Unreleased Contentical Extras

Well, here we are my precious Egglets. At the end of February, can you believe, and you are long overdue an electronic epistle!

For those of you who are just here for the EL;IFTSJBUMC! (Excessively Long; I Failed To Scrutinise, Just Bestow Upon Me Content!) - here are two extra giblets I’ve generated recently….

1. An unrecorded, unreleased episode of our BBC Radio Show (currently gracing the airwaves every Sunday at 7.30pm Miami time). Adrian and I threw a HUGE amount of ideas around for this series, and it eventually took the shape it took. But we’re both easily bored by sameness and we entertained the idea of a more farcical episode. It turns out writing for radio, especially farce, is a challenge. You have to spell out so much exposition through dialogue and it ends up feeling clunky, and in this case relied on a little too much imaginitive work for the listener. We weren’t sure that even Bronchman Emu’s potent foley skills could help narrate the chaotic action clearly. We also, reluctantly, weren’t convinced that the suggestion of defecating on members of the Royal Family (whilst Objectively Funny) was going to go down well with either the BBC or their audience, so we put it on hold. Anyway, there are some fun lines in there amidst the chaos.

2. The FIRST mix I’ve ever done of a live recording. A performance of Money, recorded at Clapham Grand in November. I was unable to bring myself to look at these recordings whilst away, as we’ve been stung by so many disappointments and frustrations with Pleasure Garden recordings in the past. Hunter has, for previous gigs, come and recorded some amazing footage that has turned out to be unusable because the Sound Guy forgot to press record, etc. However, praise be, the recording is of excellent quality, and I think you’ll agree, this live mix has turned out pleasingly Crispy! Mixing live is a different skillset, and was an interesting challenge for me. As usual, I am incredibly grateful to the 16 year olds on YouTube who inexplicably have the knowledge of a sound engineer with 35 years experience, and make beautifully presented tutorial essays on the pros and cons of various live mixing methods. In this situation, as opposed to for a studio recording, it’s much more about trying to capture the vibe that was present in the room. There’s lots of bleed between mics, there’s a few wonky vocal moments here and there, and that’s all part of the joy. I’m pleased with the product! I’m going to edit a few of these, and Hunter’s going to put some videos together, to help promote the new live shows (more below). But enjoy this in the meantime.

Generalised Updatory Musings:

I took a few weeks off in January, to holiday and travel through Vietnam on the way home from a whirlwind of a tour through Australia in December. The shows there were - as they always are when I’m doing the technicals myself - a chaotic hellscape of absolute bliss. EWIs dying mid-solo, locally-borrowed MIDI keyboards re-assigning all of my MIDI triggers mid-show, and - in one case in Melbourne - being inexplicably transposed 5 semitones up and reluctant to come back down (the keyboard, not me). I don’t think I’ve had to fill onstage whilst attempting to troubleshoot gear problems for quite so long in my life. I feel so lucky! It was joyous carnage and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I want to thank everyone in Australia for coming out, and bringing such immense energy to the proceedings. To go to the other side of the world and be greeted by sold out rooms and people veritably screaming back My Brothe is a dream of any songsmith. Also, sorry for not doing a shoey. And a thousand thanks, as always, must go to my perennially dedicated lover Venetia Sprinkles, who administrated the merchandise, helped me lug gear around, and bestowed upon me her company over the finest pre-show local ales.

I’ve benefitted so much from having some proper time off. I achieved the coveted Brainmelt State quite a few times whilst away, in which my mind is so relaxed that I accidentally generate lots of very fun ideas (rather than sitting down of an evening in my favourite local pub to enforce their generation, as is my wont). And I’ve come back with some thoroughly restored energy to face the Big Moves approaching this year.

First up, it’s going to big year for live shows. A three week run in London’s Soho Theatre ahead of a full month at Edinburgh Fringe (which is most likely going to be financially ruinous - for context, the break-even point sits at about 80% sold out in a frankly humungous room of 300 seats), but incredibly fun and creatively fulfilling. Since the birth of this project I’ve dreamed of doing a fully-written show with a band, and it looks like it’s finally going to happen! The first draft is finished, Hunter is generating some beautiful visual assets as we speak, I’m investing in better equipment for the band to make life easier and more fun for them. I’m feeling genuine, extreme excitement about it.

There are gastric butterflies too, of course. But the main sensation I feel this year (I have just entered my 30th) is that I know the things I want to do, and I know (with the help of teenagers on Youtube) how to do them. I’m so grateful to now be earning enough from the various money steams for this project to pay the people who help me with it decently. In 2023, Jazz Emu Incorporated earned enough to pay Hunter his (admittedly heavily discounted) day rate! The band shows all sold well enough to pay the musicians and technicians a relatively sturdy (by paltry industry standards) fee! What more can an Emu ask for. This was in a HUGE part down to your donations on here, so as always I must express my genuine gratitude. You are helping Magic to Happen, High Art to be Made, and Talented People to be Paid Fairly. In this economy, that is priceless. And in a year where I am very much in a Spend Money To Make Money Mindset, it is more essential to me than ever.

What else is on the way? We’re shooting a full music video for Money in a couple of weeks, with some very talented actors. I’ve written a song in a new style that I absolutely love and for which I am animator-hunting. It’s about love and hope and a goopy little alien. Hunter and I have filmed a bunch new vertical short songs to keep the algorithm sated, and hopefully pull in some more audience ahead of our Cavernous Live Show rooms. I’ve mentioned before that I’d slightly hit a wall with these as they’re so exhausting to make alone in my bedroom. But filming with Hunter is always extremely collaborative and fun and the Arduous Work is alleviated by discussions of his current obsession with the new Zelda game (he hides in the toilet at work to play it).

More generally, I have the seeds of a new album cooking. On reflection, the last album was the first time I was really pushed to finished an album for a deadline (before going away) and I think the project suffered a little. I had a coherent concept for the album that ALMOST comes through, but doesn’t quite land the way I hoped. But, still, I was really pleased with the latest album, I think it has some of my best-written songs on it from a purely Songwriterly perspective, which was a big aim for me with it. And now, onwards to greater, more Tonally Consistent things! And as you know, it’s an album a year for at least the next 200.

I love you all very warmly, soft-boiled ovulates of my heart.

JE xxx