Open Skies Exploding ~ Final Release
Salutations! ~ How have you been? Happy February 2017! Happy birthday to Mark, Heidi, and Jeremy! Much love to you. I’ve been sick and in and out of bed for the past week. I rarely get sick but it seems my immune system wanted to grow a bit and take on some new interlopers. I feel better today, so I think we’ve won the end game and perhaps acquired some new defensive experience for future assaults. I job well done to my immune system – gold stars and free drinks all around!
This past week I recorded more amazing vocals from Simon Godfrey for the new Valdez album. The process is chugging along smoothly. Simon is singing the hell out of the songs and really making them come to life in a lyrical/emotional sense. It’s a pleasure working with such a talented guy. He truly makes the process of cutting vocals a joy, which reminds me why I’ve always loved the entire process of making music. Just when I sometimes feel jaded, I get to be bowled over by people like Simon (and folks I’ll mention below) to once again experience raw talent generating real music.
I was laid up the rest of the week, though I did get to be part of a protest march (that’s another story), but I feel better today and wanted to post an update.
Today is the final installment for my album – Open Skies Exploding. As mentioned in previous releases, I’ve been letting the deterministic universe prompt my decisions for these new songs. From a collection of twenty-plus songs, I’ve landed on nine that I want to release to worship the monument in which they were conceived. Last week I was thinking ten songs… but now, this last song (and accompanying video) feels like the last measure for the emotions that brought them to light. The rest of the songs will come in their own time, but as of right now I feel the intent of the nine songs put forth is complete – or at least resigned.
The last track for this series – by unplanned motivation – is called “Light of Things". It’s a good one folks. I hope you agree. The 1-2 punch of Jeremy Beck and Big Des elevated the recording you hear. Jeremy plays the perfect piano accompaniment. He added a truly unique color to this song with his piano work, as well as some powerful backing vocals that are transparent and sublime. You’ll get to finally see him in the video for this song. Big Des (aka Francis Dunnery) is in the video as well. Des only knows how to do one thing on the drums… and it is brilliantly executed in this song. He listened to the song once then sat behind the kit and played what you hear in this recording – pure intuition and instinct. There is nothing overwrought in this recording. It is simple and fitting for my words and melody. I hope you find something in them; I know I have.
The video is very powerful for me and would not be so without my friend Bill Schwartz and his multifaceted talents. I am not being hyperbolic when I say this. Bill shared his time and creativity to help visualize my song. I am in debt to him and in awe of his dogged determination to learn and create something aesthetically beautiful. Thank you Bill, thank you Jeremy and Francis, without you my song and this video would be less.
Onward
Brett William Kull ~ 4 February, 2017
