We’re All In This Together

I saw the Jonas Brothers on Oprah.  Swwwweeeeeeeeeet. Soooo good.  Now that is the cute I’m aiming for.  Also, I want to dance.  Dance, dance, dance.  Footloose, kick off your Sunday shoes.  I want to have a dance off with Donny and Marie Osmond, and a sing off with the Jonas kids…and OH OH! - We’ll get the studio audience from the Tyra Banks show to judge it, but ultimately the winner will be determined after we all live together in a log cabin with Mark Trail.  He’ll whip us all into shape. Don’t underestimate his knowledge of flying squirrels and berries.

That’s some great art right there.  Totally. Changing lives.  Taking names.

Yeah…

I kind of have issues. 

The past few weeks I have spoken to some of my creative pfriends.  Photographers, film makers, painters, sculptors, writers, and other musicians. 

At some point, we all ask ourselves if what we are doing matters.  Some of us ask that question more often than others.  Typical moody, artsty, mind trips. 

After many a late, philosophical diatribe, I have to say - Yes.  It does.  It is sometimes a struggle.  There is the occasional battle with self doubt, compromise, failure, the IRS and having nothing but those cardboard burritos from 7-11 to eat on tour…again, but it is worth it.  It keeps us sane.  Gives us hope.  In fact, I think the things we are trying to overcome actually give some of the best inspiration. 

I guess I’m just trying to tell you to keep on. 

Or, maybe I’m just jealous of the Jonas Brothers.  Probably.

I don’t really like to take breaks to get food, so I’ve been munching on a lot of peanuts.  My favorite are Planters.  This is a habit I picked up on tour.  Also V8.  I am a V8 fiend.  I was thinking I should get endorsed by them.  Lifetime supply of nuts and tomato juice…that would be sweet. 

After seeing Call and Response: Concert to End Slavery, which I mentioned in a couple of my SXSW blogs, I wrote a song called Sell My Sister.  That one will probably be the first finished.  Atommik Boy is working on a remix of it too. 
I am working on another version of Lay it Down that’s closer to the live arrangement, and a pyschedelic gospel song called Sun Gonna Rise on Me. 

All of them feel like they are coming from the same place, so I am thinking about releasing them as a package.   I have my own ideas about how and where I want to make them all available, but I am open to your suggestions.  So, fire away.