Good day to you all! So, I’ve always prided myself on a certain level of independence in many facets of existence. However, recently, I’ve come out of my shell a little bit to look around and what I’ve found is (simply) progress. Writing and performing my songs solo for 14 years I think I’ve improved a bit but the progress feels glacial. When James Beaudreau and I finished recording, “At The Start/At Long Last”, we had to pull a band together to support the songs and the album release (Tuesday, November 18th @ Cakeshop 152 Ludlow Street NYC). Ben Kraus (bass) friend and co-worker, listened to my songs and liked them enough to learn them. We played duo gigs at No Malice Palace, The Way Station, Piano’s (upstairs), An Beal Bocht and a couple of office Christmas parties. The first Christmas party involved me giving up my shoelaces for a banjo strap for Ben and my tie to secure a mic to a stand (necessity being the mother of invention and all). Ben also plays with a jazz trio, Hive, check them here, http://www.lukeschwartz.com/blognews/hive-live-at-botanica-red-hook-brooklyn-tonight. James and I have been friends for 17 years or so but have only worked on music together for the album of my songs. You all should check out….lately it feels like pulling teeth to get anyone to listen to anything new. As though people only trust commercially backed music….this is a great mistake. If you are reading this, I implore you, listen to this track, Pacifico by James Beaudreau, one of my absolute favorites of his and tell me it’s not a beautiful, full composition, I dare ya!!http://vimeo.com/musicstore/track/33427/pacifico-by-james-beaudreau If you think that’s something, you should hear his rock playing. Anyways we needed a drummer and James contacted his friend from Highschool, Rich Drouin, to pitch in. Playing with a drummer has been mind-blowing for me. As a solo player I play with rhythm and at certain tempos but backbeats, various flourishes and other intense, deep incantations I’m still trying to comprehend. Rich’s main band is Iridesense check them out here!! http://www.iridesense.com/
In the few months The Philip Lynch Band has been together we’ve improved very quickly. It has been alarming to me especially as my own songwriting’s improvement has taken so long.

So I went running a couple of weekends ago and running, for me, is a meditative thing….i.e. I’m physically doing something but my brain is running through lyric ideas, things to do etc etc when a woman zipped by me and I thought, hm I wonder if I can keep pace? I did and caught up before she turned off and asked her pace. It took an outer influence to shake me out of my routine.

I’ve been to Italy on two separate occasions now and I love the country, the language, the art, the food and wine and have started taking an Italian class. To hear others trying to learn the language, sometimes encountering the same struggles I encounter, sometimes pronouncing words or phases beautifully or mispronouncing altogether made me realize an important fact, it takes failure to succeed (sounds like a dumb aphorism or commercial eh?). How would I know what I’m trying to learn without falling flat on my face? This is why the best clowns have beauty and grace…they represent feeling foolish for the betterment of us all. It takes courage to fall.

Til next time have great listens!! xo -p