Stupid Things, Thread, Splinter, Out of Mind, Fancy Things, Happy, Moments, Torch Song, Cyrano, Never Done, Run, Repair. The current list of songs (in no particular order) we’re tracking for a new album, tentatively titled “Closing the Space” which is a line from the song “Thread”. This album is oozing with themes of nostalgia, reflection, acceptance, and heart. Lots of heart. But we’re at the stage where we start to question ourselves, and it helps me to examine the “Who?” “What?” “Where?” “Why?” and “How?”.

Who? Well, the first answer is Annie, Rod, Jason, Ozzie and Mikey (Michael Shimmin), hopefully a handful of guests, and Geoff Michael at the mixing board. But we’re making the record FOR YOU.

What? This seems rather self-explanatory. but ARE we going to run off another 1000 physical CDs? I doubt it. Should we do vinyl this time? $$$ Cassette tapes? Not kidding. Still don’t know.

Where? We have recorded nearly all of our albums at Big Sky Recording in Ann Arbor with the aforementioned Geoff Michael (and previously Gregg Leonard). We also do a lot of tracking at our trusty home studio, partly to save some money but also for the convenience and because we can!

Why? Now THAT’S a little more nuanced. With each album comes the hope for reaching more and more ears, opening more doors, breaking through some imaginary ceiling (a ceiling that keeps getting higher). But we can’t hang our hat on that. There’s also an assumption of demand from our existing fans who seem to be enjoying hearing new music from us, and then there’s the marketing. New music is how artists show they’re still in the game, still working on their craft, and still have something to say. Blah blah blah… Bottom line = We make art and art is supposed to be shared. Period.

How? Money. Cold hard cash. I wish we could make the kind of album we want to make without spending a lot of money but we can’t. Obvious expenses include the incredible musicians (see the “who” section) who are worth more than we can pay them, and the engineers who work their magic, blending and finessing all those tracks into a soundscape that brings the song to life. In the end, it’s really all about the songs. But there’s also manufacturing and if we can afford it, radio promotion and publicity. In a perfect world, we make music, sell the music, play a lot of gigs, and earn enough to make the next recording and, you know, buy food and stuff. Sadly, the music alone doesn’t even buy the food. Streaming services are a great way to listen, but not so much a great way to financially support the artists who spend their hard-earned cash to create the music you’re listening to. At least not at the level we’re playing this game. Never mind that artists like us employ the musicians, engineers, graphic designers, etc. of the world, and that ain’t cheap. So, we are once again finding ourselves in the position of asking our fans for even more than we already do.

Wait… are you still reading?