drew kennedy,

…from the parched earth of New Braunfels.

We seem to be under some sort of bubble here, which pushes approaching storms to destinations unknown.

I guess that’s not entirely true. If the aforementioned storms share their watery goodness with the land everywhere but here, then I guess we know their destination.

All in all, the only positive is that I haven’t had to mow my lawn in weeks. That being said, I’d rather be cutting it twice a week, but sometimes you have to find the positive in a situation where there seemingly is none.

I’ve been listening to a lot of solid new music these days, and reading some good books as well. I have a busy July ahead of me, so it looks like I’ll be doing more listening than I will reading, as I traverse the highways of this enormous state, but that’s ok. I’m almost finished with the new David Sedaris book that I picked up in the Philadelphia airport a few short weeks ago. It’s fantastic.

That’s all the news that I have to report. I’ll see you at a show.

dk

For a lot of artists, the fun in regards to creating an album ends when they finally hear the finished product.

That fun picks up again when the release date rolls around, and an artist finally gets to share his blood, sweat, and recorded tears with the rest of the world.

In my case, however, the fun has only started.

We’re in the process of getting our ducks in a row– lining up talented people with all sorts of different musical backgrounds to begin doing what they do best: making sure the music can be heard by everyone with an open ear. This includes people who line up press interviews, artists to create album artwork, radio professionals who get singles out to stations, and a whole host of other things. They’re all good at what they do, and I’ve been having a good time getting the ball rolling. We’re still quite a distance away from release day, but I can see it out there on the horizon. I have to squint a little, and block the sun a bit (no easy task in south Texas), but nonetheless, I’m just starting to be able to make it out.

This is a big deal for me. In my opinion, An Audio Guide To Cross Country Travel will be a huge step. It’s chock full of songs that I’m proud of, and it sounds like a dream. It’s hard to reign in my enthusiasm– I almost wish it were coming out tomorrow– PR be damned– just so all of you can hear it– but I know that what we have to do takes time. We’re going to make sure we do it right.

Still, I wake up every morning feeling like a kid about ready to go open his presents on Christmas Day.

I also go to sleep as if it were Christmas Eve, so if you were anything like I was as a kid, you know that going to sleep is the hard part.

In other news, Rodney Hayden and I had a great string of shows last week. We did a lot of driving (DFW to San Antonio to DFW), but it was worth it. Thanks to everyone that came out to Overtime, Billy D’s, and The All Good Cafe. It really is a blessing to get to share music, night after night, with an artist as talented as Rodney. I hope you all have been enjoying it as much as I have.

We’ve got a slow week on our hands, but that’s ok. The aforementioned record stuff is taking up a lot of time, and I’m happy that I get to focus on the task that lies ahead.

On a side note, I’ve been taking a bunch of pictures on the road– none of which really have anything to do with music– just shots from the ol’ iphone of things that look interesting to me. Check them out if you’re bored.

dk

Hey there.

I’ve been patiently awaiting the delivery (albeit a digital delivery) of the mastered version of Audio Guide for my review. Admittedly, patience and I know very little about each other, so we’ve been taking some time this morning to get formal introductions out of the way.

Who am I kidding, I’ve been so anxious to get my ears on this thing that I stretched out my run this morning an extra couple of miles in the hopes that it’d curb my impatience. It didn’t work, but that’s ok. Part of my goal behind this new site is to keep you guys in the loop about the recording process, from studio to release, and I guess my anxiety is as big a part as the rest of it. With the help of compadre Matt Powell, and studio wizard Britton Beisenherz, we were able to pull in some top notch players and put together what I believe to be a really remarkable album. Now that we’re about to reach the final step in the physical recording process– the completion of the master– it’s almost time for us to start looking toward the next step: marketing.

I know much more about music than I do marketing, so some of it will be out of my hands, to say the least. While letting go of something so important to you is a little nerve wracking, it is a necessity. We’ve got some really cool ideas in the works already, and I’ll be back to share them with you when we get a little closer to rolling them out to the launching pad. What I can tell you is that I’m excited. Really excited. More excited than I’ve been about anything in my musical career. I think those of you that have been tuned into me and my music can probably tell. I’ve never been too adept at hiding my excitement about things. Especially this thing, so I’m not even going to try.

Speaking of studio work, Josh Grider played some of his new album for me recently, and I have to say it’s utterly incredible. Josh and I have always stayed pretty close when it comes to our musical adventures, and for some reason, our steps have always seemed to fall in line when it has come to pushing our careers forward. I’m really going to enjoy watching this next album push Josh in the right direction– a record as solid as his will only help to put him head and shoulders above a lot of our musical competition out there. That should come as no surprise to anyone– he’s really one of the best things going out there.

In other news, Rodney Hayden and I continue to push The New American Voices tour into places relatively unknown for us. We’ll be heading off for shows in Germany and Italy soon, as well as a show at the Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe in Galveston on July 31st, the day before we wing our way over the pond. I’ve been wanting to get into a room as venerable as that for a long time, and I’m excited that it’s on the horizon. Touring with Rodney has been nothing short of a superb experience. I think our music is very complimentary on stage.

Well, back to pacing. It shouldn’t be long now!

dk

Hello there! I’m about to hit the road, bound for Oklahoma. Playing one of my favorite places tonight– The Wormy Dog Saloon. Rodney and I get to turn it right around tomorrow morning and head home. Not ideal routing, but it happens. I haven’t been to OKC for quite some time, so I’m looking forward to it.

Mississippi was an absolute blast. We shared a bill with The Josh Grider Trio and a really cool local bluegrassy band named The Dixie National. Our hosts, the McGuffie Family, who throw a”Pickin’ in the Pasture” party every year on their farm, know how to put together a great party. They also know how to make road weary musicians feel wanted and welcome, which is one of my favorite qualities in people (for obvious reasons).  I look forward to seeing them each chance I get. You don’t meet people that incredible very often, and I’m glad that I’ve become their friend.

Speaking of Josh, I got to listen to some of the rough mixes of his new album, and I’m happy to report that it’s top notch. It’s beyond top notch. It’s really really great, and I’m envious of his talent. I’ve got a record all ready to go, too, and I can’t wait for all of you to hear it. It’s a big step for me, I think. I have a good feeling about this one.

Just in case you haven’t noticed, I enjoy taking pictures with my less than excellent iphone camera and posting them on the site– it’s my little way of giving you a glimpse into life on the road. Check them out if you have time.

Headed north,

dk