Why Eric Has Scary Long Nails

I always have people get really freaked out when they see my nails. So to clarify, I just want to make sure people understand what they are NOT for.




- Making women jealous: Yes, women who bite their nails look at my hands with longing and envy.
- Drugs: I don’t do drugs and I don’t know how or why you would need long nails to do them. But even if I DID do drugs, I certainly wouldn’t grow my nails to do them. I’d hire someone who had long nails to do whatever they do for that sort of thing.
- Because I’m a transvestite: I do get strange looks when people see my right hand. I wish they would notice its only on one hand and start asking themselves more questions. Fortunately, I don’t live in San Fran and get hit on by the transvestite population, so I’m doing ok.
- To scratch: I’m sure they sell backscratchers at the 99 cent store. Well more worth the investment.

Here’s my list of reasons why I HATE having long nails

1) For all of the reasons mentioned above that people think but seldom say
2) I can’t climb any rocks because its impossible to grip the side of a cliff with brittle strips of protein (Yes, the same material your hair is made of)
3) When I break them, I get bummed like a sissy and I feel broken and abused
4) They get full of food like Cheetos cheese when eating. Upside is I can save my lunch for later that way.

Here’s my list of why I actually grow my nails out

1) To play guitar

Yes, its true. I hate to disappoint. I use my right hand to finger pick the guitar. I shape the nails at an angle and keep them long so I can finger pick. My left hand nails stay super short.

TRACKING BASS


There’s been a few different people playing bass on the new material so far. Ben did a track last week, I did a track yesterday, and my buddy Pete is doing a track today. We do a lot of bass with a pick which is great for me. But at the end of this song I was recording, I wanted to pluck the strings with some meaty fingers, but my nails were too long. Instead, I played the neck with my left hand and had Spencer pluck the strings with his meaty fingers (those of you women who like men with meaty fingers should know Spencer is still available). Not joking, we really did this. 2 people playing one bass guitar! We got some video of it and will post soon.

Eric

Drum Tracking Pics

We’ve got our first 4 songs of drums cut this week. Having a great time and really enjoying the process and successes of music making. It’s a bit of a roller-coaste…this album. One minute we feel like we’re making the best sounds ever recorded. And another minute it feels like we just plain suck. I think that is the emotional side of being a musician that is kicking in. I am very sensitive to how things sound. It can make a great day or a horrible day.

Anyway, there has been some key elements to some super exciting drum sessions:



BORROWING GEAR - This is Spencer on the phone with some other drummer. We gathered a lot of “crap” (they call it sh**t in the industry) to get things going. Tons of cymbals, 8 snares, hi-hats, etc. It pays to be friends with other musicians cause you can borrow their stuff all the time. We used a different snare on every song.




ISTANBUL – Turkey makes Istanbul Cymbals that sound incredible. A sound we have fallen in love with is the buttery wash of huge cymbals to cover the songs in a brilliant shining blanket of bliss. We’ve been overdubbing them on top of the original drum tracks to make it even more washy.


THE RIGHT PARTS - We’re slaving over the notes to make sure each hit is completely right for the song and where it is going. Its taking us a good 5 hours at least per song (not including setup). This pic is Spence and I working out some parts.


Will be back with more gear stuff. Just wanted to do a little visual blog to let you into the recording process. Among other things, just gearing up to do a short tour of the West coast from San Diego to Seattle. Are you coming? If you’re on the west coast, please check our dates on myspace and come to our show. Later.

Eric

Weather and Moodyness - Fight at LEGOLAND

Spencer and I continuing our drum recording sessions. But took a short break this week...

WEATHER AFFECTS MY MOOD
I surfed this morning and was depressed by late morning but couldn't figure out why. Then i realized i was living my day out in a gray, hazy, drizzle that kinda depresses me. Does weather affect you emotionally?

I lived in Seattle for a few years where it rains 9 months of the year. I wouldn't even call it rain though. More like dribble. So it dribbles every day until one random summer day, the clouds decide to go with grace instead of justice by taking a break, and this big thing called the sun comes out. At this point all these desperate pale white bodies comes out to lay on small patches of grass found in front of concrete buildings and on street medians. Believe me, this is not the kind of California bikini experience that you see on the OC. Back then when I lived there, I thought (or pretended) that the weather didn't affect me. But now that I have recovered from my state of weather-effected denial, I am proud to say that I LOVE SUNSHINE, and that the lack of it makes me sad.

FIGHTS AT LEGOLAND
I took my "half-brother-and-sister-in-law" to LEGOLAND here in North County San Diego. Amidst the normal things like long lines, frozen lemonade stands, and souvenir shops, a fight broke out between 2 women in their late 40’s. They may have been younger, but I’m open to the possibility that their history of fist-fights has aged their faces 4 or 5 years give or take. At any rate, it all started in the line for a ride when one of the ladies lied about their kid being 6 when he was actually 5. None of us in line really cared, because when you go to LEGOLAND, you typically root for the kid. Duh. This other particular lady though (with her waaaaay old 6 year-old-kid) ratted on the lying lady with the 5 year-old kid by telling the guy who runs the ride. Of course the guy who gets paid minimum wage couldn’t care less. Next thing I know though, the ladies are seriously slapping each other (no, not the cute flirtatious kind) and kicking each other in front of all of us. Lady #1’s kick flew up between lady #2’s legs. And in a genius martial arts move, lady #2 shut her legs tight and trapped the other ladies foot in between them! We’re talking some serious middle-aged mom Jackie Chan moves here. At this point, she should have done the Master Chi finger tap heart freeze move. Instead, the ladies just hobbled for a second, grabbed their kids and left pouting.

The moral of this story? Always keep your legs closed when being kicked.

Gratefulness

Today, was one of those days you have to pinch yourself because you wonder how or why you have been blessed with so much. This is a picture from my camera phone of me living a life-style in California that I never imagined. Me, shirtless (sorry for the porn) with my surfboard in the back of the car, driving on the 101 Pacific Coast Hwy. I woke up early and went surfing. Caught some incredibly smooth waves (some sets about 6 foot) with my friend Pete Kipley. Then we went to the Pannikin, one of the greatest coffee shops in the world while I sipped a wonderful English Breakfast Tea with crème. Pete thought English Breakfast was actually breakfast. So after awhile, I think he was about to get mad at the server because my food hadn’t come yet till I told him that I was already drinking my “English Breakfast.” What a rad dude he is. The kind of guy that will fight for you.

We chatted about life and some of the musical guilty pleasures we have. Amongst Cindy Lauper and the Dixie Chicks, we reminisced the 80’s when we listened to Yanni, White Lion, and Wilson Phillips…all of which we are eager to make fun of now.

GRATEFULNESS

On my way home, I started counting my blessings. Realizing that after a wonderful morning, I would be making music in the studio all day. And when I got home, my wife would be wearing some soft pink shirt that I would hug her in. How is this possible I have been given so much? I couldn’t help but to just worship God in those moments, just pouring out with thankfulness.

I don’t always feel that way. I think I go between feeling depressed and hopeless, to feeling totally elated and grateful. The transition between the two is pretty steep and short. I can’t seem to be one of those emotionally stable people like my friend Jack. He is always the same, always constant, always just solid and consistent. I’m this emo musician dude who is always living in some extreme emotion one way or another.

HOME STUDIO VS NASHVILLE STUDIO

I’ve been learning a lot in the studio. I love recording in my studio rather than at stale studios in Nashville. We recorded Divine Invitation (Something Like Silas) at the Sound Kitchen in Nashville (http://www.soundkitchen.com/). If you look at their site, it seems amazing. Don’t get me wrong, it IS quite amazing. Some incredible gear, incredible rooms, and famous people walking around while you record (last time Leanne Womack was doing vocals in the room next door). The problem is that you don’t feel at home. It lacks the creative vibe you have at your home studio. For me, the greatest thing when you are lacking ideas is to find something around the house that makes noise. On Twilight, we ended up banging on washing machines and ironing boards. That never would have happened in a Nashville Studio.

Anyway, the process has been inspiring. Spence and I have taken a step forward in the recording. Using our ears and ingenuity more than relying on what is “supposed to be done.” I’ve read tons of articles on how things should be done…how you should place the mic, what kind of mic you should use, etc. Its all super valuable and I use that as a starting place all the time. But there is a great joy in going with what SOUNDS better rather than whether or not you are doing it right. I’ll continue journaling over the next few months about some of that stuff specifically for you recording nuts out there.

Till then…

The industry of cool

How great it is to step off a plane into San Diego air! This past weekend playing at Creationfest East was exhausting, and I still feel like I’m recouping from it. Not just physically, but emotionally…

Christian music festivals are a difficult place for us as a band. We find ourselves drained, confused, and discouraged. Not because of any particular promoter or brand of festival or anything. But because of some of the things that come with festivals that seem to point out how much we DON’T fit in as a band.

I often feel lost in the midst of the Christian music industry. Not only because it is a popularity rat race but because the nature of it tends to be an “industry of cool.” I borrowed that phrase from the great film ALMOST FAMOUS. To be specific about the category, it tends to be an industry of “Christian cool.” There is a stigma of what a Christian band should be. As you enter the industry, your success relies on you ability to climb the ladder of that stigma. You HAVE to conform to it to survive.

When you are a guy like me, all you do is love music. And your insides want to burst when you hear or feel a song welling up inside. The idea of fitting into the industry of cool is a far-fetched thing. I can’t bring myself to wear the outfits or say the phrases that promote me in cool world. I can’t bring myself to sell an art that isn’t totally and completely me. Even if its not as exciting as the band that wears a dark and intimidating black eye-shadow.

This morning, I wake up to hang out with my friend Pete, then work on some band business (which by the way takes up about 95% of my day) then record some drums with Spencer. I assure you that I will not be dressed like a rockstar. I will not be yelling out to the crowd, “Alright Houston Texas, let’s go!” I’ll just be having a cup of coffee and going about my day. I might be demoting myself in the music industry by doing so, but never the less its my greatest and only honest contribution to this world…being totally and completely un-cool.

We`ve been stuck in a san fran layover for hours. Exhausted. Dying to go home.

In Love with God

The other day, i went on a walk and started wondering if I am in love with God. I got very sad in that moment, because a flood of emotions came over me when i realized how much i missed God in that moment. and how much i struggle to trust Him. it surprises me when i stop in the midst of all of my busyness. i suddenly realize that God is present. and it makes me sad to find that i have not really fallen into that opportunity. the opportunity to live and breathe and exist in the depth of God's love.

I have been hurt in life. I have been let down. And i know that there are oceans of depths to work through with God because if it. We may not outwardly blame God for the bad things that happen to us. But most of us have to admit that when it comes to trusting again, God becomes the object of our distrust.

The band and I are in Winchester VA today. We played at Creationfest in Shirleysburg, PA today. We played 2 and 1/2 songs and it started to rain so we had to stop the concert.

On the way here we had way too much time to sit there in the plane to think and to pray. This trip has left me with a lot of time to recognize how hungry i am for God. That in the midst of my "distrusting" there is a cry in me that won't give up. It cries to connect at a heart-level and be completely vulnerable and honest. I found myself on the plane, just talking to Him. Sharing my pains and pleas. Asking that He redeem what was lost and all that i strive for. Asking that He open the doors and bless this season with abundance. Asking that He take my heart and wrap it up in His.

I am in love with God. It may be full of tender points and distrusts. But as love never fails, we never give up on each other.