At The Start / At Long Last | Philip Lynch Music

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

Is the suspense killing you? When I was a kid and I did well in a race, I would come home and play all bummed out as though I had lost when I’d won to build suspense but my mother always saw through the act…probably an early indication I shouldn’t have tried acting hahahahahaha Anyway the title of the James Beaudreau produced Philip Lynch album is, ” At The Start At Long Last”. Strange title you might say but it’s not without it’s significance. When I moved to my neighborhood in uppermost Manhattan 15 years ago (sheesh that’s a long time) etched into the tiles of my subway station walls were those words, “At The Start…At Long Last..” (they have since been filled in with mosaic mirrored tiles). I had just moved from Weehawken, New Jersey after a girlfriend headed out to West Hollywood, CA and this was to be a new chapter. Strange and stark how our lives can change in a moment. James and I have been working on this album off and on for about 8 years. First album, “At The Start…” completed, “At Long Last…” I dig the ellipses because they speak of more to come. Whether or not we use them, a forward slash /, or nothing is still a little bit of a grey area (if you have a strong opinion either way, let me know, state your case heh). So there you have it dear reader, At The Start At Long Last

I hope you all have an excellent weekend! Catch you next time! -p