The 86’ GMC Vandura was ignored and left at my parents farm. The van lay virtually untouched since the tour, I was in awe at how messy we were back in those days. Of course, once I got it cleaned-out and tuned-up, all the positive memories starting flooding back. The point of cleaning it up was to sell it, but now I’m unsure if I want to do that.
I’ve spent the last month playing shows around Alberta, practicing with the band and tracking a new EP up in Edmonton. These new songs I will be releasing, sound different than anything I’ve ever done in the past. It is a split album that I am releasing with my friend Sean Hamilton. We each wrote 3 songs and then tracked the six total songs live-off-the-floor in a single day. Dylan and Dan have joined the project and play pedal-steel and bass accordingly. It feels like a new band but it is more of a collective really. It has been a good way to keep pushing myself musically and keep growing and challenging myself. I’m really excited to release this album.
We will be following it up with an album release and an Eastern tour that will take me up till mid-June. It feels strange but I am booking shows well into August right now and just about to start booking another Eastern jaunt for September. It’s strange how far you need to look ahead to be a full-time, working musician.
I’m currently reading Steven Pressfield’s “Turning Pro”, which is the sequel to his “The War of Art”. They are both fantastic reads for the creative type. It is essentially just one hell of a pep talk. Get off the internet, get off the bottle and get to work, this is a damn job! It feels like a hard-ass mentor is standing over your shoulder and coaching you through thick and thin. I highly recommend both these books. I definitely write more songs because of them.
I’m also busy preparing for tennis season. tennis fits my budget, as do most free sports. I always feel like tennis is a misunderstood game. It’s free, urban, accessible and there for anyone to enjoy. It’s way more punk rock than something like snowboarding, which feels more like a country club sport to me. So if anyone on the road wants to play this summer, look at my schedule and I would love to have a game.
I hope to releasing some videos, tracks and tour dates come next blog post, but for now, please check out this little video clip from our last Calgary show at Wine Ohs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEsnDwzHOwY
Later days,
Tanner James