This August I relocated to Austin, TX. It was totally unexpected, “out of the blue,” if you will, but it’s been really great and really exciting. It wasn’t an easy move, especially considering my band Atomic Brother is based in NYC, and been doing great work on exciting new music, and all my connections and freelance work was based in NYC. But, the lifestyle here is great and my new studio is up-and-running, and I’m looking forward to getting out in the music scene and making some new connections and getting out in the clubs and playing records for new bands.
Atomic Brother hasn’t broken up, it’s just transformed. We’ve been moving in a more global direction, anyway, since we went to Switzerland in 2006 to record See Me Comin’ and have Pat play drums and when Rob began recording tracks for us virtually after he moved to South Korea. Working as a band over such long distances like this will be a challenge, and gigging will be a little bit more difficult but the climate for bands in NYC isn’t as favorable and exciting as it was before 9/11, and it makes sense for us to think with a more world-centric point of view.
Over the next several months James and I will be traveling between Texas and New York recording the final guitar, bass and vocal tracks, while Pat and Rob record their drum parts in Switzerland and South Korea for all these songs. As I write this I am finishing edits and getting ready for mixing and mastering the first 3 songs for the first of several Eps to be released over the next 6 to 9 months. The first Ep is due sometime in September. Get on the Atomic Brother mailing list to make sure you get your copy delivered to your inbox for free!
Also, work with Freedom continues. Since January I’ve recorded bass on 8 tracks on the new album, Angels and Monkeys, and Freedom signed a record deal with a European label. There should be about 14 songs on the album when it’s all done later this year.