We’ve done all the arty stuff for the album - case, cover, booklet, back, everything - and if I say so myself it looks pretty damn swell. We put it up against the shelves in HMV yesterday and it had such a professional look, even we were surprised. Mind you, it was up against the artistic merits of Sum 41, so competition wasn’t an issue.
The price is still £4, and we’re going to start a pre-order list for the album so we know how many copies we’re going to need to make. Then we can sell them directly to you amazing fans, with possible autographing sessions if we’re getting very desperate.
Also, soon up is our first gig at the Rickmansworth Canal Festival on the 21st of May at 3:20 pm. It should be absolutely fantastic, and we’d love to get some support from you all.
Then we’ll have a little hiatus for exams and the summer, followed by more gigs, a music video, a video to accompany the album, and much more besides.
Part 2 of the manifesto of SFTR:
- If you can’t destroy it, it’s worth a good kicking first.
Noice. Until the next time :)
SFTR
Right, I said we’d talk about the insides of our heads. What I meant was more of the inside of my head. So here we go, first song on the first album about to be examined, and unfortunately it’s that topic everyone - by everyone I mean one person - hates people writing songs about; society crushing individuality. Oh lord, you say, not another song about vaguely dangerous authorities who might possibly maybe be in some way bad, where in actual fact the song was probably written after one mildly violent argument with a family member. I promise, right now, that that is untrue for this song. I hope.
The basic premise of We Are The Dead is that ‘we’ (who would be a group of people ‘outside’ the norm - oh God, sounding awful already) are already dead and gone to the world, while the ‘normal’ people - yes, more generalising than a dumbass convention - are ignorant to some overwhelming truth that is denied to them. OK, things are looking trite, but I have a few cards up my sleeve I can bring out. Firstly, the actual point of the song: Yes, it is old, has been done more times that counted, and is hardly useful to add to any band’s portfolio under ‘Lyrical Greatnesses’, but the message itself does not grow tired. It is still an idea that should be brought to the masses as worthwhile, no matter how cliche. Sometimes the oldest advice can be the best.
The finer details are probably this song’s saving grace, for if I had immediately got to the point, this song would not have needed to extend over the 30 second mark. So instead I mentioned some extra points, things that are relevant but not of the exact main headline. Things like the use of the media as a hypnotist; the way that revolution and anti-revolution are both in the psyche; the prizing of thought over direct action. It isn’t, I hope, just filling out the empty spaces in the verses, but rather building up to a conclusion on the subject.
So overall, it’s a song about something that has been covered too often, but it’s a little bit more revealing than just screaming insults - It’s an insight into me as a character, probably one of the few political songs I’ve written that manages that. It’s the band’s manifesto in some ways, setting out ideals for all the other songs that were to follow. So, unfortunately for you readers, here comes a manifesto:
- Destroy everything.
Yep, that’s about it.
Til next time
SFTR
Tomorrow is our last day of vocal recording for the entire album. At last, I can stop having to listen to Bryn tell me to do another take… perfectionism has its merits of course, but it really gets on my nerves. So yes, the final stretch for the album is ahead; we have to do the bass (shouldn’t take too long as I can do it at home) and the drums (being done on software, so will take around 3 hours of studio time. Excellent.). We’ve found a company to make us some real, high-quality CDs with proper cases, printing and inside leaflets… no skimping on costs for our beloved fans, eh?
The album, when released at some point in July, will cost only £4, for a good reason: I wanted it to be half the price of an average new album (in HMV they go for around £8 or more) while delivering professional production, performance and publishing. We can prove to the music industry that albums don’t have to be so expensive, especially considering iTunes would gladly sell a new album for £8, and you don’t even get a physical copy. Rip off much?
One of the first things we decided as a band was to try and get amongst our fans, so if you want a copy, get in touch and we’ll put you on the pre-order list. I’m really hoping we get as much support from you as possible… but that’s just me being silly.
Thanks :D
SFTR (David)
First post. Let’s get on with it, shall we? Ok, this is where I (David Burke) will talk band stuff sporadically, with no organised dates at all, no deadlines to meet, and nothing to actually talk about. JOKE: I’m going to have a go at explaining the ideas behind our songs, the technique and tech we use, and all that jazz. Basically a proper insight into our heads.
Thanks
SFTR :)
