tag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:/blogs/blog?p=33Blog2024-03-18T20:45:35-05:00Marsdenfalsetag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/73690622024-03-18T20:45:35-05:002024-03-18T20:45:36-05:00New Show Announcement! March 28th at The Annex w/ Austin Meade<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/398150/4b5a3c4c4b82846f113cd9593ca8809e7994cad0/original/screen-shot-2024-03-16-at-4-29-28-pm.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" height="1950" width="1324" />Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/73551372024-02-22T07:00:00-06:002024-02-22T07:00:01-06:00Chord/Lyric Charts Now Available for All Songs!<p>Working on learning a Marsden song and just can't figure out that chord? Well, today's your lucky day because every single Marsden song is now has chord/lyric charts available for free on UltimateGuitar.com!!</p><p>Check them out here: <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/artist/marsden_1710515" data-link-type="url">https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/artist/marsden_1710515</a></p><p>It's so exciting to be able to make this announcement not only because it took a good chunk of work, but also because I used Ultimate Guitar for over 20 years as I've learned to play guitar. Some of the first guitar tabs I ever learned were from this website, and now I'm able to have all of my music available on there for the world to enjoy and for future 13 year old aspiring guitarists to be inspired by.</p><p>As I continue releasing music, I will be shooting to have that song's chord/lyric charts available the day of release if not within the first week of release! I also am planning on working through some solos tabs as well to also be made available on Ultimate Guitar.</p><p>In related news I do have some tab books in the works and will be making them available digitally here on my website and through Patreon later this year!!!</p><p>I hope you enjoy learning my music as much as I enjoy learning my favorite musician's music! </p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/73415152024-01-27T16:29:20-06:002024-01-27T16:29:21-06:00Full Band Live Stream Feb. 3rd 8pm!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/398150/6c83117966f3012d6dceeb6d58c3d99098671589/original/screen-shot-2024-01-27-at-4-28-12-pm.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/73374022024-01-23T05:00:00-06:002024-01-23T05:00:03-06:002024 Update - Singles, Live Streams, Houses...<p>2024 is off to an exciting start! I have news that I feel I can confidently share now… I'll be closing on a house at the end of February and it's such a great find! I had been wanting to buy a house for over a year now, but was only able to start realistically looking in the last few months. Fortunately the process has gone amazingly well, and this is a gigantic step in being able to more regularly put out music and content.</p><p>You may have noticed that my social media and content for the last single and in general has been, well, very much lacking. Part of this is because I've been incredibly focused on finding a house. Another was getting the winter blues and being really bummed about how expensive houses are thinking I wouldn't find anything worthwhile. I had big plans for a lot of content for Got The Time, and in the end with the song being about what it is, I didn't want to put myself in that place again. It was important that I made the song, I'm incredibly proud of it, and now that it's done and out there I want to be detaching from it, and I'm moving on. </p><p>However distracted and depressed I may have been the past couple months, at this point, I'm so trained in keeping things going that I've still been working on my next single in the background and plan to start mixing in February! I'm looking to release that in the late spring/early summer and do a few regional shows around that time as well. I'm submitting to several regional festivals, fingers crossed they like modern grunge/alt rock!! </p><p>Plus, in the end the hard work and emotional effort of it all was worth it because I now will have a house to build out a studio and continue creating even more. I'll be able to build an environment with minimal friction to start working. A space that's inspiring, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing, you know, a whole <i>vibe</i>. A place where I won't have to worry about being self conscious of people hearing how I'm practicing a guitar or vocal part. </p><p>I'm excited for all of the things that come with home ownership too as I'm the type to enjoy getting involved with the care and maintenance of things. I'm totally ready for all of it. I'm ready to make a place my own. </p><p>2024 has great things to come. I'm working on getting more comfortable setting up a camera more often so you can see what I'm working on especially with all of the upcoming work on the house.</p><p>Lastly, I have an upcoming performance with the full band on Saturday 2/3/24 for Lords of the Trident's live stream! More info to come on that soon. I figured out how to do an amazing pop cover in the style of another pop song but with my own groovy riff thrown in there (and distorted guitars of course). You won't want to miss it!!</p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/72987842023-11-13T06:00:00-06:002024-01-20T18:00:45-06:00New Single Late November + Fall Update<p>There's a new single coming out later this month! Here's the press release:</p><p>“Got The Time” due out 11/30/23, is a powerfully dynamic indie rock ballad with a beautifully melancholic melody, emotional guitars, and vocals that will make you want to ugly cry yourself to sleep. Got the time reflects on when you must take a separate path from ones you love. It reminisces on the energy, hope, and dreams that go into relationships. It's about being grateful for special times that were shared while reconciling with saying goodbye. It's about taking the time to heal even when it's much longer than you want it to be. Got The Time is by far Marsden's most vulnerable and revealing release yet that truly shows the heart he puts into his songs.</p><p>I've put a lot of work into this song on many levels and I'm confident you'll hear it in the song. I'm incredibly proud of this work of art. There's still a lot of work yet ahead with creating content for the single, and you'll start seeing some teasers a few weeks ahead of the release day.</p><p>After that, I'll be working on the next single, “Keepsake” to be released spring ‘24, and handling booking for some tour dates around the release! there's also a good bit of work yet to do on the Patreon page I've promised, but this has been delayed due to some other priorities like starting the search to buy a house and, well, life. </p><p>I’ve also been rehearsing for a reunion show of my ska/punk band, 4 Aspirin Morning, for the 10 year anniversary of our smash album, Cash Poor Liquor Rich! It's exciting, fun, and has been a good bit of work remembering songs since we haven't played for almost 4 years… Don't worry though, we're locked in now and are ready to explode at The High Noon next weekend on my birthday, 11/11!! </p><p>I can't wait for you to hear this new song and the other new songs in the works. There's a lot more fun content coming your way too as I'm getting geared up to create more efficiently and consistently throughout the winter. </p><p> </p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/72529132023-08-06T14:28:54-05:002023-10-16T09:56:28-05:00Tune It Out Vinyl Available Now + Summer Update<p>This is the most exciting announcement I've been able to make in quite awhile and it's a major highlight in my musical journey to be able to say that I now have vinyl records of Tune It Out available for sale!! Check out the Merchandise page to get yours today. I also just put up additional shirts and CD's for sale in packages.</p><p>At the beginning of summer I went into the studio to record drums for 5 new songs with my drummer, Brett, recording engineer, Dusting Sisson with Blast House Studios, and mix engineer, Lee Petz with Playbrain Audio. The songs are already sounding amazing and shaping up as I'm starting to work on them one by one. The goal is to get at least one song out this year, two if I can manage it. I will be starting to play some of these new songs live too.</p><p>I'll be realeasing each song as a single and then as a full EP by later next year. The idea here being that I won't get bogged down with working on so many songs at the same time and can also keep putting out new material faster and more consistently compareted to working on a full album. These songs are deeper, more complex, and step further into my own sound. I couldn't be more excited to put my skills to the maximum test with these new songs.</p><p>In other news, I'm working on getting back up to consistency with my social media posting. I'm also working on getting the Patreon page I've promised finalized. I've been slacking in what I promised earlier this year and I'd like to explain.</p><p>Not only has this spring/summer been busier than expected with touring with The Cancellations, a big family reunion, my day job, and continuing work on my music, but I also have been working through re-aligning after ending a serious 4 year relationship earlier this year. I'd be lying if I didn't say that this change hasn't shook me up. I've been up and down emotionally and adjusting to a new routine and living situation. On top of that, my parents moved out of their country home of 30 years which has been a sanctuary of sorts for me when visitng. It provided a sense of security, freedom, and space that I could always acess compared to living in the city, and losing that place brought up a lot of the same feelings of loss that I'd been working through from my relationship ending.</p><p>I thought I would have recovered faster, but I'm allowing myself the space and acceptance to work through this on my own time. Consequently, that has put a damper on my motivation that was on a roll from the release of Tune It Out at the end of last year. Hopefully you can understand that it's hard to lose cherished long term relationships. It's almost like the death of your best friend.</p><p>The good news is that I'm healing, learning, growing, and getting back in touch with myself more than ever before. Once again, the possibilities are flowing and I'm starting to feel the magic daily. This also means that you're going to get a truly deep and crushingly beautiful song about this experience. I can't wait to share this depth with you and connect on a level that only music can convey.</p><p>I hope this summer brings the joy and rejuvenation that it has brought me. I intend to continue on this path more dedicated and more consistent than ever. I hope you continue to join me on this journey.</p><p>From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being a part of my life and listening to my music. The connection and healing through music is the greatest gift that I can both give and receive in this life.</p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/72003402023-04-30T16:01:29-05:002023-06-03T20:23:47-05:00Acoustic Show 5/4 at The Annex<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/398150/31acebaad8dce7a143770da6cf3cf6bd802ac708/original/screen-shot-2023-04-30-at-4-00-09-pm.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/72003362023-04-30T15:52:47-05:002023-04-30T15:52:48-05:00Spring Update<p>I'm getting settled back in after The Cancellations tour and already had a songwriter gig this past Friday at Cargo Coffee. A songwriter friend from Seattle, Nick Droll, was going to be in town so we set up a gig to make sure we could play together when he was around. That guy is a great songwriter and player!</p><p>I also have a gig coming up this Thursday at the Annex opening up for Skrizzly Adams on the Madison stop of his world tour! I'll be playing around 7:30pm.</p><p>In other good new, the vinyl pressings should be in hand within the next 2 weeks!!! I'm working on finalizing location/details for a vinyl release party so you can come get your copy in person. I'll also be setting them up to ship via my online store asap. That being said, anyone who has already paid for a copy will get their shipped as soon as I have them in my possesion, and if anyone else is jonesing for a copy, I can get you your fix ahead of the release show.</p><p>I'm working on getting demos ironed out throughout the next month as we'll be recording drums for 5 new song at the beginning of June! From there I'll be able to hash out recording time and plan to have a song out by Fall.</p><p>Booking has been slower that I'd like and I haven't heard back from any festival submissions for the summer, but am still hopeful. I plan on getting out regionally with some show more so in the Fall, just need to find some bands and good spots in the 1-2 hour range from Madison.</p><p>I've also been distracted with having to move and with throwing the Cancellations tour in there I've been re-adjusting to getting back in my groove of productivity. That being said, the Patreon page is still in the works, but I really hope to launch in the next 1-2 months. I just need to get some exclusive prizes worked out and then it will be ready to launch with so much cool stuff available for you!</p><p>Great things are always in the works and I can't wait to share the next things with you all!!</p><p> </p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/72003152023-04-30T15:41:57-05:002023-04-30T15:41:58-05:00The Cancellations Tour Log: Day 9/10<div><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1swvt13 xjkvuk6" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":rct:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b">
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Ok, I'm back, rested, and caught up on work. Time to get this last tour log update done!</span></div>
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<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Ah, the last show of tour! We got up mostly early so we could get back to home base and chill. At this point all of the gross gas station and fast food is catching up to my gut. That on top of sleep exhausting isn't pairing the best...</span></div></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We got back to Nashville easily and all got showers, naps, and time to relax. I went with Joe to run some errands and we got to check out their neighborhood music shop which was fun. On the way back we wound up at a red light next to a souped up car looking to race. The funny thing is that Joe has a fully electric car that takes off like a jet and we absolutely smoked the other car off the green light, byeeeeee...</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We were able to get all of the gear out of the trailer and into one car, but the rest of us had to Uber to the gig. Kerri and Dan left to do some quick tourist stuff, and then Ellie and I headed out together come load out time (6pm ish).</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We got there, unloaded and had time to setup and check. I was having gear issues and couldn't get signal through my pedals, but turns out it was just my oldest pedal (MXR Carbon Copy about 15 years old) being finicky and a quick button press kicked the signal through (that was almost bad).</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">At this point the lack of sleep is really catching up to me, plus my stomach isn't feeling the best. I pretty much hung back outside to zone in and try to get some good food in me with an unhappy gut.</span></div>
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<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Show time came around and I was ready to go. We killed the set, which I guess is what happens when you play with the same group everynight for over a week. It was amazing to get great compliments from new people in the crowd and to have a final moment to celebrate the journey our band made together. What a ride it has been!</span></div></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">So at this point, We have to get to the Airport by around 4am, so Kerri and I decide to pull an all nighter. </span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Thankfully the rest of the crew stayed up with us to hang until we had to leave and say our goodbyes for now.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We got through security super fast, so we ended up having over an hour to wait at our gate before we boarded... Sleepy time...</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">I napped on and off throughout the trip and we didn't have any major delays aside from having to sit at the Detroit airpoirt (our layover) for an hour after we boarded waiting for one jet fueler to fill 3 planes before us. All in all, no big deal.</span></div>
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<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Finally we were back, but I still had errands to run and chores to take care of before I chilled out. Plus I wanted to make it to at least 7-8pm so I could reset my sleep schedule. As soon as 7pm rolled around I was out and slept a solid 12 hours!</span></div></div>
<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">The tour was incredible and I would do it again in a heartbeat, just after a few more good nights of sleep <img src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/tf6/2/16/1f609.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="😉" height="16" width="16" /></span></div></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">See you out there this Summer with some midwest dates playing with The Cancellations!</span></div>
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</div></div></div></div></div>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/71934142023-04-19T19:02:02-05:002023-04-19T19:02:03-05:00The Cancellations Tour Log - Day 8<div><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1swvt13 xjkvuk6" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":r6k:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b">
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Day 8 at Portal in Louisville was the coolest venue on tour yet!</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">I got pretty rough sleep but powered through, although the sleepiness is showing with the dark circles under my eyes.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We finally got a spot where we could get to a hot tub when it was open, so Dan and I got some tub time in the morning. That thing had the most violent jets in a hot tub ever. I took a quick swim too and was reminded that I haven’t swam in years. Good thing it’s like riding a bike… er taking a swim?</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We’ve been doing more and more skits for the social media content and they are getting so ridiculous. I’m here for it.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We hit the road to Louisville and had more awesome views in the mountains. We stopped for a fun pic by this huge dinosaur sculpture and continue trying to find the elusive sucker flavor Dano is craving. We’ve also been appreciating many of eras of music on our car rides and today was Motown and Beach Boys. We like singing along together.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Eventually I just had to nap because I was so tired so I got a solid two hours with my eyes closed. Not sure if I slept, but it helped.</span></div>
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<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Driving into Louisville is so pretty seeing all of the bridges. We got to the venue and it’s a really awesome spot. There’s great murals all over and really cool designs/decorations. I’d love to have a place like it in Madison.</span></div></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">The event was a Tim Burton themed gig and those decorations were so cool with the vibe of the venue. The DJ spun great tracks between everything, half of which were Danny Elfman themed.</span></div>
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<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We played first so we got to setup and sound check right away which was nice, plus load in was easy. Unfortunately there was a major issue during sound check where the toms kept feeding back low end like crazy and it took forever to get correct. Thankfully we have Dan’s expertise and he helped to get things set without stepping on toes too much. That sound guy was our first “ponytail” on this tour, meaning one that is a bit cocky but doesn’t have his game together and then he kept not being at the soundboard when bands needed him there.</span></div></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">In the end we got things sorted and we had an amazing set. I took some video finally and will post it in clips in the near future. The other bands were great and really cool too, plus we met some friendly locals. It was probably my favorite gig yet.</span></div>
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<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We were out by midnight and I was in bed early again but solid sleep still eludes me. I’m a terribly light sleeper so I knew I would come to a head with the sleep exhaustion. Although I’m tired we are all still in good spirits and I’m rallying for our last show in Nashville the next day.</span></div></div>
</div></div></div></div></div>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/71934132023-04-19T19:01:12-05:002023-04-19T19:01:12-05:00The Cancellations Tour Log - Day 7<div><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1swvt13 xjkvuk6" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":r7k:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b">
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Day 7 at Preservation Pub in Knoxville, TN was another great gig!</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We had a beautiful drive through the Smoky Mountains and kept pointing out the awesome views to each other. We stopped in Ashville for lunch and it was a nice upscale Mexican restaurant with great food and drinks although they charged us for water, wtf. Unfortunately a baby was crying a lot as we got served and drove Ellie and Dan outside. Hopefully the delicious afternoon margaritas made up for it.</span></div>
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<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We stopped at a local general store to check it out and then shortly got back on the road to Knoxville. When we arrived we had to load in through a back alley because the front of the venue is on a large no-vehicle plaza area. Kerri was driving and was a champ handling the car and trailer down the world’s longest and narrowest alleyway. Fortunately Dan helped to navigate and move trash cans out of the way as we pulled in the rear view mirrors to fit.</span></div></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">The alley was super cool though with string lights overhead all the way down and really cool graffiti murals covering the whole thing.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Load in was fairly easy and we were first so we got to take our time setting up and getting comfortable as Ellie and Joe went to check into the hotel.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">The venue was more of a hang out spot for patrons rather than a place to go solely to see music, so Dan was worried it would be a shut out show (no merch sales, no clapping after songs), but we ended up converting the crowd and even sold merch before we played! We had another great set.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We had a small space to get off stage and get the next band on stage. We basically took up the whole dance floor. We hung out and relaxed a bit afterwards, and I checked out the rest of the building which was a multiple floor bar with a rooftop. It’s had this “crystals” theme to it which was really cool. They had thousands of dollars of crystals featured in several locations and also booths backed with crystal in the sister bar attached to the complex, it was wild. They even had a guy that I think read fortunes for people. He had a whole crystal station under the stairs in the main bar and a monk like outfit with massive crystal rings. It was a bit odd but fit the crystal theme once I realized there was a whole theme going on.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Load out was a little rough as we had to haul down the whole alleyway so we didn’t have to do the alley maneuver with the car again.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We were out before too late and I had an early bed time to try and catch up on rest as the sleep exhaustion continues to set in.</span></div>
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<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Band inside jokes continue to increase in hilarity and ridiculousness. The bond remains strong as we head into the final dates of the tour.</span></div></div>
</div></div></div></div></div>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/71934112023-04-19T19:00:23-05:002023-04-19T19:00:23-05:00The Cancellations Tour Log - Day 6<div><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1swvt13 xjkvuk6" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":rav:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b">
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Day 6 was a fun show at the iconic Milestone Club in Charlotte, NC (a very punk rock venue).</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Sleep the night before was meh, but not terrible. There was a gym at the hotel so I got in a quick workout before we hit the road.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">I had the first leg of the drive to Charlotte, it was a pretty easy drive there overall. We stopped at a grocery store for the bathrooms and to grab some food. It was nice to not get gas station food.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Load in to the venue was an easy one with the stage door being right next to where we could briefly park. We had plenty of time ahead of the gig so we got some food and shot part 3 of our music video.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We set up for the shoot and were all standing in a small space together to frame our shot when I let what I thought would have been a tiny harmless fart slip. Boy was I wrong…. Everyone yelled, “oh god who farted”, as I tried to keep mostly composed, but as I smelled the horror that escaped the depth of my bowels I had a sly grin on my face and started laughing hard. Now remember, I’m with some heavy farters and had been getting farted out a few times already, so I really didn’t feel too bad, but the travesty of foul stench in that small room smoked everyone out and we had to switch rooms, lol. At least Dan seemed proud of me, and I now hold the fart record. Ellie was mad that I didn’t hold it until the camera was running so we could have captured the reaction, lol. We’ll see if I can be topped in the days we have left…</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">All of the bands we played with were cool and we had a good time hanging. I hit it off with a couple of guys in the first band, Jackson Fig, as we nerded out over guitar pedals and gear.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We didn’t get an early sound check, so it was a throw and go situation when our set time came around. We had a great show regardless of a few weird sound issues and a smaller crowd of mostly other band members. All in all another great stop on the tour.</span></div>
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<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We planned on going out after, but once we got back to the hotel we just wanted to chill and were in bed around 2:30am.</span></div></div>
</div></div></div></div></div>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/71934082023-04-19T18:59:51-05:002023-04-19T18:59:52-05:00The Cancellations Tour Log - Day 5<div><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1swvt13 xjkvuk6" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":rcb:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b">
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Day 5 at The Soul Bar in Augusta, GA was almost a drive by show, but turned out to be a fair evening. </span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We pulled up with the trailer and Dan hopped out to check out the parking situation. He quickly popped back in laughing and told us it was possibly a drive by gig where we would drive by to the next bar, drink all night, and skip the gig, lol. The bar was basically one long hallway with the stage set up facing the long side so the PA was behind the stage against one wall and the opposite wall was about 15’ away, which is not ideal. Fortunately we have our own in ear monitors and it helped to control our mix to the PA with our rig.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">The morning started easy. We all got great sleep thanks to Laurlyn’s hospitality. We all went down to a nearby island to get some sea food for lunch, and Gary and I got to thoroughly enjoy some oysters. We grabbed some ice cream and walked to the ocean from there to hang out for a bit before we had to take off for Augusta.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">It was a short drive and I used it to get my social media work done. We stopped at the hotel quick to get ready and then we discovered the venue situation.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Fortunately it was a fair show in the end and we had people show up just to see us. I also turned to the left on stage to face the people hanging at the bar and was able to convert a few folks which felt great to get them rocking along.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We were able to shoot our next scene for the music video and loaded out by 1am, grabbed some Taco Bell, had a loud sing along in the car, and got back to the hotel and in bed by 2am.</span></div>
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<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Oh, and the bar tender that worked the first shift continued drinking all night and tried to help us with the video shoot stuff for finding a power outlet and it was a rather hilarious scene.</span></div></div>
</div></div></div></div></div>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/71934072023-04-19T18:58:09-05:002023-04-19T18:58:49-05:00The Cancellations Tour Log - Day 4<div><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1swvt13 xjkvuk6" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":rdi:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b">
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Day 4 at The Tin Roof in Charleston, SC was an awesome show for a Monday night.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We started the day off low on sleep. I’m not sure if I even fell asleep on the shitty pull out couch. I almost just spooned with Dan so that we could both maybe be more comfortable. We headed out for breakfast and ended up having to go back to the hotel and walk because we couldn’t find anywhere to park with the trailor, but the delicious bougie breakfast place made up for it.</span></div>
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<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We spent the rest of the morning at the Savanah river walk strolling around before our short drive to Charleston.</span></div></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We decided our cover of Save Your Tears wasn’t getting received as well as hoped so we called an audible and swapped it out for a Cranberries song that we learned on the car ride to the venue and our only time running it was at sound check. Fortunately it went super well and the crowd loved it!</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Before the set we did a quick shoot for a new music video. Sleep deprivation started to set in hard for everyone after we got all setup, so I had to take a quick nap in the car before we played. After an hour I felt pretty refreshed and tagged out with Dan for him to have a twack nap too.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">The other bands were awesome and the crowd, albeit a smaller audience, was really into the music. We played our best set yet and all felt dialed in. We sold a bunch of merch too! Ellie also ended up knowing the bartender from her days in Chicago, so random. They treated us well and we headed out to stay with our local host, Laurlyn, a singer/songwriter that Ellie met and befriended on Tik Tok. She was an awesome host and it was so cool to actually meet her in person! We all got a good nights sleep and were in bed by 2AM this time which is more my speed.</span></div>
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<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Momentum is strong heading into the week.</span></div></div>
</div></div></div></div></div>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/71934062023-04-19T18:57:06-05:002023-04-19T18:58:19-05:00The Cancellations Tour Log - Day 3<div><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1swvt13 xjkvuk6" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":rf2:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b">
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Day 3 was our only day off on this run and we decided to visit Savannah, GA as it was close to our next gig in Charleston.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">First we headed back to Huntsville to get my pedalboard and then we headed on a beautiful drive through the hills into Georgia from there. Everyone (especially Dan) enjoyed the beautiful views and said the extra drive time was worth it for a prettier route regardless of how much shit I keep getting for leaving my gear behind. I drove the first leg and it was sort of fun to drive with a trailer for the first time in a while. Oh and there was a major band fart party the whole way too…</span></div>
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<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">The drive was about 7 hours total, plus we lost an hour so we got to Savannah a little after 10pm and were all ready to get out and about after that long drive, so we started partying immediately after getting to the hotel.</span></div></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">First we headed to a fun Irish pub where we got several drinks and Dan slammed Guinness. They played a ton of 00’s emo and Joe knew every single song, it was rather impressive. We partied for a bit there and then I wanted to wander downtown so we headed to another bar.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Another 10 min walk and we ended up in bar central. We considered one and I said nah, so we went a couple spots down and found a small club playing reggaeton dance music and we had a blast dancing our asses off. Ellie made friends with the bartender over Malort and we got all of our drinks for free. We stayed out until bar close and then wandered our way back to the hotel through the gorgeous trees and old architecture of Savannah.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Once we got back we chilled and played some music together. The band all goofed around setting up the air mattress and it was hilarious to watch as I plucked a guitar on the couch. Dan and I got to share a pull out couch that felt like sleeping on springs. We were in bed by about 4AM and not much sleep was had. Wish my sleepy ass good luck…</span></div>
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<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">All in all we had sooo much fun partying and spirits remain high.</span></div></div>
</div></div></div></div></div>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/71934052023-04-19T18:56:10-05:002023-04-19T18:58:49-05:00The Cancellations Tour Log - Day 2<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xdj266r x126k92a">
<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Day 2 at The Nick in Birmingham Alabama was a blast! The drive there was short and easy so we had plenty of time to check in to our hotel and get a bit of rest. Dan was able to take a nap on a proper bed for a couple hours while the rest of us relaxed. I took advantage of the gym and got a nice work out in. We also were able to wash our super smoky clothes from the night before.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Ellie and I got some time to chat and bond over our recent losses and appreciate how much we like being able to spend this time together.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Show time quickly came and we all got ready. As I got ready I had this weird feeling like I didn’t have all of my gear, and guess what? We unloaded at the venue and I couldn’t find my pedal board! After a brief freak out we called the last hotel and turns out it was left in the room which is unfortunate because we did a double check of the room before leaving. I felt terrible for forgetting my gear…. Good news is we weren’t too far so we planned to go without for this show and stop back on our day off the next day. At least we knew where it was. Guess I should have brought my big board so we couldn’t miss it, lol.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">The venue was awesome, and the staff were excellent hosts. The place had big Frequency vibes which anyone from my Madison home music scene would definitely appreciate. It was a private club venue which was unique and had a really interesting crowd of patrons too, one of which was a “punisher” which Dan taught me is that person that corners you and won’t stop talking at you. Worse, we could only understand about 30% of what he was saying. We all fell victim to the punisher.</span></div>
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</div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">The show went well, but had a few hiccups, probably thrown off a bit with me having to rock mostly one guitar sound. I gave Ellie a big hug partway through as a song was struggling to get started with some technical difficulties and it was a very endearing moment regardless of what she may say <img src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/tf6/2/16/1f609.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="😉" height="16" width="16" /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a">
<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">The first band was a noise rock solo act, second was a tight 80’s style classic rock band from Atlanta doing really fun originals with amazing guitar playing, and the last band was this awesome gen z all female band playing darker melodic punk called The Sick Fucks.</span></div>
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</div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">We hung out and partied for a bit after with lots of laughs and bedtime by 4AM. All in all it was another good show. Day 3 is a day off before we hit the next 6 shows straight through!</span></div></div>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/71934042023-04-19T18:55:35-05:002023-04-19T18:55:35-05:00The Cancellations Tour Log - Day 1<div><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1swvt13 xjkvuk6" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":ri9:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b">
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<span dir="auto">Day 1 at Maggie Meyers Irish Pub in Huntsville Alabama was a success! The other bands were all cool and it was a fun variety combo of genres that fit the night well.</span><br> </div></div>
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<span dir="auto">It was a smoking bar and it made us all grateful for non-smoking venues. It was raining during load out but not too bad and we got out of there and back to the hotel a little after midnight.</span><br> </div></div>
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<span dir="auto">We had a lot of early-tour first-show energy so we hung out and goofed around until we all fell asleep. Maybe around 2. We found we didn’t have batteries for the air mattress so we had to sleep three to one of the beds and poor Dan ended up on the floor. Somehow Gary still kept me cornered to my sliver of bed edge most of the night, lol.</span><br> </div></div>
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<div style="text-align:start;" dir="auto"><span dir="auto">Today we’re a bit sleepy but in good spirits and just got to Birmingham. Should be another awesome show tonight!</span></div>
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</div></div></div></div></div>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/71626732023-02-28T21:04:23-06:002023-02-28T21:55:22-06:00Almost Springtime Update<p>At this time of year, I'm guessing you feel the same as I do and can't wait for springtime with sunnier and warmer days. I'm from Wisconsin where we have sometimes very cold, sometimes very snow, and what sometimes seems like endless winters. Now, I do enjoy winter, however it gets old after a couple of months (after enjoying Christmas and some snowboarding of course). The change of seasons is always good, though, as it helps me to appreciate the warmer seasons that much more. Such is the cycle…</p><p>So, on the note of changing seasons, I'm in the process of some changes myself. I'll be moving out of my current apartment where I've had an amazing music space that allowed me to create Tune It Out. I'll be in a bit of a floating living situation for a bit, but then am hoping to be buying a house where I can set up an even better and more permanent studio to dive even deeper into creating and putting out music.</p><p>My goal is to get a few song demos finished in the next couple of weeks before the move so that I can start working with my drummer, Brett, on building out the songs. Ideally we'll record drums in the summer, and then I will release several singles until that leads into releasing a compiled EP of about 5 songs. I'd love to release two songs this year and the rest would come next year.</p><p>On top of that I'm in the middle of building out a Patreon page with some really cool prizes, behind the scenes insight, exclusive ways to connect with me musically and personally, and much more. I have a few things to build out and make before I can launch, but this should hopefully be ready by May, and you can expect to see several specific Patreon updates leading up to that launch. If you dig my music, you're going to want to sign up for this.</p><p>Also, if you follow me on social media, you've probably seen some teaching videos that I've consistently been posting. These have received excellent interaction with new fans, so I'm looking at doing even more and also will be incorporating deeper lessons into the Patreon page to use as a jumping off point to create my own lessons site. The focus for now will be on guitar and music theory, but I will also be doing lyric and songwriting videos with the hopes of incorporating those onto the lesson site too if they are well received.</p><p>I'm also working on getting some summer gigs booked. It can be difficult to break into different festivals and cities, but I'm working hard to get out there further to see more of you in person and rock out loud for you! There are a couple of Madison acoustic gigs coming up end of April and early May that I'll be promoting soon, so look out for that. I hope to have Brett join me on Cajon for these shows too!</p><p>Another good piece of news is that I was able to finally approve the 3rd round of test copies for the vinyl pressing of Tune It Out, and it's on the way to production with the hopes of having that ready for purchase in the next 3 months! I'm looking at doing a special vinyl release party as well, so definitely keep an eye out, maybe I'll even be able to debut a new song live at that show…</p><p>Now, if you aren't following me on social media, do yourself a favor and scroll to the bottom of the page, find my links, and like/follow/subscribe because there will be a lot of awesome lessons, videos, demos, and more being shared over the coming months as all of this work pans out. I'm so excited to share it with you!</p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/71383972023-01-15T18:07:41-06:002023-01-15T18:07:41-06:00New Year Update<p>Happy New Year! I for one am especially excited for this year to unfold. There's a lot of potential in the air and I intend to grasp every opportunity that I can!</p>
<p>Since it's been awhile from my last post, let me start by talking about the success of the album release. The release show at High Noon was awesome and we had an excellent turn out and response to playing the album straight through for the first time live. Also, it was a huge relief for me because there's a big build up of anticipation and a lot of pressure (mostly internal) to perform the best possible at an album release. Now that we have that under our belts as a band I'm excited to get out and play more for a live audience!</p>
<p>Following that we did a live stream show mid December with TheSpaceship.tv that was recorded and filmed. It turned out really amazing and I'll be posting videos from it throughout this year on Youtube and on this site.</p>
<p>Also, if you haven't seen it, the official music video for Tune It Out was released the day after the album and it's been getting great reception. I'm really proud of how it turned out and the videographer, Jeremy Gehler, did an incredible job shooting and editing it. I did a promotional campaign for the video, and as of today we have over 100k views on Youtube and it also garnered 300+ new subscribers!! I'm looking at doing another video this year for another Tune It Out song or maybe a whole new song.</p>
<p>I've also been doing a campaign for the single Tune It Out on Spotify which now has over 15k streams and has been fairly successful in multiple countries, especially in Europe and South America! I'll be posting some screen shots to share the success on social media soon as this is a huge milestone. </p>
<p>At that note, be sure to follow me on Instagram and/or Facebook (I'm considering starting Tik Tok too...) because I've been doing regular teaching videos talking about how to play different parts of my songs. I'll be continuing this and also branching out into discussing how I approach writing songs, lyrics, and guitar parts in longer format videos on Youtube and still sharing clips on everything else.</p>
<p>That leads me into the next plan which is to start a Patreon this year. If you're unfamiliar, it's essentially a fan page on steroids where you can get exclusive content and "prizes" that are only available by being my Patreon subscriber. Ideas for this include in depth teaching and discussion videos, special behind the scenes videos, exclusive merchandise, early access to new songs and merchandise, and much more. I'll be doing a post about this specifically once I get that built and started up. It will be your chance to have insider access to everything "Marsden" that isn't available anywhere else. This includes personal things that I keep close!</p>
<p>Going forward this year I'm looking at playing out as much as possible to promote the new album with summer festivals in the midwest in my sights. I'm also hoping to get down to SXSW if it's in the cards this spring! I'll be working on new music and want to put out at least two songs this year, if not more. I have a lot of songs in the bank and ready to be worked on that I can't wait to share with you. Also, I'll be playing out more with my other band The Cancellations where I play guitar to songs written by my talented friend Ellie Maybe. We are going on tour for a week in the spring and also in the Summer and will be playing in Madison in June!</p>
<p>I'll be keeping the momentum going and promise to do more regular updates like this. I will at least do one each season, but want to do more and have more involvement. Since I've got the practice from promoting Tune It Out, I'm feeling a lot more comfortable being active and open.</p>
<p>Cheers to an excellent year, I hope you have an amazing 2023!</p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/71023742022-11-14T21:08:29-06:002022-11-14T21:10:00-06:00Vlog Update - Album Release and What's Next<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="OKR4vYb6IXA" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/OKR4vYb6IXA/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OKR4vYb6IXA?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="540" width="960" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/70809162022-10-13T17:59:04-05:002022-10-13T18:00:44-05:00Running In The Dark Teaser<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="6f5rswdmiAs" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/6f5rswdmiAs/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6f5rswdmiAs?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="540" width="960" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/70679602022-09-24T11:48:51-05:002022-09-24T11:48:51-05:00"Tune It Out" - Available 11/17/2022<p>Tune It Out will be released Nov. 17th, and I've been anxiously awaiting the reveal of the album cover with this announcement! The release show will be officially announced very soon, and there will be another single off the album released next month along with pre-save/pre-order options! </p>
<p>There will be another music video for the title track coming out with the release, as well as a "making of" video to follow the release, plus much more! </p>
<p>Thank you to Joseph Reedy for his incredible TV illustration for the album art and for his patience with me over the last year!</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/4291236b4847739320f8140b43113bbb9d0c0b28/original/tune-it-out-front-cover.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/70588022022-09-12T18:01:11-05:002022-09-12T18:18:19-05:00Vlog Update - End on End Is Out Now!<p>Watch my vlog update here at the link below. My site is supposed to let me embed right into this blog, but it's not working, so one more step, just click:</p>
<p><a contents="https://youtube.com/shorts/RLRe3mA4D9g?feature=share" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://youtube.com/shorts/RLRe3mA4D9g?feature=share" style="">https://youtube.com/shorts/RLRe3mA4D9g?feature=share</a></p>
<p> </p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/70162732022-07-18T01:00:00-05:002022-07-18T01:00:01-05:00Summer Update - Tune It Out Is Complete!<p>Tune It Out is officially completed!</p>
<p>I have been busy at work every day since my last update. I did get some rest and recuperation time, but was immediately back at it. The last song I had to complete on the album was a bear to get written, but it is now one of the favorites on this album. It goes to show what committing and putting in the last 10% can do to your work. That has been my core value throughout the creation of this album and you're going to hear it in these songs.</p>
<p>As we worked through the album mixing and mastering we put extensive attention to detail into each revisions as we polished the songs to make them shine more than I ever imaged they could. It may have been hours over weeks of painstaking critical listening and collaboration, but there's no one else I would have rather worked with to bring this album to life other than Lee Petz with Play Brain Audio. We recently celebrated the completion and probably listened to the album 10 times over the evening as we got to finally enjoy the fruits of our labor.</p>
<p>Currently I'm in the midst of the administrative and PR preparation work to ensure this album can get the attention it deserves. I'm going to put everything I can into making the release of Tune It Out successful. </p>
<p>Over the next few months you will be seeing a lot of new content from me gearing up for the release, and you can really help me out by interacting, sharing, and shaking down every person you see on the street to tell them about the music they should really be listening to... ok maybe not quite that far, but I think you get the sentiment.</p>
<p>I'm still really nailing down the exact timing, but here's the general timeline for the release that you can look forward to:</p>
<p>1st single release with video: September <br>2nd single release with video: October <br>Album release with release party show and live stream show: November</p>
<p>Here's an inside look of a broad view of the to do list leading up to this:</p>
<ul> <li>Research and marketing strategizing</li> <li>Distribution</li> <li>Press Release write ups and submissions</li> <li>Final various formats/versions of the songs</li> <li>Ordering Vinyl/CD's (yes this will be on vinyl in like 6 ish months...)</li> <li>Ordering new merchandise (so much new stuff as well as different online exclusive and live show exclusive gear)</li> <li>A LOT of Social media content (this is going to basically be daily so deal with it... is what I'm also telling myself...)</li> <li>Music Videos (I'm trying to shoot 2 before the album release to come out with each single)</li> <li>Booking (release show, live stream show, regional shows)</li> <li>Praying to the algorithmic gods of the internet</li>
</ul>
<p>So much great stuff coming out the rest of this year, try to keep up! (...again telling this to myself as well...)</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/69559232022-04-24T14:52:33-05:002022-07-16T14:32:10-05:00Spring Update<p>It has been a few months since my last update... I've been in a mix of working hard to complete the album whilst struggling with exhaustion and balance in my work and personal life. </p>
<p>One of the things that has held me up as I've been striving to complete "Tune It Out" is that I still have to finish lyrics for one of the songs. I've been working on doing this for about 2 months now... At first I was looking for direction. I only had the song title in mind and a main hook, so I had to define what the song would really be about within that starting point. This lead to a lot of road blocks. I did the work and put the time in daily, but remained stumped.</p>
<p>I got stuck with this writer's block and I then let that slip into avoidance of it entirely. That's been self perpetuating for awhile now. Coupled with stress and anxiety from my day job and feeling guilty for the album recording taking so long to release, the overwhelm had put me into a bout of depression. </p>
<p>However, this isn't the first time I've gone around this circle, and I've been slowly but regularly putting in the work of picking myself back up mentally as well as making the daily lyric writing effort which is finally starting to pay off! It's really amazing how finally getting a handle on something that has been bothering you for so long can make you feel so much better and can play into so many other parts of one's life. I'm just about finished with writing and will then start practicing for recording the vocals which will hopefully be done in the next 2 weeks. Aside from maybe redoing a guitar solo, these vocals are the last thing to record!</p>
<p>Now, fortunately we've been moving forward with mixing all of the other songs that have been completed. We are about 5 songs in and everything is sounding amazing. I love working with my good friend Lee at Play Brain Audio to shape these songs into what they truly can become. There's still a lot of work ahead, but it's nice to feel like progress is moving forward and I'm hopefully past my biggest hurdle before we can print the album.</p>
<p>Once the album is complete, then I'm onto the next hurdles of planning the release, the promo, and all of the back end legal work and distribution. Sometimes I wonder if I've been avoidant about completing this last song because it means I have to move onto the next big chunk of work to successfully release and album... </p>
<p>The good news is that I'm still moving forward, whether that's as fast as I can go or as slow as life allows, I will always continue to take the next step. I want to create and release music for the rest of my life and one way or the other that will keep happening.</p>
<p>I have a big announcement coming in the near future and plan to release the first single off of Tune It Out before too long here. I'm working on that timing as I can't release it too early before the album release, and I don't quite know that date yet. Hopefully that will get determined over the next month or two. I still want to try and release in July or August, but that's still only a goal and not a known reality.</p>
<p>To you, the fans, thank you for your patience. I can't wait to release this music for you to hear. Until then, I'll try not to beat myself up too much about how long it's taking ;)</p>
<p> </p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/68771632022-01-25T05:00:00-06:002022-01-25T05:00:01-06:00New Year 2022 Update - "Tune It Out" Timeline<p>2022 has been very productive so far! As of today, all that's left to record are the electric guitars for one song, a solo for another, and vocals on 3 (and a half) songs. Plus maybe a little extra mischief... </p>
<p>Tune It Out is on target to begin mixing in early March, with the goal to release a single around the end of March - early April. The release date depends on a few things that need to happen before that timing can be determined, but that ideally would be somewhere in the summer, maaaaaybe July.</p>
<p>I will be doing a live album release show and as well as a separate live stream show for those not in WI, and will have some really cool merch/show packages to go along. </p>
<p>For now, my focus is on writing and recording the best music I can for Tune It Out, and it's turning out incredibly well so far. The few friends who have been close enough to hear some samples have given extraordinary feedback that both humbles and excites me to continue down this path and get this music out for you to hear!</p>
<p>In other news, my next live performance will be on March 26th on 92.7 The Devil's Lair for the Greater Madison area. I'll post more details on that in the near future.</p>
<p>Looking ahead at shows, I may have one, maybe two, other live performances before the release, but plan on doing more shows regularly around the regional area once Tune It Out is released. </p>
<p>AND the bonus is that I plan on playing with a full band for the release shows, as well as a majority of the post release shows going forward!! </p>
<p>This year has a lot of potential, and I hope that you'll take a hold of it with me. </p>
<p>I can't wait to get this album and more out to you this year. So many great things are on the horizon!</p>
<p> </p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/67926612021-10-31T19:03:39-05:002021-12-14T19:16:34-06:00Fall Recording Update<p>Work has been busy! So much so that I literally had to ask for less work. Fortunately I have an understanding boss that has helped to ease the workload. It can be extremely difficult to sit down after a draining day and then try to do your best art and performing! </p>
<p>That being said, I've made sure to make the most of the times when I have the energy to spare, and I've been pouring it into the electric guitar writing/recording almost every day. Plus, I've been practicing, or taking lessons just about every day. Something recently has given me a big push to play guitar and improve. </p>
<p>It could be the excitement of finding great sounds/riffs while working on the album - or - from all of the excellent music I've discovered or seen live recently - or - from the momentum gained from practicing/learning so consistently. Either way, I'm feeling satisfied with where I'm at with the work that's been put into the album this year, and I don't often feel that way, so I'm trying to enjoy it for what it's worth.</p>
<p>This push has resulted in sometimes taking an hour to record a part right, or even stepping away for a day to make sure I can play a part just the way it needs to be played. It can be grueling, but oh so worth it, and I hope you'll be able to feel it on the final product.</p>
<p>Alright - so - for a re-cap here's what's completed on the album:<br>-all drum recording<br>-all bass guitar recording<br>-all acoustic guitar recording<br>-electric guitars for 5 songs<br>-vocals for 3 songs</p>
<p>There are still some electric guitars and several songs on vocals to go. There will be a few fun "auxillary" tid bits to add in as well, but things are getting closer and really taking form!</p>
<p>Mixing is coming along VERY well... Lee Petz with Play Brain Audio has been doing an amazing job on the songs that are completed. Also, the album artwork is close to done and is very exciting thanks to Joe Reedy. There's so much coming together, but still so much time left until it can all be unveiled...</p>
<p>I'll have some special announcements about the album before the end of the year and more exciting things on the horizon! In the meanwhile, be sure to check out my Instagram to catch behind the scenes recording pics + vids, as well as cat pics: <a contents="https://www.instagram.com/j.marsdenmusic/" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/j.marsdenmusic/" style="">https://www.instagram.com/j.marsdenmusic/</a></p>
<p>Have an excellent holiday season!</p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/67303972021-08-29T14:00:48-05:002021-08-29T14:00:48-05:00Summer Recording Update<p>As of now, the drums, bass, and acoustic guitars have all been recorded, and I've started working on the electric guitar and vocal recording, albeit my timeline seems to have gotten away from me this summer. After not being able to do much last summer because of COVID, I've been trying to get out and go to events, see friends, and just get outside more in general. It's been great fun, but I keep finding that as I get older, time just flies by, and I've been struggling with fitting everything. Fairly often I feel like time is running out and I can't keep up.</p>
<p>All year I've been working hard on the new album along with all of the things that surround the album creating process to plan, prep, and promote the release to the best of my ability, and I've been getting burnt out and overwhelmed with trying to handle everything on top of a stressful, demanding day job. So, I haven't been able to keep up with my overly ambitious album timeline, which I seem to do to myself consistently... (sad lol)</p>
<p>I've been taking the past few weeks to find some down time to re-charge and plan to get back to work on the whole process in due time. Although it's important to take dedicated time to write and work on my art each day, there is a point of diminishing returns when I'm exhausted every time I approach music and it's not enjoyable. That's when it's important to step back because I'm not able to put in the emotional depth and attention that's needed on a recording. It shows right through the music when I can't align myself or channel properly, and in turn can't give my songs the justice they deserve on a permanent recording.</p>
<p>But don't worry, the album is still front and center in my plans, things will just take longer than what I was hoping I could deliver. I want to do everything I can to create an excellent recording and album experience. I also want to do everything I can to promote and share this music to as many new listeners as possible, and between everything else in my life, I have to keep reminding myself that this all takes time... </p>
<p>In the meantime, I have been taking video of myself throughout the recording process and plan on releasing some fun teaser clips on bass, guitar, and vocals. Follow me on Instagram or Facebook to see these and more regular posts than you'll find from my blog (links at bottom of page).</p>
<p>Keep rockin', more to come soon!</p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/67185082021-08-16T13:01:54-05:002021-08-16T13:02:27-05:00New Live Show Announcement - Sept. 10th @ Buck & Honey's Monona<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/61868ade97b16c3352e2f4105200cf3bea582589/original/screen-shot-2021-08-16-at-12-52-54-pm.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_left border_" /></p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/66605332021-06-15T18:46:25-05:002021-06-15T18:46:25-05:00Album Update - Bass Finished + New Live Show Announced 6/21/2021<p>Bass guitars are fully recorded and sounding sooo good! The tones are full, punchy, and snarly in all the right ways. Plus the performances on this record are way more involved and upbeat compared to Gravity. </p>
<p>On Gravity, my objective was to mostly just support the songs and guitar parts as the story was the focus of that album (and it was also my first time recording a bass performance on an album, shh don't tell). </p>
<p>However, on the new album I feel like the bass is truly the heart and core of the songs. It's driving, upbeat, and intricate where it needs to be. I also got really creative with how I chose to back up or even lead the guitar parts with the bass parts, and I even recorded two bass parts on one song!</p>
<p>Now, onto the priority item at hand... Next Monday 6/21, I'm playing a live in person show where I get to perform for an actual audience! I think the proper marketing way to word that is "you can see me live in person" but really I'm too stoked about it to not be a bit selfish... </p>
<p>It will be at The Sylvee Side Stage for Make Music Madison day, and I'm so incredibly excited. For one, because The Sylvee is the new premier venue in Madison and it's just really cool to be playing on their outdoor stage, and two, because I double checked and this will be my first live show (not including live streams) in almost two whole years! (Thanks, COVID).</p>
<p>The show is Free, starts at 7pm, and there will be drinks available, a food cart, and outdoor seating. I really couldn't ask for more for the first show after COVID. OH, and a bonus, local veteran band and long time friends, SUNSPOT will be on just before me at 6pm! Come swing by after work, I'd love to see your face and there will be plenty of other familiar faces there that I don't think any of us have seen in far too long.</p>
<p>OK, before this blog is too long, I wanted to mention that I've started recording the acoustic guitars and already have one song done. The goal is to be completed with all acoustic guitars by end of June so I can start working on electric guitars and vocals in July. </p>
<p>Next update will be all about acoustic guitar recording, so stay tuned for some cool inside info!</p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/66391332021-05-24T19:41:30-05:002022-07-16T14:32:28-05:00Album Update - Home Studio/Bass Recording<p>It's been awhile since my last post and I've been anxious waiting to keep moving forward. I found myself at the mercy of COVID shipping delays and had to hold off starting the bass guitar recording until I could set up my new music room with proper acoustic treatment and tuning.</p>
<p>For anyone who doesn't know a lot about audio and acoustics, one of the most important things with creating a recording is how you hear the tonal quality of the instrument you're recording, and how it translates from the speakers you're using to the speakers everyone else is using. This is a huge bottleneck in the recording/mixing process that makes a huge difference in the quality of work that someone can produce, as well as TRUST what they're creating will come across as the art they intended it to be. Think of it like a painter having more control over the colors they are using as well as control over how the viewer sees those colors.</p>
<p>So, if you know me, I had to make sure that I got this part right before I started recording in my new home studio space. Now that it's all set up, I'm going to complete all of the bass recording by the end of this month! At least that's the goal I'm giving myself because I really want to use all of June to complete all of the guitar recording. </p>
<p>You can plan on seeing some bass recording videos posted soon too! I'm going to make the effort to capture as much of that recording work as possible to archive and find ways to share that process with fans without giving away too much before the release.</p>
<p>Also, I wanted to share my new studio space with everyone. This setup has been a dream of mine for years and I've finally made it happen. I feel a bit like it's showing off, but I still wanted to share my excitement with everyone. Plus, I'm interested in working with other artist and this gives anyone interested a chance to see that I take my work and my gear seriously. So, here are my pics! <span class="font_small"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/1441414d46ff27c4c25ac00a33333ace5588f612/original/img-9308.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpeg" class="size_l justify_left border_none" alt="" /></span></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/6a4c0c1a2fc23ed3db83898d732d1e9f7ad0a3e7/original/img-9313.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpeg" class="size_m justify_left border_none" alt="" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/02c7981179b2e4775d08ef03b5ef7965bd5e4b70/original/img-9310.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpeg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/7ce5908fe22f1e71d7fcde4e44528ac95115123b/original/img-9311.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpeg" class="size_m justify_left border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/dc881286fa7967bf0fced2da3d20b83aa2f85c85/original/img-9309.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpeg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p>And a couple of progress pics for reference on the change the acoustic paneling makes.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/0c77ecc7adb561e5c101c7c6cdd7b11b3aff6217/original/63717287991-4c066c66-d85b-4666-a7b1-5652bb0ab3a6.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpeg" class="size_m justify_left border_none" alt="" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/fe83b046a8b68de04e2e23129451ccc28c964417/original/63502444054-1cb316f9-96b5-4a9d-b8c5-0b48ce4c5d65.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpeg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p>I'll also be doing a guitar rig post soon too so you can learn more about that pile of guitar pedals... I've been really considering doing a Patreon/Fan Club sort of thing too where I go fully in depth on my recording and guitar rig signal chain plus many more special perks and insider info that no one else can get. More on that in the coming months leading up the the release.</p>
<p>One last thing if you've read this far... I'll be working with the same artist that did the work for Gravity, and an album title has been chosen... I'll be debuting that in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!</p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/65933282021-04-03T15:29:57-05:002021-04-17T19:29:28-05:00Album Update - Drum Recording<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/9c7b1bda24596f297eede9c212d1d48a82fef29b/original/img-8866.jpeg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpeg" class="size_m justify_left border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p>Drum recording was completed at the end of February! I've been busy working on the drum edits in my free time outside of having a lot to do at my day job (I'm a project manager), guitar online lessons every day (building up solo improv skills before I record the lead guitar parts), and having a life for regular things plus a relationship, and cats. </p>
<p>Needless to say, I have a lot on my plate as I keep powering through the recording process, but I'm ready to go and very excited to see what comes out at the end. </p>
<p>I wanted to get inside the creation of this album a bit more as I go through the process, so here's my write up on how the drum recording went:</p>
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<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/3e532d20b1cda69520dac4057e605e631d1ee04d/original/img-8853.jpeg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpeg" class="size_m justify_left border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p>Most every recording session starts with the equipment load in and set up. We had plenty of time so it was nice to not have to rush. It takes focus, patience, and diligence at this point of the process to make sure the drums are set up comfortably for the drummer to play their best and are finely tuned for the best tones to capture. Also, for carefully setting up the microphones on each part of the drums and adjusting to make sure it's capturing exactly what we want it to. We ended up using 16 microphones total to record the drums.</p>
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<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/b1b6b7cd14bac62e8941bc621cdddebbe5da45a3/original/img-8855.jpeg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpeg" class="size_m justify_left border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p>Once everything is in place, the drummer gets warmed up and the recording engineers get in the control room to start dialing in the sounds and setting the mic levels. I'm working with a new drummer, Brett Walter, that I serendipitously met through a mutual friend and am stoked to have him playing on this album. Brett is a music graduate and an excellent musician. It's been a pleasure to play him as we rehearsed for this recording, and he will be playing with me when I do a live band performance for the release party (spoiler alert). </p>
<p>It takes a bit to get through the setup and dialing in process. It's key to take the time needed here because these decisions and preparations are what will be stamped onto the final recording forever. No pressure. </p>
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<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/000fe5928f05aae6168b689c47f492bdceb1b432/original/img-8870.jpeg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpeg" class="size_m justify_left border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p>We worked with my friend Dustin Boyle at The Spaceship studio here in Madison, WI. He's an experienced engineer and an overall audio freak. I've worked with him on a couple recordings with 4AM in the past, and he was excellent to work with on this recording. Working with him, he was very attentive, quick, and intuitive, all excellent qualities for a recording engineer. </p>
<p>Once everything is totally dialed we dove into what's planned to be the first track on the album and worked our way through the other songs in the album order. In total there are 9 songs that have drums on the album. The titles are still in the works, but I'll release those when I'm working on the vocal recording. </p>
<p>Well actually, I think we dove into a couple pizzas first, but hey, we needed fuel for the long haul of tracking.</p>
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<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/7e10c44286afa6742e9b838106a8c8ea5cc6a3b6/original/img-8862.jpeg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpeg" class="size_m justify_left border_none" alt="" /></p>
<p>The actual recording part of this whole process is really fun, however after setup, it's also round two of disciplined attention to detail. We have to listen closely to make sure the mics are all sounding good throughout the whole process for every drum hit (over two full days). We have to work together to get the best performance for the song and make sure they are refined, consistent, accurate, and in the pocket. This takes a very precise ear and critical listening skills to achieve, as well as making sure the performer is comfortable and they have what they need to be able to give their best effort. At this point it's imperative that I give all of my attention to make sure what Brett is playing and how it sounds is what I want to be on the final product of my album. </p>
<p>Overall it's a big group effort to get the best out of a drum recording session. The whole recording process is a blast, but two days of this attention to detail can be draining, although entirely worth it. In the end, it's inspiring to get through the drum recording because it solidifies what I've been hearing in my head up until now, and gives me the base to start working on the final guitar/bass/vocal parts.</p>
<p>Up next is bass recording, meanwhile I'm writing lyrics, more to come soon as I continue through the album!</p>
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<p> </p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/65098672020-12-29T18:34:21-06:002022-07-16T14:32:42-05:00Crowdfunding in Covid<p><span class="font_large"><strong><u>Tickets:</u> <a contents="http://thespaceship.tv/box-office.html" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://thespaceship.tv/box-office.html" target="_blank">http://thespaceship.tv/box-office.html</a></strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong><u>Live Stream:</u> <a contents="http://thespaceship.tv/stage.html " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://thespaceship.tv/stage.html" target="_blank">http://thespaceship.tv/stage.html</a></strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_xl"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/2519cd2a64a37bc3bcfacc039ea944742dafcdd5/original/screen-shot-2020-12-26-at-8-26-49-pm.png" class="size_orig justify_center border_" /></span></p>
<p>You can help to fund J. Marsden's upcoming album to be released in 2021! Tune in to give your support and see a full hour of originals, covers, and a couple fresh new songs streaming live to wherever you may be! </p>
<p>Reasons to tune in: <br>1). New song to be on the upcoming album will be debuted <br>2). Two never before played live cover songs to be performed <br>3). You liked Gravity and want to support the next album endeavor by J. Marsden <br>4). You like to support up and coming musicians <br>5). You're just a super rad person </p>
<p>This will be another show partnered with TheSpaceship.TV, and they've increased their gear and space for live streams 10 fold since J. Marsden was their first performer over 6 months ago. This means the quality of this stream is far beyond anything from a smartphone on Facebook Live, equating to higher fidelity and a better listening/viewing experience for you! </p>
<p>Making an album isn't cheap, and although J. Marsden has been able to handle a lot of the production for this album there are still some expenses that will need to be out of pocket to make this next album happen. </p>
<p>To give you an idea of what you're helping to fund, here are the following costs yet to be covered: <br>-A skilled drummer's time and effort to perform on the album <br>-Studio time to record drums <br>-Album Mastering <br>-Album artwork <br>-Pressing physical copies of the album <br>-Promotion of the album </p>
<p>The goal is to reach $1000 in a combination of ticket sales and donations, and you can help make this possible! </p>
<p>Join J. Marsden on 1/30 and enjoy some long overdue live music!!</p>
<p>Get your tickets here: <br>http://thespaceship.tv/box-office.html </p>
<p>Live Stream: <br>http://thespaceship.tv/stage.html <br>*the show will not be available at this link until the day of the event. Must purchase a ticket to view. </p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/63300892020-05-25T19:54:28-05:002020-12-29T18:33:06-06:00Stereo Guitar Rocks!<p>Thank you so much to everyone that tuned into the live stream!! I'm hoping to get my home rig set up and continue doing a live stream either monthly or every other month. Now, after my first live stream went successfully last weekend I'm taking a weekend to chill out (especially since it's a 3 day weekend), but that doesn't mean music hasn't been happening... </p>
<p>Over the last 2 years I've been building a small studio rig along with a pedal board and guitar IR interfacing into my computer, and just this weekend I finally was able to spend the cash to take the big step into a STEREO GUITAR RIG! I'm incredibly excited about it. I've been waiting years to use several stereo guitar pedals that already sound great as it in mono, but now they've taken on a whole new character and are freshly inspiring! I've been playing for about 3 hours a day straight...</p>
<p>What does this mean? well to anyone who's not a guitar nerd, this means that I'll have exponentially more tonal possibilities, depth, and dimension for the sound of my electric guitars on my records, as well as add some extra flavor and fullness live (when I play with amps rather than acoustic).</p>
<p>This also means that I'm totally ready to complete the demos I've been working on over the past few months and start recording my next album! I'm shooting for a full length with at least 10 songs and hope to at least complete recording by the end of the year.</p>
<p>The other big thing I've been meaning to work on over the past, well, several years really, is to create a business plan for my music. There are so many different paths to take with a music career and tons of mediums to do it, so It's about time I put a long term plan into action based on what path is best for me and the person I am as well as the music I want to create. There's always more to learn and time to put in, so my plan is to solidify this nebulous concept that has eluded me for years and turn it into a meaningful goal that I can consistently work towards with a focused pathway. </p>
<p>I feel like I've just sort of flailed around doing what I think is best for my music career, and haven't got a foothold to move forward. My number 1 goal has been and will always be to create high quality music that I'm passionate about that I put every ounce of emotion and effort into to create the songs and sounds I envision. So, I think having a business plan with help me take that passion to the next level, and that by defining my plan I'll actually know what that next level is for me. Now, to not waste all of my time playing around with this stereo guitar rig...</p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/63029182020-05-02T16:53:01-05:002020-05-02T16:53:01-05:00New Horizons<p>I've been laying pretty low over the past, well, almost 8 months... The last show I had lined up in 2019 I cancelled because I was sick and couldn't sing, let alone for 2 hours. I planned to hide out through the winter and work on new material, which I definitely have been, but I've been taking the hiding out part a bit too literally and haven't really been posting anything at all. Part of my excuse is that I was working on mixing a full length album for my ska/punk band, 4 Aspirin Morning, for about two month straight through the winter. I then had to be dedicated to practicing for the CD release show as we don't practice at all given two members now live in Portland, and one lives in Nashville. But I digress, the real reason I haven't been active with my solo work much is that I haven't been motivated...</p>
<p>Well, my goal is to change that moving through this year, starting with re-designing this website. You may have noticed a completely different look, and that's thanks to the new web hosting platform I moved to called Bandzoogle, which is set up specifically to work with musicians. I had been using a site called Hostbaby, but I never quite liked it. Now, I pay about half of what I did each year for my web hosting, and the functionality and integrated features of Bandzoogle are far superior to what I was using before. I'm very happy about this transition. I was actually looking at moving my platform, but was actually forced into moving because Hostbaby is not longer a thing, but they allowed user transition on to Bandzoogle, so I'm happy for this somewhat serendipitous inconvenience.I'm still tweaking some things and learning the ins and outs of this new platform, but it's pretty much ready to rock in a much sleeker way.</p>
<p>Now, this whole COVID thing is a whole different change to this industry, and quite frankly I'm nervous about what it will bring for the future of live music. I don't know when I'll be able to try and book any live shows (where I make most of my money), so now I'm looking into doing more online content, including LIVE STREAMING! For the first time ever, I'm going to do a live stream, and thanks to a good friend with a studio and Vimeo subscription, I'm looking to make that happen next weekend, 5/9/2020! I'll be getting more details out for this event soon. I'm going to his studio to hash out details and get our promo together tomorrow.</p>
<p>Aside from trying to get more live streaming and Youtube videos out to you, I want to make an attempt at bringing fans into my life more. I'm considering doing something like Patreon, but for the time being, I plan to share more of my creative process, be it through blogging or video clips, I want to show how I go about my process. This will include my writing both on guitar, and lyrically, my music gear, and my home studio setup. I might delve into sharing my mixing, but we'll see how far that goes once I get to that phase of my new album. I also want to share a bit more of my personal life including more non music relate things. More fun pictures of what I'm up to, and more of what I deal with with my day to day life experiences.</p>
<p>Now, I'm a fairly private person, so don't expect everything to come out, but I definitely want to give a good look inside to what it's like in a DIY musician's life in an attempt to connect more with you. I'm getting close to making the commitment to posting deeper quality content weekly (as opposed to once in a while whenever I maybe feel like it), however I'm not quite there yet. I burnt myself out with too many projects in 2019 and want to make sure I don't do it again so I can build up the momentum like I have before. I also recently made a big day job career shift (more on that in a different post), and it's been taking up a lot of extra time and energy. However, after being depressed for a few weeks from the shock of quarantine and regular life changing so much, I've been building up more and more of the ambition that I've had before. I have more and more song ideas coming into my head, and they feel new and fresh, and exciting.</p>
<p>I'm looking forward to getting back on the proverbial wagon with new expectations and inspiration, and I'm excited to share this all with you. More to come soon.</p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61373162020-05-02T15:26:26-05:002020-06-13T16:33:22-05:00J. Marsden Live at Working Draft - Last Show of the Year!!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/f8b93a8b282677e2d775337493ca862ca5b5ea50/original/screen-shot-2019-10-06-at-12-36-11-pm.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_none" alt="" height="822" width="635" /></p>Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61373152018-12-01T18:00:00-06:002018-12-02T06:54:51-06:00Songwriter Night 12/7/18
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/65d057cd6e995dd213ddae955e5d68eea7b195f8/original/communication-songwriter-night-dec-7th.png/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6Njc4eDg3NiJd.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="876" width="678" /></p>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61373142018-05-01T19:00:00-05:002018-05-02T13:54:36-05:00Mini West Coast Tour
<p>In early July I'll be heading to Seattle and Eugene to play some shows, and visit some family. Really it's for a family reunion, but I figured I'd take some extra time to fly into Seattle, see some friends and family, play a few shows, and then head down to Eugene where I'll play some private shows and one long public event! Dates are on my calendar and will be updated as I get all of the info set in stone. I juuuuuusssst set up the whole thing, so the final details are still in flux. However, all the booking is done, I have flights, and I'm preparing my guitar rig to be able to fly with me. I'm beyond excited for this as It's the first time I've not only flow for a gig, but also traveled anywhere besides the midwest to play a show!! I'll be returning home on July 14th and will be playing a coming home/end of tour gig at Bos Meadery on July 15th.</p>
<p>Getting everything together took a bit of time and work, and a lot of getting turned down. Fortunately I'm only working part time until next week, so I had the extra time to put into this project. I also am very fortunate to get my booking e-mails out just in time to get the last few gigs I could. I thought 3 months out would be ok, but most places were looking for 4-5, plus I've never been to town, so it was hard to find a place without a solid line up, and I didn't hear back from too many area musicians about playing with me. However after enough persistence I found a Seattle Songwriter group, and was offered help from a friend of a friend in a cool local band. I swear, it's always, always important to meet new people and network, it generally pays off in the long run! </p>
<p>Now I just want to get a new song written and prepare a kick ass set for the tour... </p>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61373132018-04-13T19:00:00-05:002018-04-17T06:22:54-05:00I'm Back
<p>Well, after a whirlwind of moving to Michigan for a job and relationship in November last year, and struggling to make it all work, I have recently landed back in Wisconsin.... The last half of this year has been nuts since putting out Gravity, getting a new job, and planning/executing the move, and then everything else after that... I'm now just getting settled and back into the swing of things. </p>
<p>One of my goals this year is to share more of my journey and personal story through this blog, and now that i've started to figure everything out after this mess, I intend to start delivering. Much of my personal life ends up making it into my music, however this will be a direct way for you to connect with my day to day life and weird shit that ends up happening to me, both good and bad.</p>
<p>Let's keep it real 2018, much more to come soon...</p>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61373122017-08-13T19:00:00-05:002017-08-14T14:53:03-05:00Indiegogo Thank You!
<p>At the beginning of June, thanks to around 50 backers, I was able to meet my goal of $3000 to finish "Gravity"! I've been busy at work ever since and after two long years I have finally finished the album!! About two weeks ago I had the CD pressed and have been slowly but surely getting copies out to my all of the backers prior to the CD release as promised. </p>
<p>I can't express how thankful I am and how amazing it is to have such support from my fans, friends, and family. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! The full realization of this success hasn't really sunk in yet, and is starting to show itself as I'm able to personally hand out CD's and tell people how grateful I truly am. The feedback on the album so far has been incredible, and I can't wait to officially release it to the public on 8/24/17 at the Frequency! </p>
<p>Here are the amazing people that made a dream of mine possible. Without you this project wouldn't have happened and you deserve major credit!</p>
<p>Chelsea Roque, Joe Loetscher, Cam Shimniok, Roy Marsden, Judy Baker, Dave and Val Simpson, Karen Wheelock, Jeremiah Marsden, Patricia Worick, Justin Swenson, Kathryn Kyker, Sarah Fisher, Shane McNamara, Matt Lowrey, Mark Furst, Sam Myers, Eric Stover, Woody Shelton, Caleb Hopwood, Martin Vire, Ralph Bowden, Jim Roof, Will Steven, Becca Bowden, Brian Zimmerman, Stephanie Miller-Lamb, Rob Zibell, Jen German, Cathy Baker, Gretchen Haraldson, Kim Freeman, Hannah and Max Liptack, Brian Hatfield, Gisela Alt, Joe Yaeger, Travis Mancl, Mark Fairchild, Bill Whitford, Dan Grimes, Sierra Marx, Chandon Kunz, Al Bagwell, Mike Conners, Michelle Braun, Dick Bauhs, Paul Gilbertson, Zach Short, Kayla Driscoll, and Robin Wahle.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61373112017-08-05T19:00:00-05:002017-08-06T07:44:39-05:00"Gravity" CD Release Party!
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/6e96e7e4e40a751e7acff23d8a85684c6f0d49aa/original/j-marsden-show-flier-v2-1.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTA1MngxNjI2Il0%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="1626" width="1052" /></p>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61373102017-06-04T19:00:00-05:002017-07-20T16:11:33-05:00J. Marsden at Sosonic's Listening Room w/ Julia McConahay!
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/ec843dfe4b12bf649be2b00f6c092e449a8e2214/original/joe-marsden-and-julia-mcconahay-1.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6MTAzMHgxMzM2Il0%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="1336" width="1030" /></p>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61373092017-05-02T19:00:00-05:002017-07-20T16:07:58-05:00J. Marsden's Big Wide Country Acoustic Roundup
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/449bfa74f52f0ee20095951272d43745b226b5c1/original/screen-shot-2017-05-01-at-7-59-27-pm.png/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NzAzeDkxMyJd.png" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="913" width="703" /></p>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61373082017-04-24T19:00:00-05:002017-05-03T10:14:37-05:00Vocal Recording!!!
<p>Today I've finished up all of the vocal recording and I'm confident that I've recorded some of my best work yet! I seriously can't wait to put this album out, but we still have a bit of work left. Here's what's next:</p>
<p>-Misc. Percussion Recording</p>
<p>-Misc. Synth Recording during mixing to fill out the sound and give more production value</p>
<p>-Interlude Soundscapes (oh yes, I'll be submerging the listener with some audio imagery!)</p>
<p>-Vocal Harmonies (We'll probably fill out some parts to make them more epic, but have to get to that in production!)</p>
<p>-Mixing (this should take about a month or so and should be done by mid June)</p>
<p>-Mastering (this should only take a week or two and should be done before July!)</p>
<p>-Album Artwork (this is in the works right now)</p>
<p>-Duplication and Merchandise</p>
<p>-Distribution and Indiegogo order fulfillment</p>
<p>-CD Release prep and party!! (shooting for Aug. 24th!)</p>
<p> </p>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61373072017-04-22T19:00:00-05:002017-05-03T10:06:01-05:00Indiegogo Campaign to Fund "Gravity"
<p>The day is here, take a look for yourself!</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="445" scrolling="no" src="https://www.indiegogo.com/project/j-marsden-s-debut-concept-album-gravity/embedded/16082282" width="222"></iframe></p>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61373062017-04-13T19:00:00-05:002017-05-03T10:00:43-05:00Bass Tracking
<p>Oh yeah! I'm getting on a roll with this album now! I've also decided on an album title... it shall be named "Gravity"! So, over the last week Jared and I have gone through and edited all of the drums and today we're finishing up the Bass recording. I was fortunate to borrow a very nice American Jazz Bass and it's sounding amazing! Tomorrow we'll begin vocals and should be finishing up by the end of the month... This is the final week before I launch the Indiegogo campaign, things are getting exciting!!</p>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61373052017-04-05T19:00:00-05:002017-05-03T09:56:16-05:00Drum Tracking!
<p>Alright, so I'm back on track with recording my new album! I just went to Audio for the Arts with my drummer/engineer, Jared Norton, and today we finished up tracking the drums! We've got a great overall room sound with some totally solid takes thanks to Jared's hard work. We had spent the last month and a half reviewing the songs and collaboratively working on the drum parts and it finally came to fruition yesterday and today! Up next will be bass guitar and then vocals, all the while I'll be working on putting together a crowdfunding campaign through Indiegogo, so stay tuned as this month is packed full of work!</p>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61373042016-11-22T18:00:00-06:002022-05-10T05:45:51-05:00Make Music Madison Benefit Show
<p>One week from today you can see a nice variety of some great Madison musical talent at the High Noon Saloon! All proceeds are going to benefit Make Music Madison which you can learn more about here: <a href="http://makemusicmadison.org/" data-imported="1">http://makemusicmadison.org/</a></p>
<p>I was able to be a part of M.M.M. this year, and if you're a musician or music venue you can join in to become a part of growing awareness to the local Madison music scene!</p>
<p>Have a great Thanksgiving, I'll see you on the other side a couple pounds heavier!</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/398150/02e0f5405d3b6b56b00c8a1a72db793f48e8772d/original/unnamed.jpg/!!/b%3AWyJyZXNpemU6NjgzeDEwMjQiXQ%3D%3D.jpg" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="1024" width="683" /></p>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61373032016-09-20T19:00:00-05:002016-09-21T13:13:09-05:00End of Summer Update
<p>Alright, so I've been insanely busy this Summer, both with music, and my regular life too! I work at a live event production/rental company so my summers are always full of events and extra work. I hammered out all of the acoustic and electric tracks for the concept album I'm working on and spontaneously wrote some awesome parts that are really making the songs come alive. Also, the recordings are sounding amazing! Plus, I met an amazing woman, and well, you know what love interests do with your time ;)</p>
<p>Currently I'm working with a drummer to write some parts and really make these songs and this album something special. I'm also practicing and writing bass guitar parts as well as working on all of the vocals while practicing for my upcoming big show for the High Noon Saloon's Summer Patio Series! I do still have to write some lyrics..... yeah, I'm guilty of not finishing everything before starting the recording process... However I'm getting a good picture of how the lyrics will be fitting the story and have come across the inspiration so I hope to finish those shortly!</p>
<p>My summer has been fucking tough, but amazing too, I hope yours has been more of the latter!</p>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61373022016-06-14T19:00:00-05:002020-11-22T14:21:27-06:00Make Music Madison
<p>I'll be playing a show next week Tuesday the 21st for Make Music Madison at the Central Park stage. Please see my calendar on the side bar for the specific info on that. You can also read more about this awesome event below!</p>
<p>What is Make Music Madison?</p>
<p>Make Music Madison is an annual citywide, free, outdoor day of music held on the summer solstice, June 21. Initiated in 2013 as Madison’s entry into the international summer solstice music celebration, we join over 700 communities around the world in kicking off summer by filling the city with music. Make Music Madison turns the city into a stage, and offers a full spectrum of performers the opportunity to display their musical skills.</p>
<p>2016 provides us with our first mid-week event, opening new possibilities for venues and musicians. Coffee shops, restaurants and businesses all over Madison will be looking for musicians to fill their locations with song. Performers along the bike paths could bring music to the morning commute. Lunch patrons may find themselves serenaded by a middle school strings quartet. And after 5, the city will explode with music.</p>
<ul>
<li>Make Music Madison is: Performed by Anyone, Enjoyed by Everyone.</li>
<li>A way for all Madisonians to celebrate the summer solstice, enjoying the longest day of the year, while sampling a buffet of musical merriment.</li>
<li>A DIY city-wide celebration when almost any way to make music can and will happen.</li>
<li>Make Music Madison is open to music makers of all ages, skill levels, and musical persuasions.</li>
</ul>
<p>Make Music Madison may be Performed by Anyone, Enjoyed by Everyone, but it still takes a dedicated team of volunteers to bring it all together. We have a small board comprised primarily of group leads for larger teams of volunteers who focus on venues, musicians, matchmaking, mass appeal events, technology, publicity, and fundraising. In addition we have a single part-time paid position for our executive director.</p>
<p> </p>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61373012016-05-21T19:00:00-05:002016-05-22T05:53:32-05:00Challenge #5 - Location
<p>I've had a busy week and haven't quite found the time to finish writing my location song for tomorrow's challenge... I do have the guitar part and hook, but the verses are taking a bit more effort than I was hoping for. I've been tossing around a few different ideas as far as the location goes and haven't quite settled on anything yet, so I guess it will be a surprise all around! However, I do have a good choice for a signature song that I think will go over well. I'm actually looking forward to playing more than one song at this next challenge as I'll be a lot more comfortable going into the second song after having warmed up with the first song. As things get down to the wire I'm excited to see who gets to go onto the finals. I have a good feeling about getting to the final 3 and have been thinking about what I might do for a final set already, but don't want to speak too soon as I still have the hard work to put in before this next challenge. Either way it has been a great ride and has made for a very busy and eventful May!!</p>
<p>As I didn't share them yet, here are the lyrics for last week's challenge:</p>
<address><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline">Doubt</span></strong></address>
<address> </address>
<address>Staring through the window of her soul</address>
<address>Is cloudier than most the storms that I have ever known</address>
<address>She’s got me stuck in my head again, again, again, and again</address>
<address>Is there no end to the murky waters that I’m continuously drowning in?</address>
<address> </address>
<address>Doubt</address>
<address>Just when I thought I had figured her all out</address>
<address>Doubt</address>
<address>She makes me keep loosing truth</address>
<address> </address>
<address>Tattered and torn, I’m weary and worn thin</address>
<address>From traversing these miles through mine fields of indecision</address>
<address>She’s a beautiful fountain of poison to wish and wish and wish upon</address>
<address>It’s out of my power she’s come to destroy and devour all reason</address>
<address> </address>
<address>Doubt</address>
<address>Just when I thought I had figured her all out</address>
<address>Doubt</address>
<address>She makes me keep loosing truth</address>
<address> </address>
<address>I had it all figured out</address>
<address>I had it all figured out</address>
<address>I had it all figured out</address>
<address>I had it all figured out</address>
<address> </address>
<address>Doubt</address>
<address>Just when I thought I had figured her all out</address>
<address>Doubt</address>
<address>She makes me keep loosing truth</address>
<address>Doubt</address>
<address>Just when I thought I had figured her all out</address>
<address>Doubt</address>
<address>I know I’m loosing truth</address>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61373002016-05-14T19:00:00-05:002016-05-15T11:20:35-05:00Challenge #4 - Emotions
<div>I finally finished the lyrics for my song Saturday, and have been fine tuning them as I rehearse for the show on Monday. I drew the emotion "Doubt" and although I wanted to not make my song title super obvious, I ended up titling the song "Doubt" anyway. I ended up somewhat writing the song from a viewpoint as if I was in a relationship with doubt. The guitar part is a lot more driving that you would expect and has a killer breakdown that I'm excited to share with everyone! </div>
<div></div>
<div>I don't know how well I'll be able to observe my growth as an artist while I'm still in this competition, but I can say that I've surprised myself with being able to come up with a new song over the past 3 weeks that I'm not only ok with, but actually excited to share with people, which is generally not the case. I'm like a song a month maybe kinda guy. I'm hoping that all this work will be the jumpstart I need to finish the CD that I'm currently writing and not burn me out!</div>
<div></div>
<div>I'm excited to see what the next challenge will be if I get through this week. I'm not really looking for anything in particular as I kind of like the surprise of each new challenge. I just hope that it will spark the creativity in me as well as fit the guitar part I already wrote when I was coming up with ideas for this week's challenge!</div>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61372992016-05-11T19:00:00-05:002016-05-12T12:01:03-05:00"Into the Grey" Voting and Lyrics
<p>Challenge #3 turned out excellent and was well received all around. Here's link to check out the video and vote to help me along in 105.5 Triple M's Songwriter Competition. Here are the lyrics as well!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.projectm.1055triplem.com/pages/12439796.php" target="_blank" data-imported="1">http://www.projectm.1055triplem.com/pages/12439796.php</a></p>
<address style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="text-decoration:underline">Into the Grey</span></strong></address>
<address style="text-align: left;"> </address>
<address style="text-align: left;">Cool taste of that misty morning numb</address>
<address style="text-align: left;">Carelessly she continues wandering on</address>
<address style="text-align: left;">Through the fog</address>
<address style="text-align: left;">Uncertainty the only constant in her life</address>
<address style="text-align: left;">Of black and white she walks between those lines</address>
<address style="text-align: left;">Stuck in time</address>
<address style="text-align: left;"> </address>
<address style="text-align: left;">Struggling to truly see the other side</address>
<address style="text-align: left;">So slowly she steps into the grey divide</address>
<address style="text-align: left;"> </address>
<address style="text-align: left;">Puzzling mystery is hers alone</address>
<address style="text-align: left;">Reluctantly she embraces the unknown</address>
<address style="text-align: left;">Down this road</address>
<address style="text-align: left;"> </address>
<address style="text-align: left;">Struggling to truly see the other side</address>
<address style="text-align: left;">So slowly she steps into the grey divide</address>
<address style="text-align: left;"> </address>
<address style="text-align: left;">(Solo)</address>
<address style="text-align: left;"> </address>
<address style="text-align: left;">Struggling to truly see the other side</address>
<address style="text-align: left;">So slowly she steps into the grey divide</address>
<address style="text-align: left;"> </address>
<address style="text-align: left;">Maybe someday she will see through the other side</address>
<address style="text-align: left;">Finally she’ll step away from the grey divide</address>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61372982016-05-06T19:00:00-05:002020-06-13T16:33:03-05:00Lady in Red - Challenge #3
<p>In this week's Project M challenge we all received the same picture of a woman in a red shirt walking away down a road that curves into the fog ahead. Here's what I had to say about this week's challenge, and don't forget to help me out and keep voting!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.projectm.1055triplem.com/pages/12439796.php" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank" data-imported="1">http://www.projectm.1055triplem.com/pages/12439796.php</a></p>
<div>Alright, so I'm feeling pretty good about the competition so far. My song "Bike Snob" went over well with both the judges and my fans which definitely helped. I think I'm now getting into the swing of things as I continue on. </div>
<div></div>
<div>The hardest part of all this for me is probably writing the lyrics. At least its the most time consuming thing and they need to really capture the essence of the song all around. I find myself to be more of a guitarist first and a lyricist second so I try to use it to my advantage by writing all of the music in a way that I think will best convey the feel and emotion of the song. I'll then try to find the right melody for the different parts of the song as well as a rhythmic meter for the lyrics to fit in. Throughout this process I'll brainstorm different words and phrases that help to really capture the full meaning between the melodies and lyrical content, and then I'll try and try again until the pieces seem to fit right which seems to be the most difficult part! </div>
<div></div>
<div>My song for this week has a tentative title of "Into the Gray" and I'm still working on the lyrics. As you know, we all got the same picture that we have to base our songs on. What I'm thinking so far is to use the woman walking away in the picture as the character and then use elements of the picture to compare to her journey forward through life from the moment she's stuck at in the picture. Things like overcoming uncertainty and embracing the unknown come to mind. I'm looking forward to finding the finished product as I write more and then to share it with everyone!</div>
<p> </p>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61372972016-05-03T19:00:00-05:002016-05-04T13:55:21-05:00Bike Snob Lyrics and Voting!
<p>You can vote on and watch the video of my week #2 challenge song "Bike Snob" for the Project M competition right now! Here's a copy of the lyrics for your enjoyment, and remember that you can vote as much as you like, get a good burn going on your left mouse clicker finger!</p>
<p><em class="_4-k1 img sp_fM-mz8spZ1b sx_7f72ac"><span style="text-decoration:underline"><a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.projectm.1055triplem.com%2Fpages%2F12439796.php&h=oAQETnQaaAQEpfghJCt8dV8OVARKg2DD95KAZwppnByHWcw&enc=AZMOHEafXzfq2AgEx-50dKhcskMtlwTi80ERaEkvqOVwnPGhNjC6axqDAv2Qb4YMNCei0vTCdPOQLF4AC7IjFaVvmf9UvEPlIzSUrWIcLRtGUmSy_yIQeyaGRfbK5wW-EBzmZuv2w1RKnv4A5Roe4yyDfivo07guN01JhY-O7XFTn8rC4VwblfuCjhcn0m7MeqIXu6pCS06VUoZxS0VkG4Mp&s=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" data-imported="1">http://www.projectm.1055triplem.com/pages/12439796.php</a></span></em></p>
<p>I’ve got speed<br>I always take the lead<br>Two wheels are all I need to be free<span class="text_exposed_show"><br>Pedaling my steed<br>These chasers cannot catch me<br>They’re just squirrely on their fixies<br>Ankles tattooed up with chain grease<br>See I know their shift is weak</span></p>
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<p>I’m always down at the L.B.S.<br>Where the techs and wrenches can tweak my set<br>I’m more pretentious than all the rest <br>With this yellow jersey and matching spandex</p>
<p>My ride is sweet<br>Best one on the street<br>Cost the entirety of my yearly salary but<br>I’ve never seen defeat<br>Sportives just ain’t for me<br>I’ve crushed Spain, France, and Italy<br>I’ve got mad technique and bomb leg physique cause<br>I’m a super cyclist freak</p>
<p>I’m always down at the L.B.S.<br>Where the techs and wrenches can tweak my set<br>I’m more pretentious than all the rest <br>With this yellow jersey and matching spandex</p>
<p>(break down)</p>
<p>I’m always down at the L.B.S.<br>Where the techs and wrenches can tweak my set<br>I’m more pretentious than all the rest <br>With this yellow jersey and matching spandex</p>
<p>I’m always down at the L.B.S.<br>That’s the local bike shop if you’re not hip enough for that reference yet<br>I’m more pretentious than all the rest <br>With this yellow jersey and matching spandex</p>
</div>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61372962016-04-30T19:00:00-05:002016-05-01T13:11:01-05:00Bike Snob
<p>So this week, my challenge was to write a song with the title of "Bike Snob". At first when I drew that slip I thought that I had the worst choice out of all the other titles that were drawn, but I just kinda dove right into writing and actually came out with something I'm pretty stoked about. I started with just the guitar part and tried to write something that was more up beat with a verse riff that reminded me of riding a bike. This song is definitely a stylistic detour from my first performance and the type of material I'm currently writing for a CD, however I chose a style that comes very naturally to me which I thought would help given that at first I was a little stumped with coming up with material. I started brainstorming on lyrics by looking up cyclist jargon online and sketching down more rhythmic/rhyming phrases which came together nicely with the guitar parts I wrote. All in all I'm pretty happy with the outcome of the song and am excited to share it with everyone on Monday!</p>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61372952016-04-27T19:00:00-05:002021-12-15T16:21:52-06:00Project M!
<p>I've been fortunate enough to make it to the top 8 in 105.5 Triple M's Project M songwriter competition which means I get to really compete and write new songs! I'll need your help each week to vote for me to help me continue on... Here's some info on the voting and the competition:</p>
<p>Please go to:<br><br><a href="http://www.projectm.1055triplem.com/pages/12439796.php" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank" data-imported="1">http://www.projectm.1055triplem.com/pages/12439796.php</a><br><br>Just click my name and click the vote button, you can vote as many times as you like! </p>
<p>Each week we have a new song writing challenge to complete, which pretty much means writing a new song. Each performance challenge is on almost every Monday in May at Funk's Pub (2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd) and the finalist performance is at the High Noon Saloon on the 26th. The first challenge was to perform one of our best choices for an opening song, I chose my song "All I Wanted" and you can watch the video via the voting link as well (turned out great!). Now, at the beginning of the show at each week's new challenge performance someone will get eliminated. Next week's challenge is that we each had to write a song based on their sponsor Just Coffee's flavors... I got "Bike Snob"... I'm currently working hard to kick this one's ass so I can move one. I'll keep this updated each week with the new challenges, and of course will cancel it if I get eliminated... which hopefully with your help won't happen!<br>Thank you all for your support! :D</p>
<p>I also have to write a blog for Triple M each week as a contestant. I'll be sharing those as I continue on as well... Here's my first one:</p>
<p>Hi, I'm J. Marsden and I've been very actively playing guitar, singing, and writing music over the last 15 years of my life. I've played all types of musical genres throughout my career, however now my solo songs are more in the vein of Alt. Rock ballads with a spacey country western swagger to them. I've played a couple hundred shows with various bands, but have recently been branching out as a singer songwriter over the past year and am grateful to be a part of Project M this year! I'm really looking forward to the songwriting challenges so I can push myself to be creative in a new way, and I'm also excited to see the creativity of the other contestants! I'll be performing a personal and fan favorite song of mine at for the first challenge. I feel this song best represents where I am and where I'm going with my solo songwriting career. I look forward to seeing everyone on Monday</p>
Marsdentag:marsdenmusic.com,2005:Post/61372942016-04-05T19:00:00-05:002020-09-24T00:54:49-05:00Welcome!
<p>Welcome to my brand new website! Kick off your shoes and take a look around. More great content coming soon!</p>
Marsden