05/21/2021
Had a great small part in helping create this wonderful art! Check out this remarkable band!!
WARNING: Long post alert.
The day has finally come! After almost 7 years of no new recorded material, we present to you Adirondack, our first new recording since 2014. Words canāt describe how surreal it is to get to this point. We had to overcome a lot to keep things moving and to get us in a position where things were healthy again, even in the midst of a deadly global pandemic.
To those on the outside, itās just a release of a 3 song EP, and I get it. Thereās nothing about our situation that is anymore unique than what other bands go through, and weāre accustomed to certain types of release cycles, so to portray us as being any different is silly. To us, however, itās more than that. It really is a testament to how far weāve come and the work it took to get to this moment. All three of us (JT, Cody, and Tim) are in a completely different mindset compared to when we released Value To Survival. Weāve grown. Weāve matured. Weāre as wise as people can be with the situations that were thrown in our direction (within the band and in our personal lives).
In a way, things were to work out like this. Would it have been preferred to release new music much sooner? Of course! Who doesnāt want that? However, if there are reoccurring themes that have popped up throughout our existence, itās that things happen for a reason and patience is virtue. I personally donāt know what a Speak, Memory release in 2015/2016 wouldāve looked like nor sounded like. These three new songs show our growth as musicians and our ideas being fully realized. To quote David Levithan, āThe older you get, the wiser you are.ā
None of this wouldāve been possible without the help of the people behind the scenes. Without their help, kindness and wisdom, Adirondack wouldnāt have been. I want to give these people their flowers, especially after a horrific period where the importance of letting people know how much they mean to you couldnāt be anymore apparent:
Chris at Clerestory AV. When we first started having serious discussions about recording, I knew I wanted to connect with a local label that could help us out in many ways that would be hard to accomplish by ourselves. Clerestory AV had been on my radar for a couple of years, having released recordings from our friends around town as well as putting out stellar new music from Ester Drang. I reached out to Chris to see if he had anything going on at the label that we could be part of. Little did I know that he would be an important part of Adirondack outside of releasing it on the label. He did the art, he came up with the postcards, and he took a chance and decided to release the ep on vinyl, as well. We have the utmost respect for Chris in ways that are hard to convey through text. Without him, Iām not sure if weād be able to present Adirondack in a way that we are able to. Support Clerestory AV and buy their records! Quality stuff from a quality guy that Iām glad to call a friend.
Steve Boaz at Breathing Rhythm Studio. We connected with Steve when he reached out to us back in 2018 to be part of his Iron & Oxide series. It was such a great experience that when we were making a list of who weād like to record with, Steve was at the top of the list. Things we wanted to experiment with were made possible by his willingness to let us give it a try. If it doesnāt work, then it doesnāt work. If it does, letās keep it. Steve let us do what we wanted, which as artists is vital to expand the scope of our sound. We couldnāt ask for a more easy going experience filled with Pizza Shuttle, Mortal Kombat II, and good brews from 405 Brewing Co.. We also couldnāt ask for a better friend in the end.
Bartees Strange. We went the untraditional route of not having planned who would do what, so we took it day by day, essentially. Iām sure anyone who has heard/read interviews with us recently know that Bartees used to play bass in the band a long time ago during the Tandaradei days. While he was only in it for a short time, his involvement set the foundation for what to expect from the low end. Bartees kept in touch throughout the years, and when we were recording, he wanted to listen to the rough mixes just to see what we cooked up. He ultimately asked if he could mix the songs, which we figured āLetās do this!ā We were floored at the results for one of the first tracks he did, and we soon had him on board to mix the other two. Little did we know that we just had everyoneās new favorite musical artist mix our songs. Bartees: I know Iāve had my grumpy moments throughout the years, but you always stood by me. If thatās not friendship, I donāt know what is. Thank you for always supporting us and for expressing interest in mixing the ep. Iām glad we could find a way to get you involved to some capacity. Hopefully we can make it happen again in the future. Very happy for your success and for remaining true to yourself!
Adam C Mastering. When we were looking for someone to master the recording, there were multiple people who told me to hit up Adam, and honestly thereās a reason for that. Not only is his work solid, but Adam is just the nicest/warmest person anyone could talk to. And heās very communicative, always checking in and very knowledgeable. While I donāt know if mastering will be a thing Iāll be doing in the near future, the things I learned throughout the process from him really opened my eyes on the process. Adamās a great rounded individual who deserves all the praise said about him. We look forward to working with him again in the future!
Jamie at No Earbuds. We didnāt have a PR person involved with this release, though we were interested in working with Jamie when we realized the importance of having a PR person and heard nothing but wonderful things about her. Unfortunately, it was just horrible timing when we connected, so we didnāt get to work with her this time around. Despite that, she was still willing to give me advice and willing to show me the ropes when contacting different outlets. It opened my eyes to how the process works and allowed me to connect with different people during this journey. It also gave me an inside look at just what PR people go through. It isnāt easy, but the drive and determination to have an artist heard is of most importance. Jamie is great at what she does and does amazing things for the people she works with. Real glad we connected.
Madi Rae. I donāt recall when I first came across Madiās work, but whenever I did, I was a fan from day 1. I enjoyed the aesthetics and thought āThis would be amazing for Speak, Memory.ā Fast forward to making a Facebook post asking for photographer recommendations for band promos, and a friend tags Madi. We linked up from there. It was a long journey from the initial contact to shooting day (thanks, covid!), but we made it happen, and the end results were fantastic! Madiās great at what she does and we thank her for making the promo pics outstanding!
David at Muted Imagery. David and the band have known each other since we played a show with his band (Objects In Space) back in ā17. Iāve always admired David for his positive energy and being one of the nicest people anyone could come across in the scene here in Oklahoma. When David made a post about wanting to do music videos for bands, I knew I had to hit him up. We linked up prior to the pandemic and I discussed the overall theme of the project and what I was wanting to aim for with a video for āTrailsā. It took a minute (again, thanks, covid!), but when we did it, it was unforgettable! When the final product came out, we were floored. Everything we had hoped for came to fruition. And you know you made an effective video when people tell you their interpretation of what the video meant to them. Just really investing their time and energy on a great piece of art. David, thank you for your kindness and your ability to create beautiful pieces of art for the world to see. It means a lot!
To everyone else (literally too many more to name): anyone who have been with us since day 1 to those who just recently discovered us, we wouldnāt be here without your encouragement, your kind words, and your never-ending support. Itās people like you that help us to keep pushing forward, and we canāt convey more through text how much that means to us. You all have a special place in our hearts.
So what now? Whatever the future holds after this, all we know is it looks very, very bright, and we look forward to whatever the universe has in store for us!
Love,
Tim
