2013 a myspace odyssey

Been very quiet from me recently, sorry about that, but part of the reason is that I have been spending less time in front of the computer and more time behind an instrument. A situation I'm intending to continue this year, possibly even getting some gigs again if I can.
So, just a quick reminded of how it works:
Complete, fully produced and mastered stuff from me and Dr Jones is available from bandcamp here on a pay what you want basis: http://drewstephenson.bandcamp.com/
Work in progress I'm publishing via soundcloud as that seems to suit the single-song format a bit better, you can listen to what's on the go here: https://soundcloud.com/blinddrew
I'm also adding stuff into youtube as well if that's your preferred online music listening tool: http://www.youtube.com/user/drewstephenson?feature=watch - though google have stuck some stuff into quarantine until they confirm if I'm allowed to play my own music. I have no idea how long this will take. Anyone have any experience of this?

That's about it for now, hope your year is kicking off well and everything is coming up roses. Now where did I leave that invitation for the new myspace...

Gig tonight!

Now here's a pleasant surprise. The Buffalo Skinners will be playing at the Black Swan on Peasholme Green tonight and supporting them is the lovely Clare Quinn, who has asked Bessie and I to join her for some songs. Obviously we shall be doing this very thing. Doors at 8, £3 a shot, good beer, cheap at half the price ;¬)

How it's going to work (or Wait, what? Where?)

You may have noticed that I've recently started using soundcloud to post new songs rather than bandcamp, whilst still keeping the bandcamp site live.
What, you might ask, gives?
Well I was listening to a podcast by Steve Lawson where he talked about the various music hosting sites and their strengths and weaknesses with the conclusion (sorry, a conclusion) that soundcloud is good for single songs and demos, whereas Bandcamp is good for albums and finished, ready-for-sale works.
Having had a bit of a play with both sites I have concluded that in this, as in most matters, Mr Lawson knows what he's talking about.

So here's how it's going to work:
I'll be using bandcamp for fully completed stuff that's all ready for sale - at the moment that's the EP (Digging for Bones) and the album (A Driven Man). All there in PWYW* and a variety of formats.
I'll be using Soundcloud for drafts and works in process. It takes me a long time to complete a song; generally there's just me and I can be a bit of a perfectionist at times, so I get very into something and then get a bit too absorbed and hit a brick wall. At this point I'll generally park something for a while before going back to it. From now on I'll be loading these works-in-progress on soundcloud so you can have a listen and chip in any comments or suggestions. I don't care how much or how little you know about music, I'll always consider any opinions. :¬)

Whilst I'm explaining a few thought processes, here's a quick overview of my social-media web-presence.
Facebook Music site: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Drew-Stephenson-Music/168462393216571?ref=hl This is a site that just deals with my music (funnily enough). If you don't want amusing cat pictures, rants about courier companies and random links to various subjects scientific, just like this (and then be sure to do the whole "add notifications" thing that you have to do now as well).
Facebook personal site: https://www.facebook.com/drew.stephenson.92  for all the previously mentioned cat pictures etc that aren't included on the music site. There are a lot.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blinddrew much the same as my facebook page but also has a few business-strategy and customer-service type thoughts in there as well.
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/115421899490213383559/posts Similar to my facebook page but I don't use it very much. Not the best way to contact me really. Interestingly I can see no way of getting a hyperlink to my G+ profile. It's things like this that mean I don't use it so much.  Update: Thanks to Stew for finding that!
YAMDAC: http://yamdac.blogspot.co.uk/ My other blog for all kinds of stuff that doesn't directly relate to my music. Mostly copyright, cycling, design and other music stuff.
Myspace: ha! Just kidding.**

So there you have it, if you just like the music then keep an eye on this blog and the facebook music page, if you don't mind all the other inane stuff then add me into whatever stream is your poison of choice.


* PWYW = Pay What You Want, you set the price, from Zero up
** Actually I do still have a myspace page, if you're a time-traveller from 2001 and want to feel at home it's here: http://www.myspace.com/blindddrewsmusic

Trains (not plains or automobiles), new song up.

It seems that train travel is a very good way to stimulate my brain into creative activity. "A prologue" was written on the train last month and this week, coming back up from down south again, I wrote another song - a slightly more upbeat one this time so hopefully Hils will like it...
Scratch video embedded below and lyrics below that. What I haven't got yet is a proper title for it - other than "Curtis Stirling".

Curtis Stirling, so I’ve been told, built a flying machine in his back yard.

And after all the questions I’ve asked, it seems that this is where it starts.

This could be the middle of nowhere, if somewhere had ever cared.

And you can see three counties from that spot over there.

This is how the story starts. This is where legend begins.

And after all, after all, it all comes back to him.

People talking will make a king appear, sometimes all it takes is need.

Curtis shined a light into the dark, they sing a defiant hymn round these parts.

This is how the story starts. This is where legend begins.

And after all, after all, it all comes back to him.

Sometimes they hear trumpets. Sometimes they see wings.

Sometimes there come investigators, to tell them that they’re seeing things.

Curtis Stirling, so I’ve been told, took the flying machine from his back yard.

He’ll be coming back one of these days, wrestling bears when times get hard.

Curtis Stirling, so they say, didn’t die and he won’t fade away.

This is how the story starts. This is where legend begins.

And after all, after all, it all comes back to him.

It all comes back to him.

It all comes back to him.

New Song in draft form...

On the train down to Norwich last week I came up with some words.
Here they are:

A Prologue

There's a dead man in the back seat, but he's not my main concern.
There's a dead man in the back seat, and a lesson for someone to learn.
There's a dead man in the back seat, and there's a gap in my mind
between where he and i meet, and the evidence you find.

There's a natural explanation, there's some history hiding.
I'm sure I can find some kind of truth if I just keep on driving.

There's a dead man in the back seat, and we're running low on fuel.
He and i are going to have to figure out exactly what we're going to do.
See I'm not short on ideas but it's preying on my mind
that, one way or another, we're running out of time.

There's a natural explanation, there's some history hiding.
I'm sure I can find some kind of truth if I just keep on driving.

Someone's father? Someone's son. 
Some wrong punished or some wrong done?
A straight road to the coast to dump a bag of bones?

There's a dead man in the back seat, and only he and i know
how this came to pass and how it's going to go.

There's a natural explanation, there's some history hiding.
I'm sure I can find some kind of truth if I just keep on driving.




Rather than going to work early this morning, I came up with a tune.
Here it is:


But does it need some drums? I'm thinking yes...