shayferjames

LIVE STREAM TOMORROW NIGHT!

8:30pm EST!

Song Of The Month: "Happy There Were Horses" New Demo

Excited to share a re-imagining of this song I originally wrote for the "March of Crows" project.  It's quite different from the original demo.  I'm not certain when/how it will be officially produced or released, but I think ya'll will love this version of it.   Fun fact: the new string arrangement during the bridge briefly references the legendary "Dies Irae" which translates to "Day of Wrath."   Enjoy!

I fell in love at  parade
On the day of de...

Affirdamnation #57

Hey. You There.

Every moment you spend being patient and supportive of others
Is a moment invested in yourself
It will always be worth it

Also. You look fucking great today.

Affirdamnation #56

I hope you won't mind, but I myself have had to turn to the affirmative thoughts and writings of others over the last few weeks.  While I found it difficult to muster my own for you this morning, I'm including one this week that inspired me.  

Hey. You there.

Author Anne Lamott once wrote: “Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don't give up.”

A...

Behind The Song: “Ghost Town”

I’ve talked a bit about how Ghost Town was the first song I wrote after damaging my voice, but I haven’t talked too much about the story behind it. So here you go!

Ghost Town is about my father and gramps (L.V.S on mother’s side.) My father was only 10 years younger than gramps, and both were military men of the “silent generation.”  I had many opportunities to talk with both of them about their time in the armed services and it always felt so complicated to me. While the...

Affirdamnation #55

Hey. You there.

Pretend for a moment that each human on this planet is a tiny fragment of a single human's consciousness. Pretend that single human is you. Now tell me you don't understand why things are so fucked up.

Also. You look fucking great today.

Ritual

The folks closest to me know that any time there is a huge shift it my life I let go of some of the ol beard in a sort of ceremony. I send random photos to some of them with the caption “CHOIR BOY!” Upon writing the album in full I felt it was necessary, so I’m sharing the outcome of that ritual with you. ✨🌊❄️🧙‍♂️

Affirdamnation #54

Hey. You there.

What the fools who run
Our states and nations and corporations
Can't seem to comprehend
Is that a simple act of love
Has far greater impact t
Than a bullet  or a cut corner ever could
It's our job to balance that out

Also. You look fucking great today.

See you in 15!

Cha will be in #chat-live-stream on discord 

We’re back!

Internet is back!! See yall at 8:30pm EST barring another outage.

Live stream update

Folks! In a rather predicable turn of technical events, I’ve just lost internet here. I’ve tried resetting the router and have reached out to my Airbnb host. Standby! If it doesn’t come back, I’ll try doing Q&A in Discord even if it has to be only audio (I have very poor phone coverage out here) 🤖#cursed

LIVE STREAM TONIGHT!

8:30pm EST live from my little cottage by the sea. I’ll drop a link here just beforehand to try and avoid my apparently unavoidable live stream technical issues 😂

Next Livestream 1/24 8:30pm EST

Live from this cozy Canadian cottage where I’ve already completed 6 songs for the next album ✨✨✨

Affirdamnation #53

Hey. You there.

There is nothing wrong with nothing being wrong.

Also. You look fucking great today.

Affirdamnation #52

Greetings from the cold north friends!!

Hey. You there.

Don't fall into the the "everything is temporary" trap. It is one of the most significant cons our species has devised thus far. It gives us permission to be lazy and selfish. By all means, live in the moment, but don't fool yourself into thinking the moment dies when you are done with it. You are responsible for the first of its infinite echoes.

Also. You look fucking great today.

Affirdamnation #50

Slightly different format in the new year...and didn't want to give away this message in text before most had heard it ;) will add later on.  

Thank you for 2023!

A special video note for you wonderful weirdos 🖤🥹🥰

15 Minutes Until The Last Livestream of 2023!

See you tonight at 8:30pm EST!

Remember the live chat takes place on Discord in the #chat-live-stream channel!

Last livestream of the year! 12/27 8:30pm EST

See you then friends!!!

Bare Knuckles Vol. 1 Available Now (Villain Tier Exclusive)

It was the last day of recording "Counterfeit Arcade" and we had just an hour or so left in the room. Being a bit drunk and feeling productive, I decided I'd play one take of several songs before we started wrapping up.  I played them on the very same piano that "L.V.S." and "Peace" were recorded on.  One of the songs has never been released (or possibly performed publicly) and two of the songs...well...the title gives it away.   Viillain tier patrons will be receiving a m...

Affirdamnation #49

Hey. You there.

What lies ahead of you is. Amazing.

Also. You look fucking great today.

🦉

Where there be owls…there be lore.

What could it mean?

There are numbers at the bottom corners of the artwork for Cavalry.  But what could they mean?
A special Patreon exclusive treat arrives tomorrow, but in the mean time.  Get to guessing.

Affirdamnation #48

Hey. You there.

Your imagination is a remarkable machine
People have been offending and defending in the name
Of imaginary things for as long as they could imagine them
Use your imagination for the good
For the good. For the thoughtful. For the giving. For the magical

Also. You look fucking great today.

Round Two Of Lyric Shirts

Note: I'll more than likely do a bunch of these over time, but this is specifically for which shirt you'd like to get your hands on this spring!

Song of the Month: It Came Upon The Midnight Clear

A bit different this month! Celebrating the release of "The Sacrifice Game" film tomorrow on Shudder!  Director/writer Jenn Wexler (friend and also the director of "The Ranger") reached out to me while I was on my UK tour earlier this year asking if I could pull together a public domain golden-era sounding Christmas song cover within a week.

My rule is: unless it is actually impossible, you can figure out a way to get something done.

I recorded the vocals and core arrangeme...

Lyric Shirt For Tour

Hello friends!  I'll be printing a lyric shirt for the upcoming tour and would love your help choosing which quote to print :)

I'll be posting a secondary poll to social media, but first wanted your help in choosing the top 2 candidates. Choose your two favorites, which can include a quote of your choosing. Just choose "Other" and drop the quote in a comment on this post!

Affirdamnation #47

Hey. You there.

Some of the most magnificent works of art have been
Born from hard times. Don't be afraid to mix those tears
Into your inkwell or your paint palette
You never know what genius your weary spirit might summon

Also. You look fucking great today.

Livestream: 8:30pm EST

See you soon !

Live stream update!