Hella Stella

Dears. Some good news.

I've got an idea for my next album percolating in the back of my brain. Realistically, it will be at least two or three years before I can put it into motion, but I swear it will come sooner if I win the lottery.

I learned a lot from releasing my last record. I'm thankful that I didn't get hit with any particularly gruelling lessons; after all, I had released albums before and had already worked out the major kinks. I'd say my biggest problem with this last CD was the cost, since it was self-financed and as professional as I could make it without resorting to a diet of rice and lentils. It was my choice to go with the best manufacturing, mastering, recording and advertising that I could manage, and I'm still paying that off. Not to mention a costly CD release, which eventually paid for itself, THANK GOD, because otherwise I'd be in deep shit.

At the same time, I don't regret it. The album took off without me having to lift a finger, and I'm hoping that's because the product was solid. I'm glad I made the effort at the start so that I could relax a little more later on. Relax, burn out, whatever.

Next time will be different, I imagine. I'll be applying for grants, although I'm not holding my breath considering how many talented people compete for those things. I'll be doing all my pre-production at home, and hopefully my studio time will be spent laying down tracks I've already figured out months in advance (I can see myself laughing at this sentence later on). Manufacturing will be tough, because I actually don't like to cut corners on the quality of the CD, digipack, pictures etc. So that has yet to be determined.

And I'd like to make a music video for the next album too. Ouch.

It's okay though. I've got a couple of years to think it through. But for the first time in a while, I can see the album in my mind. It's a nice feeling. Or, it doesn't feel like panic... Yet.

OH!

I have made a shitty video for y'all about how I write songs. Not that I set out to make the video shitty, it's just that I recorded it on my digital camera at 12:30 am last night in my pajamas. Quietly. Because everyone else was asleep. And I may have uttered the phrase "pulled it out of my ass" while gesturing wildly at nothing in particular.

Anyway. It will be posted here as soon as I have a chance to upload the dang thing. Promise.