About
the Band: Part II
After a six-week road trip across the country, Laurel Lee and her new
husband arrived at the Jacksonville’s Atlantic coast, the "First Coast"
they call it, and definitely a warmer coast. The first time Laurel Lee bobbed
in the ocean for more than fifteen minutes she cried! The Pacific gives you
five minutes before hypothermia. She languished in the sunshine with sunscreen,
and learned many details of the Deep South, some interesting, some shocking,
some sweet, some sour.
That was two years ago, two years of meeting people, playing music, meeting other people, playing music, recording, playing, and finally getting a feel of who works well with whom, so that this recording could be born. "Eastward Pioneer" took a year longer than expected, but no one cares, baby steps still get you there, and so the baby has arrived. Surprise! It’s plastic and 0001010101010100111011s. The technology may change to a digital world, but the soul of music lives and grows, as warm and friendly as a Dean Martin stereo 78rpm record.
Laurel Lee helped to renovate her new home in the Historic Springfield neighborhood facing downtown Jacksonville, Florida. The area is of a scrappy but lovely nature, suited for a fresh start. The music arrived and cooked in funny ways, with a similar pace but with different hangovers. "Have You Ever" grew from two days behind a gigantic floor sander while working for a cement construction company at the Mayport Naval Base.
"I Should not be in the Kitchen" wrote itself during a late night quesadilla incident. "I Don’t Miss Missing You" claimed a new era, one free from the "oldest heartaches."
She met Darin Ronan (drums) through friends of friends, and soon Joey Kerr (lead guitar) through Darin. An old college friend of her husband’s, John Mortensen, wanted to get back into playing bass, and wouldn’t you know it, John and Joey had been best friends through childhood and next door neighbors. They hadn’t seen nor heard from one another in fifteen years, and met for the first time at the first rehearsal.
The recording took place in the back room of Nice Music in Orange Park where Darin works. He was kind enough to help with both technical and musical support. That was one year ago from the writing of this little history, a little before Thanksgiving. The mixing was a weird but cathartic process with Jay Peele, and the mastering fell into space for months with little explanation. The project spurted and sputtered back into life about a month ago with the expert mastering help of another Darin, this time Peckham.
Neighbor and friend Jeffree Shalev took the cover pictures with a shrug across the street from his house. It’s funny how many houses burn down in this neighborhood, houses that one may not tear down due to the historic designation but are too decrepit and bug eaten to repair. One such house majestically towered its two floors full of black broken bits with such arson audacity it seemed a shame to let the images go unrecorded. So with golden dress and lipstick Laurel Lee commandeered the location and Jefree made her look good.
The Band:
Joey
Kerr—Joey is a monster guitar player. Kicks and licks,
delicate and smashing, he fills and tops the sounds he is a part of. He
can make a sensitive song lighter, a heavy song darker, and yet still
appear as though he just woke up. He arrives to each performance with
the entourage of his whole family. Soon we will have to live without him
more often so he can pursue his musical opportunities like his recent
tour in France.
John Mortensen—"Mortie," former best friend of the aforementioned Joey, hoped to find a good chance to start playing again. He works a stressful but fulfilling week, spends time with the lovely Elizabeth, plays for his church, and is so dedicated to the details relating to his family, that his schedule for the most part is full. His attention to this project is noted and deeply appreciated. Mortie plays a deep bass, a warm, heart-beat bass that you don’t notice until you realize that that’s all you hear. Lovely.
Darin
Ronan—A talented drummer and respected musician in Jacksonville,
Darin came to the project through a family connection. He supported and encouraged
this project though he didn’t necessarily have the time with his family,
business, and many other music projects. His prioritization was deeply appreciated,
and many good wishes toward his future projects are heartfelt.
Dolly Penland—Holy cow. The former lead singer of Dollyweed, Dolly met Laurel Lee at open mic shows when Laurel Lee first arrived. Dolly’s voice verily drove the glass out of the panes with pushy clarity. When first mixed, the harmony tracks that Dolly sang stood up, strangled, put hands on hips and rang, "I am Alpha!!" Of course, the second round of mixing accommodated her ringing announcements. A close approximation of her domination is to be heard on this record’s "Chicken Bomb."
Many thanks
go out to many helpful, kind, gentle folk who have helped me play music since
this recording. Chris Buck has played drums for us for about eight months, and
the Jacksonville Symphony Concertmaster Philip Pan (currently locked out due
to pay negotiations as of this date) played fiddle with us all last summer.
New alliances are drawn everyday, new songs come, new venues try out live music,
and best of all, new talent steps forward with an exciting future.
-Laurel Lee,
Jacksonville,
Florida November 17, 2007