Stormcellar Band Home Page

WOOT! We're opening up the Byron Crossroads Festival in Illinois later this year, just got the call.

It's still 5 months off, but, woohoo!

More info soon!

What kind of lunatic fringe maniacs spend all night on a one and a half minute song?

if you've just joined the conversation, then you might puzzle over that question.

For regular readers, you know perfectly well who's likely to do that.

Yep, that'd be us.

What a fun night.

It started with appropriate omens above the studio

Inside, we were gearing up for what we thought would be a simple single mike acoustic guitar and vocal piece, with maybe some minimal percussion.

Ok so we got through that and then opted to try a second version with more stuff.

Like a big-ass Marshall stack for some ambient slide guitar

Oh, I know, let's add the Kit and an additional Floor Tom overdub

Oh and some pink bass

Plus some harp (the Lesley organ effect was weird so we ditched it), some additional harmonies and another acoustic guitar.

So that's now brought the song up to 1:40.

Cheers to Richard for getting it all together. We'll mix it next week. Tick off another song on the list for The Curious Assembly.

Turns out it's been way too long in 'Cellar terms between albums and we've been pushing to get The Curious Assembly completed.

We initially were thinking of it as an EP. Oh but i get ahead of myself. Lets go back to when we were thinking of future projects after the completion of  Hired Guns.

There was a concept floating around of putting together a rowdy little EP of nothing but raucous 70's blues rock, as if recorded at a biker clubhouse full of drunken yahoos, where we would play not one single 'nice' sweet song. 

The concept had a working title of 'F--- Yeah' (I know, I know it wouldn't have passed marketing and besides which, Green Day beat us to it) and in fact the project got hung up on the name.

By the time we'd agreed that 'Hell yeah' was better (wusses), we'd written material to suit - 'Give me something I want' was perfect for that concept, 'Over yonder' (the boogie) was ready, we could stick 'dirty work' on there...and then...we wrote Sweet Adeline.

Oh crap. It's....nice.

Ok, still no problem, it's only one out of kilter song, we can put it aside and then follow up with..

Onward Traveler.

Right.

And Traveling Song.

(sigh)

Somewhere during this process, the project became a curious assembly of songs. You can see how we come up with titles. Rocket science it ain't.

By the time Twice Shy Girl came along our song writing had scattered into quantum uncertainty and all sorts of stuff started popping out. Curiouser and Curiouser.

We got back from the US tour and had some more nice Blues-y Stuff, such as Downwards Bound and Low Low, which we immediately followed up on with Queen Above The Ocean (Colonial Folk)

About a month ago we decided we really wanted to get this thing finished - we'd been releasing the tracks  individually as singles, as soon as they'd been mastered, but a full CD is still the preferred medium for most of the local DJ's (go figure) and not being ones to waste plastic, Mr Wizard called for a full album. Costs the same to press a full album as a single.

Ok smarty pants, we've only got 9 songs ready, what do you..

oh.

Ok so now we have 14 ready.

Oh.

This was meant to be an EP.

(sigh)

Fortunately, to our great delight, the new and unexpected songs are even more fun than the old fun songs. Now that's curious.

So to that end, we are embarking up the great Finishing-ening.

Est.

Yes, the great finishinginenggest, a concerted effort to Get This (EXPLETIVE DELETED) Thing Done.

This week we have 2 recording sessions scheduled, one for Cry for You and one for QATO. We're keeping the pressure on to get the next lot recorded.

Also, we're getting the final mix of Travelling Song out this week, so we're just powering away here.

All that's left to do is: GMSIW, LL, DB, LG, STTB, SSO, and maybe a reprise of Can't Tax Love (Theo wants to) and a new one working titled 'TF' so thats only 8 more to go. Maybe. Ah I just recounted. that's 9.

IT WAS MEANT TO BE AN EP!!!! AN EP!!!!

(little voice in my head reminds me, yeah, that's what you said about 'Carl's Chair' and lookit where that got you'

Damn the torpedoes sir, full steam ahead!

UPDATE: we're kicking off at 7pm now instead of 8.

Once more we return

to Oberon

for sport

and pleasures

acoustic

err no, not that Oberon, this one

Err...ok, that might be slightly out of date

Mayfield garden near Oberon. Pretty innit?

With luck we may even be joined by some special guests!

Sat night from 8:30,   7pm Oberon RSL, main street of Oberon (there's only the one kids you wont get lost) Free entry.

Howdy Folks. 

We had a great weekend of community spirit :-)

Friday night saw us at the inaugural Sunset Lounge show in Mosman and for our overseas visitors, here's the mundane shot of using the iconic harbour bridge for its intended purpose of getting to the north side of the city :-)

And looking back from the Mosman RSL to the CBD... ah, Sydney. 

We shared a bill with the wonderful Scott Cook on Friday night. It was a pleasure to listen to his quirky, offbeat lyrics. He's super comfortable on stage and a great raconteur. he very kindly invited Redline and myself up to join him for a few songs and graced us with his harmonies when we did a version Cry for you, one of the new songs. He's traveling all over Australia and sadly wont make it back to Sydney, but if you get a chance, check him out.

http://www.scottcook.net/news.php

The sunset lounge is a new music night that will become (hopefully) a regular feature at the Mosman RSL. Well done to Keith for getting it together.

the dressing room area out the back was well appointed.

Cheers to all the folks who joined us for the night.

On Sunday we returned to the Wallarah Hotel in Catherine hill Bay, where the regrowth from the bush fires last year has shown the perversity and beauty of our cyclical burn/rebuild eco system.

Catherine Hill Bay is simply stunning and I am saddened to learn that the development of over 2000 houses will be proceeding. Bummer.

Spotted this great band name inside the pub.

And in case anyone doubted the appeal of The Catho as a rider destination.

Look how green its become in the 6 months or so since the fires..or was it a year ago now? hmmm..

We missed Harves on Sunday cos of a break in at his work, sorry to hear about it Harves, but we had a particularly enjoyable time. The weather held, despite forecasts of rain and the sound on stage was some of the best we've ever had, courtesy of Steve. Gracias amigo.

Once again we ran the new songs and I thought 'slipping through these blues' had gone down flat, but as is usual with Australian audiences, looks can be deceiving. One patron was overheard to remark that it had 'changed his life'. I mean, applause would have been just fine, but life changing is ok too. I guess. Who'd a thunk it?

The standout vibe for me all weekend was the sense of community. At the sunset lounge, mosmanites and North Shore folk said 'we want good live music' and we'll come out and support it and pay a ticket price for it too.

At the Wallarah, the locals were out supporting their pub and still pulling together after the fires. The drive through the area to and from the show makes it one of the highlights of the calendar for me.

I'd like to send out a special shout out to Henry Morgan and encourage him to avoid any more mid lake Kayak Piracy :-) ARRRRR!

This weekend coming we're off to beautiful Oberon. Get out an amongst it peoples, you're surrounded by beauty :-)