Official Blog

Welcome to The Januariez blog! You can find news and other information about the band here! Thanks for stopping by!

Friday, March 7, 2014

I have Emerged

Hello all,

Long time, eh? I wish I'd had more to share over the last 6 to 9 months, but it's been nothing but transition. Last time I wrote, I intimated that The Januariez were on indefinite hiatus, and that is still the case, sort of. We don't have any shows scheduled, and we aren't planning on recording anytime soon. That said, Reno and I are still open to future engagements and opportunities, meaning we could be persuaded to play a show or two, but we'd have to play as a duo or find a new bass player. And honestly, since Josh left, we weren't the same band anymore. It just didn't feel right to me, and I think that translated on stage. So that's where we are. 

So yeah, we played our last show in June, but Reno and I have both been busy with other projects. He started playing with a cabaret band called L'Orchestre D'Incroyable. I haven't seen them yet, but I hear they're pretty dope. He's also doing theater gigs at the Centerstage Theater in Federal Way. Check these out when you have the chance!

As for me, I've spent the last 9 months teaching at School of Rock, jamming with people, filling in on occasion, and I even played Glockenspiel on Amy Denio's new album, Prodigal Light!  But what's new is that is that I just joined The Black Tones as lead guitarist. I am soooo stoked! They have been one of my favorite bands since I first saw them with Watch it Sparkle and NightTrain at the Columbia City Theater. We played the Blue Moon a few weeks ago, and tonight, we're playing a show with Letters, The Sun Thieves, Torre, and Victrola at the Skylark in West Seattle! 5 bands for 5 bucks!  We have some other cool stuff lining up this summer, so stayed tuned!

And if that isn't enough, Eva (from the Black Tones), Crystal (from the Crystal Fuzz band) and I have started an all girl band called Saucebox. Eva's on drums, I'm on bass, and Crystal's on guitar. It sounds super cool. Our subject matter ranges from sex to Satan. We plan to be out playing late April/May. Keep an ear up for tunes, photos, and show dates!

And for the finale on the music front, my husband and I have actually begun work on an online performance art project called Bad Shadow. We have talked and talked about this over the years, and now we're doing it! I know this is going to sound totally stupid, but we've written all these songs about our home, our kids, the dog, the cat, etc. They are the campiest songs, but they make us smile, and that's really what it's about, right? So anyway, we'll be filming this summer and plan to release content this coming fall/winter. 

But now... this next thing I'm getting ready to share scares the crap outta me: I started writing a book. Ya'll can shake your heads and laugh or whatever, I could care less. Writing is something I have done my whole life. I even have a degree in creative writing, and I've always felt that my lyrics were the crux of everything I've ever created. I know most people don't read lyrics; they just wanna zone out on the song. So I reached this point where I felt like my heavy content might serve better in a different medium. The story is completely written, but it lacks organization, clarity, and a consistent voice. So, at the moment, I'm editing for all those things. My goal is to have it ready to publish at the end of the year. (I might be pushing myself, maybe Theo Nestor's Writing is My Drink might have something to add!)

See cause I've had this voice in my head nagging me. It's worse than a personal trainer. It tells me to write and not worry, that it it will write itself if I just surrender to the process. So, I agreed. Almost as quickly as I surrendered, I was asked to perform my writing at Folklife this year. Do you know how many times I have applied to perform Folklife over the years? And they would never book my band. I agree to listen to a voice in my head, and this happens! And not only that, but I also have a spoken word gig booked next Tuesday, March 11 at the Chaco Canyon Cafe in West Seattle. I am going to tell stories for 30 minutes. OMG! Preparing this piece has required me to organize my thoughts in a way that lends itself naturally to a larger piece, like a book. A kismet wave. There's a writing session from 6-7pm, followed by my reading and an open mic. 

I'm really excited about all the work I have, and I'm also completely terrified. But this feels right! Playing music with my friends feels right. Working on a project with my husband feels right. Telling my stories feels right. I am more than grateful for these opportunities, and I hope that I am able to share some of these moments to be with you. 

Dates and media will be posted on this page, The Januariez fb page, my blog, twitter, tumblr, sound cloud, etc. I've also created a personal page on Reverbnation, which you can check out-though it's not really anything new. Please check out The Black Tones on FB, and give them a like. And keep and eye out for a Saucebox page and a Bad Shadow page. It's a busy year!

See you tonight!
xoxo


J-kNee