Citizen Lusca

Yesterday was a long one. Started out the day recording with MJ and Stuart for the I Am the Blade record. Just did some previewing with tones. So far we have some super evil sounds im really excited. We have 7 songs, a planned remix, some planned interludes and most likely an acoustic number. Im so happy this is coming around. We are getting the Blackstar amps this week and the Series One is gonna be amazing. cant wait.

Smacksoft are recording like crazy. I did more tracking last night with them, they had a set of Handwired Artisan heads, a 30 watt and a 100 watt. Seriously some of the best sounding amps ive ever played....ever...seriously. On a related from my pedal board is 90% percent completed. MJ helped me greatly with this process, he hand made cables for me and expertly wired everything together. The new placement of all the pedals has basically given me a huge palate on which to make my sound scapes. Ive also been very meticulous about have the "Blade" sounds and the "Smacksoft" sounds be very different. Ill post pics when i get the board back from the studio.

I have travelled down a rough road this past month. I was sick for...all of it and it crescendoed into an ER visit and several doctors appointments until finally the right cocktail of meds was found and administered.

I managed to make the show in Incheon with Smacksoft and to me personally that was the big hill that I had been working to climb. Things went well overall, the stage was...large and a bit intimidating but it was a blast to turn around and see your own self on a jumbo-tron. Im really excited about the future with Smacksoft. I hope our creative relationship will last for a good long time.

I Am the Blade, is hitting the studio again...again..again. This weekend we are booked, locked and loaded for two 3 hours sessions to get the drums down. We are gonna have all six of the songs in our setlist and hopefully one or two new ones we might squeak in as well. Im not gonna lie, the lineup we have been playing with is awesome. Everyone is really just damn fun to play with and I feel like we are writing some pretty fun a chuggy tunes. We'll be using Blackstar Amps exclusively on this album/EP, specifically the Series One 200 (which is monstrous and awesome) and a really surprising Artisan 30 head. I was bowled over by how full and rich the 200 is. That marked my first really foray into using KT88 big bottle tubes...i dont know how I went this long without them. The Artisan is basically in the VoX AC30 territory but it has a switch that drops it to 10 watts. The tone was seriously just gorgeous. If I had to deal with a touring rig it would be those two amps + plus their matching cabs. I must add that their HT pedals are also pretty awesome. The HT-Dual is really just two extra channels. With the Vox AC30 they are just riotous. love em.

Citizen Lusca has been working on some ideas. Ive adopted my Burns Barracuda as my personal muse for any future releases. I almost never use the bridge pickup anymore, way too thin sounding, but the neck....ahhh the neck pickup is the bees knees. Ill be whittling away at a new EP as soon as my recording duties with Blade and Smacksoft clear up. I have some new gear to add to the mix and some new recording gear to bring into the mix. I dont mind waiting, id rather have all the right paints and brushes before I start painting.

I have also finally moved to a new home. My mountain hideaway is now someone elses humble abode, but I do have my own office space with all my gear close at hand. Perhaps its not as inspiring as playing facing the mountains and clouds but it is nice to have everything just an arms length away. The cats even have their own built in beds on the desk (I had no choice in the matter).

To my one fan in France....thank you for your email, it made my month. If you read this I PROMISE I will send you the albums, as soon as i get some blank cds.

-Citizen.

also, you should check out Olafur Arnalds.

...is one of the best songs ever written. I recently decided to do a cover of the song (on a seven string of course) just to see what would happen. Ill post it up somewhere and write a follow up when I do. Can i just add how awesome the song name is. Without getting to emotional here, i know its perhaps not the MOST AMAZING THING EVER for everyone but at least for me it was a very defining song during my formative years.

ok in more recent news:

I played my first show with Smacksoft last friday. I was very...very...ill, during the whole performance. hunched over my guitar merely for comfort, it was awful. The show was alot of fun, i got a warm reception from the built in fanbase which was a nice boost. I have another show with them on saturday that im looking forward to. Fingers crossed.

I Am the Blade, has been working on stuff, of course we are much slower with our process but we have plans to get this all down once and for all. Chad and MJ are both awesome guys and they have been a joy to work with thus far. Im checking out Blackstar Amps for a possible endorsement. Im interested in the Series One 200 which is an absolute monster from what ive been hearing. Adjustable wattage etc.. 4 channels. looking forward to it big time. Although i still reallllllly like what the DAR amps were selling, i have to stay sane when it comes to what money is really available to me.

Im moving to new apartment, no long will I be a mountain dweller. I will miss my 11th floor cave with its high ceilings and giant windows and mountain views. I suppose im sacrificing beauty for utility. sigh. ah well.

Citizen Lusca has been on a back burner, but its still going. Never fear. Ill keep working. when things calm down a bit ill fill it back up with some CL work. Id like to see if I can get a group of musicians together to do some the songs live to the fullest. Make some big crazy sounds. dreams. all dreams. But who knows right?

til we meet again...

-Citizen