waterfalls on the brooklyn bridge as I waited in line to see Amanda Palmer at Spiegeltent last week. Ain't life grand?
xxx,
h
