spittin' distance

That's how close I am to finishing this crazy record. Kids, I've somehow worked myself into a summer that had only 3 normal "camp" weeks (I usually do 6-8 weeks), and is still as busy as ever. Between finishing this project and planning this tour, I'm feeling a little looney. But we're on the home stretch.

In fact, this past week has been kind of a clean-up time. I've been finishing up vocals and acoustics. Below are some pics from a couple of sessions:

My friend Greg Smith gave me a free guitar last year (this isn't it). Now he just shows up every once in a while with something really expensive and says, "try this one out for a while." The above pic is me tuning the limited addition Breedlove that he's trying to sell (it costs more than my car, and isn't as comfortable to sit in). It's really a finger-style guitar, so it actually didn't mesh that well with my basher-smasher style of playing, but I used it on a few of my slower tunes. Guitar nerds: begin salivating!

Look at the above pic, if you dare, and gaze upon the razor-sharp intensity of a 4-chord-playing, super-fast-strumming psycho-genius of indie soft rock.

This is my hottie wife rubbin' the funk on it. All aformentioned salivating must now cease. Cease, I say!

Keith Sewell, my studio partner at The MixLab, editing some of my vocals, probably trying to figure out how hard the AutoTune plug-in is going to have to work to keep me from sounding like William Hung and Stevie Nicks' illegitimate lovechild.

All in all, good sessions, good results. I keep saying I'm going to get you guys some rough mixes, and I really intend to, but forgive me for being a little nervous about showing my unfinished work. OK, I'll make this promise. The people who frequent this blog will have first chance at hearing some of this stuff. Deal? Deal.

And I really will have the tours worked out soon. I'm on the very cusp (the cusp!) of finalizing the first PA/NY/MD leg, the OK/KS/MO leg, and the San Antonio shows. I'm ready, but I'm waiting on contacts from a few folks (Lance! Rob!) to get back to me.

That be all.