One week into the new year and everybody has calmed down with their resolutions. Some say it's bad luck to talk about your plans publicly but in this case I believe it'll help define goals and get everybody involved on the same page.
First on the agenda is recording songs for the upcoming album And Another Thing... The current JJV band lineup of Nick Kopko (drums) and Matt Spradling (bass) have been performing seven of the eleven songs on gigs since they got on board. A few more gigs to dust off the cobwebs from Winter break and we're on. Three of the songs were recorded last year before leaving Tokyo; the Bob Wills-meets-Tom Waits "Things I Need" and the Todd Moore-penned "That Ain't Me" (heard in its original form on the C. Rex recordings) with Danny Katz on piano and co-producer Hugh Ashton on dobro, along with the Spaghetti Western ditty "Deguello".
Along with the album release will be some accompanying music videos. Growing up in the MTV era (when they actually showed music videos) video was something I'd long wanted to do. After scripting several videos over the years that were never made three videos in 2011 with Chris Young and two videos in 2012 with Oliver Richter sated my curiosity as to whether I could produce in that medium. Now to climb new horizons in that area.
One of the videos with Chris Young was for "So Beautiful" from the album Idle Pleasures. The unreleased album was given away as a free download on Christmas 2012 and plans are underway to remaster it and release it this year along with a video for "Wings Of The Horizon", a vocal duet with Tara Tinsley. And if that weren't enough there's the Dance EP After Hours currently in the works with videos for both songs.
Last but not least I've got my fingers crossed to finally make that Purple Rain-meets-Up In Smoke movie I've been threatening to do for so long.