Seume

What can I say? I’ve been away.

Here’s some new stuff to say I’m sorry …

VIDEO: “Leavin” produced by Daniel Myers. I hope you enjoy it. Rainer and The Wookie (my van) both make cameos.

TRACK: A little hip-hop collabo with Dutch group, L4.

I met up with their producer and mc, DNA, one night when I was in Holland over Christmas in ‘09 and we worked on this track the following day. A year or so later, L4 released it into the wild. DNA, aka Arturo, is a friend of mine from my high school years over there, and I’m real proud of what he’s accomplished in music. Check out a couple of their music vids sometime. Here’s my fave.

Over the last few months in Austin, I’ve been working as a luthier apprentice at Collings Guitars. I started out making the bridges and pickguards, and am now setting necks into bodies. These guitars — acoustic and electric as well as mandolins and ukeleles — are truly top-of-the-line works of art/craftsmanship… so it’s been real nice having a hand it that. Couldn’t have asked for a better job to get off the ground here.

Same can be said for where I’ve been staying, just south of the city and walking distance from the creek greenbelt, Barton Springs and Zilker Park (home of Austin City Limits Fest). The room I’m renting is in a great old house (with a nice big backyard for Rainer) with a few other cool 20-somethings. Nice wood and tile floors, stonework, and dozens of mirrors (including fully mirrored kitchen cabinets/cupboards… a mirror maze, if you will) have provided a great background aesthetic for the fun times and fires we’ve had in just a few short months. And DJG’s art hanging up all over the place. Got these two in the corner by the sliding door.

Austin has been very good to me.

But I’ve decided to pick up and move again.

In a couple weeks, I’ll be headed to Kansas City to visit friends and then will be caravanning out west with a few others to start an intentional, off-grid community. We’re all excited and envigorated by the prospects and looking forward to beginning that type of life.

What this means for my music is that I’m working to have more freedom to write, play and record. One of the lessons I’ve learned in Austin is that living in/around nature is good for my well-being and creativity. So, I guess that theory will be tested by what I release next. The pressure’s on now!

Here are the lyrics for one I’ve been working on:

You’re taking all my precious time
And leaving me with nothing I can shine
A lease on life will pay my way
Robbed blind by an eye in the interest of another day

This is what it’s coming to

It’s the same thing everyday
A ball and chain gang we live in society
When paper money from a tree
Ain’t much more than the sawdust it used to be

This is what it’s coming to

And I say that it’s not gonna be easy
And you know that it’s never gonna be
But I can’t shake my love for the rush or the feeling
Before I go so low and get high and mighty free

—

It’s Saturday. Time to go play.

Soundtrack for the Day: Into The Wild!

peace to you.

As I’ve been looking for work in Austin, I’ve had some extra time on my hands. So I’ve been taking my dog on some long treks through the Barton Creek greenbelt, doing some reading (“Winter’s Bone” by Daniel Woodrell — GREAT book), doing some writing (new songs a-brewin’), and wasting plenty of time thinking about doing stuff. As per.

I also managed to squeeze in some time to update my MUSIC page to make it a lot more accessible and convenient and nice. Now, you can not only fully stream each song from It Is What It Is, but also see the lyrics and download the album or any individual track — for free!  Enter “0″ in the name-your-price field and you’re good to go.

So come and get it! If you download the whole album, it comes with a .pdf of the album insert with all the credits and thank you’s and all that. And of course the album cover for your iTunes, etc.

I’ll probably leave everything free like this through Christmas time, so if you already got it and know someone else who’d want it, you can enter their email address and they’ll get a message giving them the option to follow through with the download. Win/win, my friends. The new MUSIC page also makes it really easy to Share (and Like) this deal through Facebook, Twitter, Myspace (you still on that?!), and email. And doing that type of thing helps more than you may think. So please consider making those couple extra clicks if you feel so inclined.

‘Tis the season to give, after all.

I leave you with an illustration that inspired the title for this post. It’s one of many done by my very giving friend, DJG, for an upcoming book by Chad Thomas Johnston called, “The Stained Glass Kaleidoscope”. Look for its release in the coming months…

The animated gem for “Will Ya Be My Friend” has been receiving heaps of praise and now has a trophy for the shelf!

The folks at the KC Chapter of the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) gave it an award for their annual Motion Graphics category. All the credit goes to DJG and PJC — the creative geniuses working under the moniker Mur Mur Man Productions — who let their imaginations run wild (as per) and worked for over a year on it collectively. I just uploaded DJG’s process art for the video to Flickr, so stop by there to get an idea of how it was made! It involved lots of collages, a giant scroll, and unrestrained wonderment. Congrats and another big thanks to both artists for bringing the song to life on screen!

If you haven’t seen it yet, just click on the VIDEO header and see why it’s been called

“one of the coolest things you’ll see all year”! – Present Magazine

Also on the video front, the footage we shot for “Leavin” is being edited down as we speak, so we’ll be premiering that real soon. And I got photos from that shoot on Flickr… behind the scenes! Click the photo below to see the rest.

I’ll be making a half-naked cameo appearance in an ACB’s video in the coming weeks, too. So be on the look out for THAT! And in the meantime, go download their debut single “Be Professional” from their upcoming full length Stona Rosa. It’s free, and you’ll love it, I think.

Single artwork by… none other than… DJG.

Leavin is the word.

1. I’m hoping to shoot a music video for this track one week from today.  Weather and other conditions permitting…  But if it’s meant to happen, it’ll be great.

Listen to “Leavin” and any/all other tracks from It Is What It Is on the MEDIA page.

Dig it?  Download it below.

Entering your email address signs you up to get updates about stuff like this, shows, etc. moving forward.  I’ve been an absolute bum about sending these emails out to subscribers thus far… my apologies friends.  But at least you can know you won’t be getting a bunch of spam from me all the time, riiiight?  CHECK OUT MY NEW MIXTAPE, SON SON!

2. I’m likely heading out of KC in a couple weeks.  Might not be back for a while… who knows?  I’ll be playing a set at the Gusto Lounge off Broadway + 39th this Tuesday 9:30-10:30.  The bar’s got a chill living room feel with lots of Shlitz decor, so I’m lookin forward to the coziness.  See you there or somewhere else down the road, I hope.

“Judging from this teaser, this video may be one of the coolest things you’ll see all year.” – Present Magazine

“It’s gorgeous” — The Pitch

In anticipation of the music video premiere for “Will Ya Be My Friend”, I’m dubbing this month FRIENDuary! With Valentine’s day, it’s already a month of love… And since I’m a wolf pack of one and don’t have anyone to buy a box of chocolates, I want to give you a special package instead!

All month long, you can download my entire album for just $2! Yes, I typed it. A dollar sign with a numeral two after it. AND, with the high-quality mp3’s, you’ll get the album cover image for your iTunes library or wherever else you’re storing your musica. Easy like Sunday morning… Just click the image below! [Update: No longer available]

Or, ain’t got a penny to spend? Download the “Will Ya Be My Friend” single for FREE below. You’ll have the option to get updates and specials from me moving forward, and you’ll be the first to get a heads up when the video premiers! And I’m telling you… the final product is incredible. Mur Mur Man Productions — the creative team of DJG and PJC — put together something really imaginative, unique and engaging. I couldn’t be more thrilled with it or more excited to share it with you next month!

You can help spread the love by clicking the “share” option in the widget. Easily give your friends on Facebook, or Twitter, or Myspace (etc.) the heads up on a free track, so they too can get into the FRIENDuary spirit!

For you KC folk, we’ll be premiering the “Will Ya Be My Friend” music video at The Brick on Friday, March 12. I’ll be playing a set after the premier, and am getting some other talented friends on the bill, too. It’s gonna be a good night here at home before I hit the road for SXSW!

Hope you had great holidaze and that 2010’s off to a good jump. Can’t believe it’s already FRIENDuary… I’ve got lots new stuff coming your way (even before the vid premier!) so keep your ears back and your eyes peeled. If you haven’t heard the album, or heard just a few tracks, the whole thing’s streaming below. And for just $2, it’d be my pleasure to hook you up with a copy!

Thanks for your support!

-Seume