"Batting 1000," is a phrase that we've been saying this last week on this tour.
The theme has been "just say yes."
On our second day we hit up San Francisco and Alex led the way to this beautiful lookout on the coast called Devil's Slide. We were going to take our instruments out to play on the cliff when a man in a Prius pulled up and asked what we were up to. "Are you shooting a music video?" he asked. 
"Yes," was the reply that came from Bruce. 
So we did with the 4k camera and professional grade tripod that Mikey just happened to have with him. It was a beautiful moment of communion on the cliff.

It wasn't a surprise that the hostel we were staying at that evening happened to have a stage and we found ourselves giving an impromptu concert that was well received to the people lounging in the common area. The trip continued to unfold with busking, birthday libations in Yuba City, jamming in a moving van on the way to LA, and day after day of magical musical meanderings. Every day continued the unfolding as each person familiar or new brought their own flavor to the ways to say yes.


The road called and we answered but the truth is without the support of the people that we know and have met along the way, this musical adventure would not be possible. We're halfway through our Busk or Bust tour but it's made a permanent impression on our hearts. A couple more days in Phoenix and we'll be on our way back to the Northwest to arrive with our stories and the knowledge that when you make the space for it in your life it becomes easier to surrender to the serendipity that comes.



 

With hard work, meditation, blood, sweat, and a few naps the new EP is in our hands and ready for us to take down the coast as we embark on the Busk or Bust tour early on Tuesday morning. 

If you want a sample of the acoustic version of these songs and the engineering genius of Chase Baldwin you can listen to the first track on our website. If you want to hear the whole thing you'll have to come find us at a show and buy it. 

To understand how this all came together.
1. We recorded all five tracks live while Chase played the bass from the engineering chair. 
2. These songs were recorded nearly in full within two days. 
3. There was another weekend of cleaning up sound and then the mixer broke.
4. The mixer was repaired just in time for the team (mostly Chase) to finish up the mixes and get the tracks ready to press into a CD.

So give us three weeks and we'll give you an album... and a tour!

Look out California, here we come. 

Order rubber stamp for CD sleeves, check.
Chart out two dozen cover songs, check.
Make sure T-shirt order is on schedule for the group's November 3rd tour kick-off, check.
Update website, in progress...



The anticipation builds as next Tuesday approaches and the engine fires on all cylinders.
I'm Alex, writing to you about Geli, who is designing labels for the CD that Chase is mixing so that we can have some music to share on our fast-approaching tour, which Bruce is booking and promoting like a madman.
The days are blazing by and we couldn't be happier.
This time next week the group will be street performing in San Francisco, singing songs for passerby on Haight street, hopefully warmed by some California sun. We can't wait to hit the road--not only to share our new songs and gain some new experience, but also to experience the camaraderie that can only come from 12 days packed into a van with our gear and whatever smells may be the result of the sporadic showers that accompany our state of perpetual motion.

Keep your ears open for new music, which we'll be posting shortly, and your eyes peeled for the slew of photos and blog entries that we'll be sharing with you so that you can join us for what is sure to be a wild ride.

 

The gang just spent the last weekend live tracking, sweating in a booth, and smelling each other's farts. (Thanks, Qdoba)
However, the end result is five new tracks that are ready to be mixed and then pressed into a CD for the upcoming tour this November. 
While you may be hungry and want a sample of the new tracks, you're just going to have to be satisfied with a picture of Chase in the Captain's chair for the time being.
But wait, there's more!
We've also been hard at work practicing some Frank Sinatra cover tunes. Alex worked out arrangements for the four piece and we're going to be taking those songs to the Pike Place Market benefit called Behind the Table. All proceeds will be contributed directly to the Market Community Safety net that provides financial assistance to anyone working or living in Pike Place Market during a time of great need. It's been such a privilege getting to know the community of people that surround the Market. So dust off your formal wear and come join us for an unforgettable evening of art, auction, and abundance.


 

The crew is about to embark on a new adventure down the West Coast that includes stops in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix as well as all the places in between. Stay tuned as The Road hits the road with the start of their new EP release.