Stormcellar Band Home Page

Did the radio interview, due for podcasting/airplay 11th feb. Will post link.

I feel pretty darn relaxed. I am glad to have met 'a' deadline, and as Mr Wizard pointed out, we don't need the full 'mastered' version of the album in order to do a radio show. The differences in volume between the songs released as singles are not as obvious when they're sprinkled in other stuff, but as a cohesive 'album', they need to be conformed to a similar sound level. Some of that's maths, some of it's psycho-acoustics, some of it is Art.

I burned a test copy of the album to CD and drove around with it. I am not sure about the order, and there are still some mixing items to fix.

I'm pretty happy overall. I think the vocals are a bit high on a few tracks (downside of a vocalist mixing the songs bro), the levels a bit variable and I am also concerned that I may have made some questionable mixing choices. I considered whether I wanted to reach out for some help - there are plenty of good audio brains out there that I can seek assistance from...and at the same time...does it matter? What standard am I seeking? Who am I preparing this for?

'Technically competent' is my basic target. After that, it's artistic choice. The idea of making something, anything, to meet an undisclosed but assumed 'market' expectation assumes things not in evidence, to whit, that there is a market, or that you have an option of gaining their awareness.

To borrow from our own work - go and suit yourself.

next steps:

1. leaving the mixes with the guys for a minute with a 'last chance for input' alert.
2. listening and thinking, researching and thinking some more.

3. beginning the next technical phase of the mastering (already started)

4. Housekeeping - getting a limited edition CD together. Our mates at Troy Horse will sort a short run for us, I will post links online for some presales.

5. Initial basic promotion. There's a great deal of promo stuff that's either 100% BS, ineffective or time wasting that we have to avoid. There's a bunch of stuff that 'might be/probably' ineffective but we'll do anyway. Then there's the stuff that might help but costs $. Then there's the stuff that costs $$$ and doesn't help but you don't know it.

When we commenced back in 2007, we adopted a content rich strategy. The Promo is BS, do the work. Now the promo is still BS and the work (content) can be supplied by robot generators. I picked a bad week to give up sniffing glue, to borrow from 'airplane'

It's a heck of a time to be in this arena. Even so, you do it because you must.

Thus with a deep sigh, the Self Propelled Artists marketing department once again fires up the boiler on the marketing steam engine and with a few puffs of steam, goes chugga chugga up that hill. LOL

I'll spare you the White Paper on the state of play for music as an industry that the SPA boffins prepared for me, principally because I am that Boffin and I already know it.

The good thing about finishing is that it's finished. I for one am looking forward to at least 3 of the new songs in development and yes I expect us to be releasing more singles within a few months of releasing Juggernaut. It's what we do.

Thanks for your company on the trip. We have no fixed destination and a ways to go yet, stick around, we'll stop for snax.

We were initially booked for Ross's show 24/Feb but...things change so we opted for the earlier spot. It's become something of a tradition to do Ross's show with the band spanking new thing we're up to.

As 9 of the songs have already been released as singles I sent those to him, plus some art as a pre-release special version for Ross Fear's recorded show on the 8th, for broadcast 11 feb.

Current Operations

• Part A: finish all tracks

• Part B: look for the sonic flow on the album, release later when ready

• Wildcard C: Stuff that comes to mind in the doing.
  
  There is much to be said for setting a finishing point. It helps sharpen the work.

Creating isn't neat, you colour first and the lines come later.

Editing charpens the lines.

In my case, the joyfulness with which I approach cutting the snare out of the kick drums, by hand, brings to mind the further joys of being done.

Until, much like a good spicy pepper, you want that sizzle all over again.

I know I am digressing but I really feel like there is a backlog of 5-6 songs that are ready but not ready enough for this, I kinda knew they were a new starting point when 'Bigtime in Newtown' showed up. I have learned the creative tides of this band.

ok so mixing update

• Solace - done. Needs question answered about where it starts VS Zeppelin thing (OMG THAT NAME help meee)

• Yearning - Wow! The vocals I got from Olawepo. Theo is now a fan of the song. Before, he made a face about it. It's straight up mixing and tweaking for another few days. Ah forgot, Adding Harp cos it needs something in the centre.

• Heavens on my shoulder - Robin in Sweden did some stuff for me. I sent you guys that test. It's all there. I'm working my way through it. Paul Surany wants a second shot at it. Awaiting. I think i might wind up with an instrumental for the instrumental collection

• The Duke - radical new mix vs the initial Dirge. Harmonies from 'Stayre', string section wtf happened. Theo wants to add percussion. will they get it done in time? Mostly mixing

• Where am i. I dont think it's cooked, boys may vote me down, so that's another mix session. I am reserving the right to remix it

  Yeah imma need a few days.
  
  Now don't think I am overwhelmed here. When I need a break, I do the artwork. Or the videos. Or post the stuff to the socials. or aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh (beep beep beep...power-off noises).

https://www.patreon.com/posts/producer-update-121383341?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

ii. Albums
1. 2008 whiskey talkin
2. 2009 spacejunk (EP)
3. 2009 nuevo retro
4. 2010 carl's chair
5. 2011 hired guns and borrowed glory
6. 2014 curious assembly
7. 2015 everywhere feels like home
8. 2016 Kansas city gold
9. 2017 defiance
10. 2018 safe harbour
11. 2018 rogue state
12. 2018 Safe Harbour / Rogue State (Double Album)
13. 2021 sweet grace of mercy (EP)
14. 2021downtime
15. 2022 signposts
16. 2024 basilisk
17. 2025 juggernaut
ii. Collections
1. Stormcellar Blues Collection Vol 1 – 2021
2. Stormcellar Rock Collection Vol 1 – 2021
3. Stormcellar Country & Folks Collection Vol 1 – 2022
4. Stormcellar Instrumental Collection Vol 1 – 2025

The yearning lyrics

Maybe I don’t want the things
That you chase in life
Maybe I don’t need the things
That you create
It’s all in the time we’ve spent
Between you and me
And it’s all I’ll ever need.

When you said that you were mine
You never set a length of time
And though I travelled round the world
Youd be there for my return
Maybe you don’t understand
When you have your way
A love without intent to change
Did no one tell you of the yearning
The yearning
The yearning for you now

And thought you’ve travelled round the sun
To bring you back
Where we begun
On that forgotten shore
Where I will wait forever more
Forever in the yearning
The yearning
The yearning for you now

(c) 2024-2025 Barry/Read/Stormcellar

By myself without you

As I walk the halls of memory
Where the chiseled past is stone
And the weight upon my shoulders
Pressing me into unknown
I don’t want the pain to tell me
That I need the things I’m shown
All these hand me down emotions
That I still don’t want to know
But I don’t feel the way you feel it
I don’t feel the falling down
I don’t feel the way it used to
And I can’t say it out loud
All the memories now are burning
Leaving me to stop the hurting
Am I by myself without you
You can never leave me now
Don’t wanna hear about it

 

When it feels like it’s forever
I know only here and now
haul your ship across the ranges
til you learn to put it down
when you wrap your arms around me
I wish I could feel them now
all the times that you are with me
and I’m still alone somehow
But I don’t feel the way you feel it
I don’t feel the falling down
I don’t feel the way it used to
And I can’t say it out loud
To know the lessons aren’t the learning
And the pain is not the hurting
When I’m by myself without you
I can never leave you now
Don’t wanna hear about it