The Road

Summing up the last few days quick, concise, and accurately spotty.

From Kansas we rode west to Denver. 3 Kings. Our very good friend Chris put us up and showed us a good time. The show wasn't bad but we did have some difficulties but a great time nonetheless. Can't wait to get back. The next day we checked out their museum of art where King Tut lay, and Joe played with some wind up toy he claims must have been invented by some "no pussy gettin' motha fucka." ha ha!

Salt Lake City! Shred Shed. Nicest dudes, and the most packed show we played. Little punk warehouse in the industrial part of town. These kids drink a fuck ton of beer and not just cuz it's 3.2%. Met the BROSHIP who we'll hopefully see in Rolling Stone soon for their prowess in drinking. Aunt Marta put us up, took good care of us, and we had a blast all in all.

Portland. Definitely made up for our last time was there. The promoter ducked out before our set and then rushed back when he got the call, "Dude, Gypsy Eagle is tearing it UP right now!" Plan B is a rad venue. The opening band Aranya were tight as hell and you should check them out. Luke, Tim, and Aunt Lora held down the local hospitality hard and we had a kick ass time. We might be seeing PDX on the reg in a few months.

Reno. Jub Jub's. Where it all was started. We owe this city our lives. Tony, Otis, V, Brendan P., Lunch Box, Ryan's Saloon, pretty much everybody except Adam for not coming. Things definitely got blurry before the night was done. Make sure you get a burger at Ryan's if you're there. Mac is the man at the grill. Dude can't see or hear too well, but, fuck, that BURGER.

San Francisco. Kimo's. No windows smashed this time. But we closed out the tour properly with our good bros Glitter Wizard. Love this city. Thanks to Micah and Glitter Wizard, Brian, Josh, Mikey, Hannah, Leah, Rubang, Pigs, and the rest of the family and all the O.G. D.O.G.T.

All in All, this was a fantastic journey. We pushed ourselves really hard, developed our confidence tremendously, and made never ending friends on a story that came to a close all too soon. Thanks to everything and everyone.

On a sad note, our dear friend Joe Fabio will no longer be playing drums with us. He's a great musician and we wish him infinite smoked joints and crushed cold beers. But we already got someone lined up so don't worry your pretty little head about it.

Enjoy the pics below.

Corn and Fog

I may have waited too long to start this one. Without a day off the dates blur together and there's not a lot of time down. But here we are, in Salt Lake City, and what I remember most about Chicago, to Des Moines, to Omaha, to Wichita is all the corn and all the fog. All the corn is dead. In California on the 5 they blame the democrats for the dust bowl with signs along the highway. Something having to do with plants vs. fish. Out here I think it's just not the season, but at Thanksgiving people have those multi-colored corns to help with the decor. There's nothing having to do with politics spackled by the roadsides on the way to these mid-western towns. Global warming, maybe. Would explain how there's nothing political to point the finger. And the fog was dense. Enormous obscured wind turbines churned the moisture around them like a dinosaur lumbering through the mist. Somewhere, out there, lay Des Moines, Omaha, and Wichita.

Des Moines was the local crowd at the historic Hull Ave Tavern. Regular Saturday nighters were in attendance. That's fine. We gave them the lizzy song and they danced their asses off. Spent the night at some sweethearts' house and had a breakfast.

Omaha. The Manor. Punk house. Looked like a squat but they had an XBOX. There wasn't one bird in the house cuz Cursive was having their welcome back or get the fuck out reunion/goodbye show. Boys night out. It rocked. Hit them up if you have to go to Omaha.

Witchita. Kirby's Beer Store. Kirby is a sweet dude with lots of Rolling Rocks. Place filled up nicely. We played with some Australian kids on tour for 3 months. And a good stoner rock band called Arbogast. We had a blast here as well, and can't wait to be back. Of course, next time, we have to be back at a better venue with better promotion, blah blah blah, thank you very much. You hear that, Seattle? People like us.

City Slangers

The van crept into the Windy City like a decrepit white moose weary of predators lurking in the surrounding shadows. We were in our first big city of the tour. Scotty The Slam had seen this kind of trouble before. Joey 2 Sticks cracked his knuckles eager like the young kid he is with a chip on his shoulder and a belt on his waist. The gang was lead by Heartbreak Harris toward Ronny’s, a dark dive where crooks and scumbags will stab you in the kidneys as fast as they’ll pick up their phone that they just dropped on the floor accidentally. As for me, Mean Andy P, I was hungry to show Chicago what we came for: a shallow grave for Ronny, and a deep dish pizza for me.

We unloaded the trailer faster than a tommy gun at the cops breaking down the doors of a speakeasy. The crowd looked like a down and out mix of secrets, lies, and passions simmering on low heat, with salt and pepper to taste. Dames and goodfellas mostly. Ronny had established a joint for sinners to shrug off salvation while the angels were left outside to fend for themselves. Gypsyhawk rarely interfered in the affairs of the meek and desperate but tonight at Ronny’s we were here to rock. And prove that once we were done we did indeed deserve free beer.

Special thanks to Ronny for being a stand up cat, Brian and Andrew for the hospitality, and Chicago for never letting down and always standing up.

Christopher Columbus vs. Indiana Jones

Dead Sea

After we teared it all up spur of the moment in Lexington we made way to Columbus, Ohio. Hound Dog pizza. New records. Black Label Beer. Got to meet a shit ton of Eric's amazing old friends. Too many to mention, but the bands they were in all ruled heavily. Night Soil, Eye, and Dead Sea. Make sure to check out Dead Sea on their tour in October. All in all we hung out with some of the nicest and raddest people around. Extra Special thanks to Leighanna Hopf, et al for tremendous hospitality. (I'll get you your book back some day, I promise.) We leisurely left around 3 the next day and left a tornado in our wake. Seriously, look it up.

Indianapolis. very nice people. I don't have very much to say about this show. We played pretty good and had some laughs. Then we slept at the WalMart and now we're getting the van serviced with a smile.

Next, Deep dish pizza and radioactive relish.

Assück: Crises Averted

After Gainesville we had 3 days to get to Columbus. Unacceptable. We needed a show to throw in there. We bombarded Birmingham, Knoxville, Covington, Cleavland, and Lexington with phone calls, emails, and myspaces on our way North. Nothing. We did find out that Eric has an old friend christened Woody going to school in Lexington. The plan was to set up camp in his apartment and figure it out.

Walking down the street to a bar Andrew gets stopped by a citizen enjoying a beer.

Assück shirt?! You guys in a band from out of town?

Ha ha. Yeah.

Where you guys playing?

We don't have a show.

Well, you gotta play The Green Lantern!

That'll do.

Sure enough, next day we get the call that the show is on. Our man on the street, Pope, got his band, All American Werewolves (http://www.myspace.com/allamericanwerewolves), to help draw. They're a kick ass punk band so check them out. We opened the show. The crowd was mostly unsuspecting and suspicious faces that quickly erupted into furious excitement and raised beers. We made friends with every person in there and had a blast. Definitely going back to Lexington.

Tonight, Columbus.

Live And Extemporaneous

We arrived in Lafayette, Louisiana about 6 in the morning just as the Harris household was rising for their rigorous routines. The sun was taking a peak from its eastern bed. The air was thick with the moisture of swamp terrain. Clouds loomed thunderous on the horizon. After greetings we crashed. Eight hours later we devoured bowls of gumbo. Boudin and cracklins followed. Louisianans make you one of theirs with a smile, a wink, and a bit of twang. It was soon time to go to Sadies for Eric’s hometown review. We couldn’t have had a nicer reception. Everyone was elated to see their hometown hero doing better than ever.

Next day was New Orleans. The Big Sleazy. We were in a dirty, dank, but optimistically gentrifying, corner of town far from the girls going wild. The Hi Ho Lounge is a punk bar where the squatters hang outside and drink beer listening to the bands inside they can’t afford to see. We played with Donkey Puncher and The Pall Bearers who sang songs about raping the statue of liberty and other cool shit like that. Shout outs to LANEY for making indestructible amplifiers.

Back to Lafayette with some days off. We were invited to a cookout at Mista Dane’s house and it is agreed that the man is a master chef. Some of us had daiquiris the size of a fat baby in order to save up our energy for our night out at Cowboys, a country/western bar where the beers are cheap and life is cheaper. Andrew got stuck in a massive line dance and Scotty had to rescue him. That’s when the band on stage said that Gypsyhawk from Pasadena, California was gonna get up here on stage and play a couple their diddies. Being the pack of Huckleberries we are we grabbed our guns from the trailer, saddled up, shot first, and asked questions later. “Rock N’ Roll Hoochie Coo” and “Defenders Of Good Times” got all the fillies in heat and kept the beer frosty. Much obliged, it was eventually time to hit that ol’ dusty trail.

Didn’t I tell y’all to never sleep in a hot van in a Wal-Mart parking lot? Well, that’s where we woke again two days later in Gainesville, Florida. It was Saturday so Orange and Blue were strutting proudly through the streets ready to party. Florida clouds show you just how big the sky is with the vast depth they create. Spread everywhere beneath was dense green reaching up from any crack in the landscape it could find. We got to the Wayward Council around 8. Played to a nice mix of Gator jocks, Tampa youngins, and Everywheresville crust punks. Anyway you want to slice this shit everyone likes a guitar solo now and then. Or over and over again. Ad nauseum. Afterward we checked out their squat and partied til dawn. Really cool kids. Go hang out with them if you can.

3 days until we’re in Columbus, Ohio.

Oklahomies and Uncle Randy

“I’m sorry, sir, but there is no I-35 South in Oklahoma.”
“Um, I think that there is.”
“Hmmm…. Well, where did you say you were on it?”
“14 miles north of Marietta.”
“Is that in front of you or behind you?”

This conversation had been going on more or less like this for 15 minutes since I had pulled over after our left trailer tire blew up on the 35 South on our way from Oklahoma City to Houston. The night before we played at The Blue Note and had an incredibly good time. Free beer all night, friendly locals that know what Californians want, and a great support band in Los Hijos Del Diablo. Check them out if you like Sleep’s tone put to work with progressive structure and no vocals. After some down home lasagna lunch the next day we hit the road. We were on the I-35 South in Oklahoma for about 2 hours when the tire blew.

Houston is big. Way too big. It dwarfs L.A.’s suburban sprawl into the puny bastion of elite liberalism it so pompously proclaims to be. And there’s George Bush State Park, George Bush Intl’ Airport, George Bush Turnpike, and the dog stain that’s shaped like George Bush’ profile advertised mightily off Interstate 45 at the next exit.

Eric’s Uncle Randy was providing hospitality that night. Earlier he promised to have pizza waiting for us, just as long as we didn’t want any “faggot veggies” on them. We said faggot meat would be fine.

But don’t let Uncle Randy’s colorful language get you down. He and his family epitomized everything I’ve ever heard about Southern Hospitality. I mean, as soon as we were done with the pizza we got to play with his M-16s in the living room, a damn good deterrent to any ideas about spray painting anything in there. Next day we had biscuits, gravy, eggs, sausage and toast for breakfast, and then spread the guitar scales and God of War III duties equally before heading to Rudyard’s for our show in Houston.

Houston has some of the friendliest folk around. Pinche Gringo was the supporting band lead by El Jefe himself, a regular John Smith, if John Smith bought beers and shook hands instead of kill Indians and hand out crosses. The point is, he welcomed in his own way that made us feel part of his family. The venue had some of the friendliest staff and one of the best sound guys we’ve had the pleasure of working with. We look forward to coming again.

Next stop, Louisiana, home of vampires and accents I still can’t figure out.

The Cowboys Of Moo Mesa

We were headed south by southeast, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs, and by that I mean lack-there-of, began to take hold. It was hotter than a gay biker pulp novel and no one showed up to the show in Phoenix that nobody knew about. Nice guy, but left me in charge to find bands to play with us in a town none of us had ever been. And central Arizona bands got their nose up higher than Teddy Roosevelt’s on Mt. Rushmore. Or something. No one got back to us. So Gypsyhawk had to close an open mic at the Big Fish Pub with three people at that bar annoyed we were interrupting the anecdotes the bartender was regaling them with regarding how much Jameson he can drink. And we had no weed and no booze. At least we didn’t get cattle prodded. (see: Landmine Marathon, and why no one goes to the Big Fish Pub)

Ever sleep in a van at a Wal-Mart parking lot in the middle of the desert? Don’t. Just go to an old Navajo sweat lodge. Scotty was down with disease and sweated it out into the interior of his bench so that the germs can now incubate patiently, waiting to infest a future host. And watching meth addicts up close trying to peer into your tinted van puts even tough guys on edge.

The drive from Phoenix to Las Cruces was a restful and uneventful one. Desert everywhere in every direction spread rocky and solemn, unyielding to life’s need for hydration. And Las Cruces is a dump. Sorry, kids, but your college experience at New Mexico State is one you’re going to regret. We drove around looking for a party to crash. Hurricane Alley gave us the finger. When we asked a nice young gal for a suggestion she said, The Hurricane. Sho’ ‘nuff. Onward to Love’s Truck Stop about 90 miles east of El Paso in Van Horn. That’s when we saw the tail of Hurricane Earl manifested as a massive lightning storm in the center of a black cloud system. It looked like bright white mushroom clouds spread across the night disappearing as soon as they arrived over and over again forever. The winds were classifiable on your insurance forms as Act Of God. All night long the van was a rockin’, not in a good way, as we slept at the truck stop.

Beautiful landscape on the way to San Angelo, Texas. Bright green grass blanketed round hills, shallow crevices, and towering mesas like a Celtic desert. Above it was a light shade of gray as remnants of Earl’s wake remained stretched above us ushering our way through central Texas. San Angelo is a cool town. Most of it looks like an Old West boom town slightly refurbished with all the latest conveniences such as regular paint jobs and a CVS. A cool community with outdoor public theater (Twilight, but it’s Texas, so maybe they don’t know better), a fat dude grilling up sausage sandwiches and quesadillas for cheap from his trailer, and an Eskimo Hut serving drive thru Daiquiris and draft beer. Draconian prices on their Four Loko, however ($4.32??). Anyway, the venue, the Deadhorse, was rad and everyone loved our shtick. We even met a nice lady that let us sleep on her floor and eat her pizza, and didn’t get mad when Andrew spray painted “Gypsyhawk Was Here” in her living room.

Our travels continue to Oklahoma City where we hope to make some Oklahomies, then back down Texas through Dallas, then Houston, then Big Bayou’s home turf.

The Sun Lay Crimson As The Hawks Circle

Gypsyhawk is ready to hit that ol' dusty trail again. Wagons East. We start the tour in Tempe then work our way to Tallahassee. From there it's North along the Appalachians to Ohio. And then we ride West. Over the Rockies back to our Western Shore. Seattle, and then Southbound. Back home.

All confirmed dates are below.

9/01 Tempe, AZ - Big Fish Pub
9/02 Albuquerque, NM TBD
9/03 Amarillo, TX TBD
9/04 OKC, OK - Blue Note Bar
9/05 DALLAS, TX - Nightmare
9/06 Houston, TX - Rudyard’s
9/07 Lafayette, LA - Sadie’s
9/08 New Orleans, LA - Hi Ho Lounge
9/09 Pensacola, FL TBD
9/10 Tallahassee, FL TBD
9/11 Gainesville, FL TBD
9/12 Savannah, GA TBD
9/13 Atlanta, GA TBD
9/14 Nashville, TN TBD
9/15 Columbus, OH – The Summit
9/16 Indianapolis, IN - Melody Inn
9/17 Chicago, IL - Ronny’s
9/18 Des Moines, IO – Hull Ave Tavern
9/19 Omaha, NE - The Manor
9/20 Wichita, KS TBD
9/21 Denver, CO - 3 Kings Tavern
9/22 Cheyenne, WY TBD
9/23 SLC, UT TBD
9/24 Boise, ID TBD
9/25 Portland, OR - Plan B
9/26 Seattle, WA TBA
9/27 Reno, NV - Ryan’s Saloon
9/28 San Francisco, CA - Kimo’s
9/29 Oakland, CA - Narnia Warehouse
9/30 Los Angeles, CA – Origami Vinyl


Oh, and we'll have some new art with us

Links To Recent Press

Interview with SMNnews.com

Review on Sound Revolution

Decibel Magazine's piece on our Top 5 Albums To Get Stoned For

Frantikmag.com's piece on us touring

A nice review from Apoch that makes particular note of Eric's soothing vocals

And hilarious accusations of being hipster metal

Expedition On The Western Shore - post 3

San Francisco. Kimo's. Another well played, auto-destructive, megamaniacal, outstanding, jibber jabbering hot mess of radicalizationess. Hats off to Space Vacation and, once again, Glitter Wizard. Party was cut short when Black Betty got her rear right window smashed in by a crack head on the hunt for tasty snacks that he could trade for smokable rocks. Decided to round the night out with bong and Big Trouble in Little China. Not bad.


Santa Cruz. Once again blessed to share the stage with Glitter Wizard. We'll have pics soon. Partied with our buds in Decrepit Birth and Son Of Aurelius who also put us up for the night. If y'all know Decrepit you know the hash smoke was thick, so it didn't help when Joel broke their ceiling fan with his head to prove some sort of point. Laid out on the floor then moved on to Reno.

Reno. About an hour into the trip there we got the call that the show was canceled so we flipped a bitch on the 101 and headed back to L.A. 10 minutes later we got the call that the show was back on. We got to Reno 5 hours later and found out the other bands didn't know they were supposed to play. So we drank. Riff Lovin Rio, Reno's rock goddess, put her fingers to work and came up with Otis and their P.A. Otis' singer didn't show up until 5 minutes before they were set to play because he was out drinking and celebrating his birthday. When he got the call ten minutes earlier he said, "Gypsyhawk is back??? I'm on my way!!" Sweet fuckin' dude, sweet fuckin' dudes, sweet fuckin' band. They let us shack up at their house/farm and we did it right 'til 7 in the morn. We love Reno. Some of the coolest cats conceived.

Home. Relax Bar with Colombian Necktie, Mountains of Blow, and Lungbutter. Not a bad night to close out the tour. Had a bunch of friends show up unexpectedly which was nice. And it was the only night of the tour where guitar strings broke on stage (Scotty:2, Andrew:1). So now we're home, booking September which will start in Phoenix, head east to Florida, up to Chicago, west to Seattle, then south home again. See you around.

Eric, Andrew, Joe, and Scotty.

Expedition On The Western Shore - post 2

So, we picked up the records in SF. Come to one of our next shows and get one.

Portland. Amazing show, awesome promotion, the DJ we played with had only the choicest of nuggs, and the other band really packed in tons of people for us. Oh yeah, and Lemmy showed up to sing "Free Bird". So shizzling dizzle dope! But, special thanks to our friends for coming out and giving us a place to sleep.

Seattle. When waking up alone in a strange place you must remember to be prepared. Just because it's warm and sunny at 9:30 PM doesn't mean it won't be cold, dark and rainy at 10 the next morning. The other important thing to remember about that is don't be distracted by big lights and cultural milestones cloaked in the cumbersome environment. Get your coffee right away or you might walk into slowly moving vehicles in reverse. That all said, the show was a good one. Mystery Ship and Emeralds are both great bands filled with awesome guys and should be paid attention to by you. So if you're in Seattle and either of those bands are playing hightail it over, but don't miss out on Blowjob: The Musical, currently playing at The Rendezvous. Just make sure you don't walk in during rehearsal or else you'll get reprimanded with a "get the hell out, dipshit."

We took off around 2 the next afternoon after getting the truck out of the tow yard (*quadruple checking with a hotel concierge about your parking spot is apparently not enough in this town) and drove straight to SF to arrive about 7 in the morning. Tonight we play at Kimo's with Space Vacation and Glitter Wizard, all Blackhaven highlights. It's gonna rock.

Tomorrow Santa Cruz, then back to Reno, then homeward bound, the incredible journey, to close the expedition in Hollywood.

Expedition On The Western Shore - post 1

We finally got a chance to sit down and write. We're in Portland and it's hot. Ripe smells permeate the band atmosphere so we're up in some nice digs showering and drinking.

First Show was at Ramona Mainstage in Ramona, CA, home of the wild animal park ie the middle of nowhere. The place was the size of a mega church and we failed to pack them in. But so did the promoter and the town favorite so we all suck equally. Red Octopus put us up so we had great people to party with. And check out Green Room. The kid is the apprentice of Isiah from Earthless so there's that.

Next was the 4th. Some of us were with vatos in Boyle Hieghts, some in LBC with family, the rest at the Huntress party in Highland Park. Booze, fireworks, blah blah. We all had a great first day off from tour.


Hollywood. Les Deuxdxxxxkdshf;. Great staff and Tuesdae is our babe of the year. She got up and sang back up on Rock N' Roll Hoochie Coo with us. That is sure to be a tour high lite. Sumerian Axe crushed it. Playing again with them at Que Sera July 25 with Emeralds, and Wildildlife so don't be stupid and come to that one.

Ventura. Worst mexican food ever, but not Mexican people's fault. Usually metal kids like us, but not so sure this time. We did get hit on by two old drunk guys, though. No one would put us up except the old drunk guys so we went to the Santa Barbara Mission and met some kids rummaging for change in the giant ass fountain. They were there for about 45 more minutes while we sat on a wall drinking wine and smoking reefer. Got kicked out about 8 in the morning and beat it.

SF, day one. Partied.

SF, day two. Oakland, technically. Played with Hobocop, who was like a band that would play The Smell, Glitter Wizard, who are the shit and our brothers so listen to them. I'd say they sound like Black Sabbath with David Bowie instead of Ozzy and all that that would entail. Last was Taco Cat. Cute chicks playing upbeat poppy punk. Also would do well at the smell. Outside there were crackheads and riots.

Reno. Top show so far. Knew nobody but made tons of friends. Great bands and great folk abound. Plus it's nevada so we could drink and smoke indoors all night. Particular band of note (even though all bands were great) was Knight Fall. Sheeeeeeit. Catchy metal that doesn't repeat itself. Shit was real. If you were at a party in the woods and someone offered you a tab of Emperor or a hit of Wintersun you'd take both and end up with Knight Fall. All the kids were great and we can't wait to go back. If you're ever in Reno go to Ryan's Saloon. Honestly, can't say enough good stuff about this place and the shows there. Fuck, some of the tastiest burgers ever, too.

Portland. ...TO BE CONTINUED...

Winter Is Coming

Celebrating all that is the glory of A Song Of Ice And Fire we bring you HBO's teaser for their upcoming series Game Of Thrones. The books by George R.R. Martin are the lyrical inspiration for our song "Blackhaven". Check this shit out.

A Soaring Hawk Gathers No Moss

Gypsyhawk is still hard at work making sweet, sweet music. We're gearing up for a tour that starts in less than a month on July 3 in San Diego County. Dates are on our myspace. Preorders for the album which is coming out on 3 colorings of Double Vinyl and CD are up on our label CREATOR-DESTRUCTOR's website, but if you live in the L.A. area you should just come to our release show on June 19 in Echo Park with HUNTRESS, LUNGBUTTER, and TAP THIS and pick it up there. Details above. And Eric just did a real good interview with Downtune Despondency which you can find here. May you forevermore enlighten yourselves in the way of The Hawk.

That's it for now. Thanks for checking in,
Gypsyhawk

Get Off Your Ass and Jam

Updates:

We got an album cover. You can see it above. And the rest of the layout is done. So we're good to go. Official release date is July 6, but you can preorder via Creator-Destructor records soon, OR, wait to go to our release show June 19 at the Echo Curio in L.A., or when we hit your town in July.

Speaking of towns in July, we're having a bitch of a time getting a show in the Orange County area for July 4. If any of our readers have any contacts for that we would appreciate it.

We're currently working on 2 covers, but you'll have to come see us to find out which they are. We can promise you'll never guess.

Starting to get some press. Check out what lambgoat.com has to say here.

Alright, that's it.

Shit, Goddamn,
Gypsyhawk

Hey, Scotty. Tear it up.

Here's a take of Scotty's solo for "Blackhaven". This take didn't make the final cut, but it was successfully captured by an amateur film maker nonetheless.


In other news, the album is complete. It sounds great. Ben from Creator-Destructor records posted on his facebook "This Gypsyhawk record is un-fucking-believable. 2010 is gonna be a good year."

We agree!!

An Institution Is The Lengthened Shadow Of One Gypsyhawk

"Gypsyhawk Rocked My Face Off" scribbled on the wall of the Gilman by a new unsuspecting fan the night previous.

Last day of recording at the castle nest. Scotty and Andrew are burning scales through the walls and leaving guitars in shards and pieces. Joe the Drummer finished some nice mallet work on his cymbals for "Eyes of Ibad" and hit the road to go be with his lady friend who is restless at home on top of some poor medical news. That's why he's The Debonair One. And Eric has had enough and contented himself to the safety of video games and tending his herb garden.

Tonight we're listening to near-to-total final mixes and are expecting great results. It looks like our 12 songs are going to be about an hour and ten minutes long. Rumors abound that Patience and Perseverance will therefore be a double LP when pressed on wax. We're pretty fucking excited. Tomorrow is the last day at the studio. We'll be in the Bay for a couple days after getting tattooed and wasting money. Hopefully we'll see some of you around.

Sincerely Yours,
Big S, Raven, Touchdown, and Jocaine.

DAY 3

On the way to Castle Ultimate today we were listening to "Zombie Ritual" from DEATH's first album Scream Bloody Gore and I was thinking about how when I first heard the album I was a little surprised at how awesome it was. My initial love for DEATH developed with their later albums Human through The Sound Of Perseverance. Those albums provide a clear and obvious evolution that was so profound my instinct was that their earliest stuff was probably missable in that it couldn't possibly stand up to what they became. However, anyone who appreciates early death metal for it's more simplistic song structure knows that DEATH were probably the best at the genre even then. Listening to "Zombie Ritual" made me think about how GYPSYHAWK might develop as a band in 15 years or so and if we'll come anywhere close to the profound evolution that carried DEATH to their seminal status. Maybe we'll call our final album The Sound Of Patience and Perseverance.



Back to actual studio news. It's god damn beautiful in the Bay and almost a shame we have to spend all this time indoors. Yesterday the bass was a lummox lumbering throughout, but it got done. Guitars started today and most of the rhythms ought to be finished so we're right on schedule. Leads should be done tomorrow as well, then it's our day off with a show at the Gilman, then three more days of vocals, percussion, and mixing. Everything is sounding great so far despite being unmixed and with just one guitar. On another note, we received a nearly finished version of the artwork by Dan Lerner for the album Patience and Perseverance and it is unbelievably awesome. We're stoked, and you should be too.


Defending Good Times,
Gypsyhawk