The Essentials

Jul 21/10 ~ Top 20 in Toronto!

Jul 21/10 ~ Top 20 in Toronto!

Ah, Justin Bieber. We mocked you in our June 25th blog when our CD performed better than your CD in our hometown of London, Ontario.

Since that time, we can only presume that you have focused every waking minute of your existence in getting your revenge on us in Toronto.

I’m sure that Bieber, Usher, L.A. Reid, and other powerful people like Brangelina, the guy that does the "Koodo" sound in the Koodo commercials, Prince Charles, and Spain’s world-cup-winning soccer team skyped a meeting and decided to focus on Toronto to knock The Essentials down a few notches.

Well, it worked.

In Toronto last week you, Bieber, were # 7 on the charts. Nothing But Blue by The Essentials was four spots behind.

Wait a minute, you know what? #11! That’s Top 20 in a major city! For an indie act, we’re pretty happy about that! THANK YOU to our fans in Toronto who bought Nothing But Blue!

Are we going to now make fun of Kenny G because we one-upped him? Abso-flippin-lutely.

We call mercy with Bieber....G, put ‘em up.

Ok, so who does this Kenny G guy think he is with his curly locks and his shiny saxophone and his big fancy Grammy Award, with his high cheekbones and his par golf game n’ stuff?

...hmph, that’s actually all quite impressive.

Um...wow,...and KennyG.com says he’s still performing. Neat...I wonder if he’s coming to Toronto any time soon...

Anyway G, because of the somewhat impressive aforementioned qualities, we’re willing to stop blogging about how we schooled you in Toronto if you send 4 autographed colour 8x10s to - The Essentials, 2100 Bloor St. West, Suite 6337, Toronto, ON, Canada M6S 5A5.

Send them within a week and autograph them thusly and we’ll call a truce;

To Dan, Simply put, your hair is just way better than mine. Love, Kenny G

To Thom, This hereby allows you backstage at any of my shows and through any security at my mansion. Love, Kenny G

To My Dearest Janet, You have more jazzy-soul in your pinky finger than I do in my whole body. I’m humbled by your very presence. Love, Kenny G

To Jo3, I’m the second coolest guy in the music business, after you, because of that 3 in your name. I’m considering becoming Kenny 5 at some point because of your inspiration. Love, Kenny 5(?)

Ok, so seriously...to all of our Toronto fans who have been buying up Nothing But Blue and telling their friends about it - THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. We have never even charted in the Top 100 before in a major market, so to go Top 20 makes us want to do cartwheels, or watch others do them because they appear to be quite strenuous.

And Kenneth – mail those 8x10s this week and include a self-addressed-stamped-envelope if you want your dignity back.

PS (added July 22) - The Essentials were just notified that last week we also went #1 in Belleville, Ontario! That’s right, numero uno! So, THANK YOU BELLEVILLE! You are living up to your city’s name!

Jul 13/10 ~ New Path, New Strength

Jul 13/10 ~ New Path, New Strength

On August 1st 2009, I performed my first gig with the group at the Taste of the Danforth festival in Toronto. I'm already coming up on my 1 year anniversary with the group...I can’t believe how fast the time has flown by!

I remember how nervous I was getting up on that stage for the first time as the newest member of The Essentials. I had some pretty big shoes to fill! But after spending so much time in rehearsals to learn the songs, I thought to myself..."I worked really hard for this", so I toughened up and managed to push past my nerves and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it thus far.

I feel like I’ve accomplished so much with the group over the last year, and it just feels like it was all meant to be. I feel like a brand new person!

Once I conquer one goal, I can’t wait to tackle the next. It’s almost addicting!

I never imagined that in 1 year I would hear my voice on the radio performing a jingle (CNE theme song), or singing in front of thousands of basketball fans at a Toronto Raptors game at the Air Canada Centre, or performing live TV appearances, or being interviewed by newspapers, or being a part of a music video or photo shoot.

But most rewarding of all, I am proud of being an 'essential' part of the full length album "Nothing But Blue". The countless hours we spent writing, arranging and recording the album was an experience I will never forget (and I can now officially say that I’ve released an album)!

No matter where this road may lead, I look forward to my future with The Essentials. We hope that you will join us for the ride!

For this month’s Q & A, I’ve decided to turn the table and ask you a question!

Q: We are on the hunt for a music video concept for the song "Some Things Never Change" from our new album "Nothing But Blue". When you hear that song, how do you imagine a music video to go along with it?

If you haven't picked up the CD yet, you can stream the song at our myspace site by clicking here.

Please post your answers either to our Facebook page or send your answer in an email to band@essentialsmusic.com.

Jul 6/10 ~ Do you know who you are?

Jul 6/10 ~ Do you know who you are?

I don't mean your name or what you do. I'm not talking to those of you who have taken off to some exotic land, backpacked through Europe or moved out to BC to breath the air and 'find yourself'.
I'm talking about deep down self perception.
Self Perception is something I believe we are sorely lacking in our lives, dear readers.
Many of you may be saying to yourself: "Self, heck ya I know who I am. My name is enter name here and I'm awesome! How could I not know who I am?!".
Perhaps others (at least I hope there are others out there) know exactly what I'm talking about. You see it everywhere these days. The invention and subsequent proliferation of reality television has thrust it into our consciousness and we – as a society – have eaten it up.

What is it?

We all see it so clearly in others, yet we often fail to recognise it in ourselves.
It is that undefinable quality that allows us to have a true perception – or in the case of what we see on reality TV, the absence of - who we are and how we are perceived by the world in which we live.
If one could even measure it on a sliding scale. The 'average' person with a good grasp on reality would look like:

...a person walking through life in their own little world, thrusting themselves onto national TV in a reality show would perhaps look like:

It may not look like much on paper (or uhhh...your computer screen...) but the discrepancy between the two is vast!
This apparent surge in 'crazy' can be seen not just on TV but everywhere.

In my research I've managed to dig up an ancient poem which is said to posses a clue as to how we might break free from the hold it seems to have over us but I just don't know...I've read the poem several times now and I'm still not seeing it...

I found a sign that leads to our salvation.

American/Canadian Idol, Biggest Loser, So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD), Survivor, America's Got Talent, Big Brother, Amazing Race...I don't have enough time to type them all out for you...so here is a list!
Every single one of these programs show a wide variety of people from every conceivable background...why do they all seem so crazy? Why do they all seem to posses a frightening lack of self perception? From the peg-legged, cross-dressing hobo dancing the tango on SYTYCD to the tone-deaf Asian man yelling his way through a Ricky Martin hit with little to no display of ANY MUSICAL TALANT!!! (sorry for yelling. I get carried away but come on people... this guy toured the world and sold millions of CDs based on our support. (I just threw up in my mouth a little!) Watching someone with this disparaging lack of self awareness, they will inevitably embarrass themselves in a seat-writhing display of creativity (for your enjoyment) and in the end you can see in their eyes that the performance/interaction you are still laughing about was, to them, deadly serious. Any challenge to the contrary often ends in yet another embarrassing moment as they try to remove themselves from the situation with all the tack and grace as you would expect from a contestant on Dating in the Dark.
While entertaining, it's hard to imagine going through life having a totally different opinion of yourself than 100% of the people around you.
Fame has a funny way of distorting your self perception.
From reading your own reviews to the parasitical nature of the tabloid press, it's enough to make you crazy. After awhile you begin to question who you are, lose yourself in it all and even start to believe what is printed about you.
Don't misunderstand...there are many out there who dig their own graves with full knowledge of what they hope to get out of it, but do you think Britney (no last name required) saw herself as a raving, bald-headed lunatic when her star was plummeting to the ground? I'm sure in her mind there were moments where she seemed (at least to herself) fully justified with her decisions.
What about Tom Cruise? At what point did he say: "I'm going to go on Oprah (no last name required) and act like a total jerk"?!!! We all know the image of him jumping on a couch, proclaiming to the world that he is, despite what the media has been saying, truly in love. 30 years ago, something like that would have passed with hardly a mention in a local paper. Look at the incident with Michael Richards. If it weren't for someone taping his moment of shame on a cell phone camera, the incident would have been in a local paper the next day and then totally forgotten about. Today, however, we seem to love watching people fall on their faces and the media has answered (or perhaps created!) our thirst for more by repeating the offending moments over and over and over and over.... http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/theampersand/archive/2009/12/30/most-embarrassing-celebrity-moments-of-the-decade.aspx

We all have been there. Something that seemed intelligent and well thought out can often seem obviously silly when looked back upon. After all, you never see yourself the way others do – have you ever heard your voice on a recording or seen yourself on a video or picture? (Is that how I sound? Is that what I looked like that day???)

Perhaps ignorance is bliss. Maybe it's better to go about your life in your own world, oblivious to what others see. It would certainly allow you to strive for things much greater, to become what otherwise you would have not attempted because of self imposed limits. (That's not who I am, so I won't try.)

Thank goodness there is a group out there like The Essentials who have a firm *cough cough* grasp on who there are and where they are headed...

Jun 25/10 ~ Putting Justin Bieber in his place (which is #8)

Jun 21/10 ~ Vlog #11: A private living room concert for a special lady

Jun 19/10 ~ Thank you!

Jun 6/10 ~ What's with the 3?

Jun 5/10 ~ Vlog #10: Hello from Gatineau

May 20/10 ~ Hot Off The Press!!

May 20/10 ~ Hot Off The Press!!

This just in...our brand new album!! Although our official CD Release isn't until June 12th in London, ON, we are excited to announce that our first shipment of discs arrived this weekend.

It's an amazing feeling to finally see all of our hard work wrapped up into a neat little package! We hope that you will enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed creating it! :)

Now I'm sure you must be thinking..."where can I pick up my very own copy?"... Well, our CD's will be available at any of our live shows (info on our upcoming shows can be found here: http://www.essentialsmusic.com/live.html ). We'll also let you know when it's available online and in retail stores.

Speaking of live shows, The Essentials took a road trip this past weekend to Ottawa. Or as Jo3 so observantly pointed out, we took a trip "from our province's capital to our nation's capital".

We managed to accomplish a lot this weekend!

On our way up Ottawa, we made a stop in Kingston to shoot a quick music video (keep checking back for a peek on that), we were interviewed by Lianne Laing on the /A\ Channel Ottawa morning show, we performed at the Maxville Music Fest, and then entertained the fine people at the Rideau Carlton Raceway. We love our Ottawa fans and we hope to be back again soon!

And now it's time for a little Q&A...

Question: What is your favourite song, and why?

Thom: "Satellite" by Dave Matthews Band. DMB has always been one of my fav bands. They are true masters of their instruments and are unique in their sound. (bari sax, violin, etc) There is just something about Satellite that always sticks in my head. I haven't been able to make it to a live show but any time a friend has been there, I have them hold up their phone when that song comes up so I can be there in spirit. Thom's favourite song

Jo3: It's really tough to choose just one favourite song. A quick scroll through my iPod revealed at least 100 that I could have mentioned. But since the question asked for one, I'll go with an undisputed winner – "Imagine" by John Lennon. The song is simple in its production. The song is simple in its message: let's live in the moment, "a brotherhood of man" with no divisions caused by country, religion, or wealth and have "nothing to kill or die for". By the simple production and simple message, I think Lennon is implicitly asking why peace can't be that simple. The irony of his violent death makes the song that much more powerful. Joe's favourite song

Dan: "Kashmir" by Led Zeppelin - without a doubt. Aside having every studio album they ever recorded reach the Billboard Top 10, this band basically influenced everyone who came after them. The song centres around Jimmy Page playing a 6/8 guitar riff over John Bonham's 4/4 drum rhythm and sits perfectly in between D major and D minor. I really like that it doesn't fall into a simple structure, and every time I hear it I stop what I'm doing and get lost in the 8:33 journey. (30 seconds longer than Stairway To Heaven). I even spliced the opening guitar riff together to use as a ringtone on my cel phone. Dan's favourite song

Janet: Wow! I have so many favourites...but if I had to pick just one, then I'd have to say "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson. I'm not too keen on the club scene because I don't like to dance, but this is pretty much the only song that would ever make me get up on the dance floor and cut some rug at a club! If a song can make me lose my inhibitions like that, then it must be good for the soul! My favourite song

May 1/10 ~ Oversized shirts with someone else's name on the back

May 1/10 ~ Oversized shirts with someone else's name on the back

This is my favourite time of year. Everything seems more alive. The birds are singing in the trees (often when I'm getting back from a gig), the sun is shining, everything is turning green and people can be seen huddled in groups, whether it be in their homes, public drinking establishments or Future Shop TV departments. These people often wear oversized shirts with someone else's name on the back, spouting statistics and shooting percentages, and boasting of their 'top 10' of all time...

That's right folks. It's playoff season!!!

National pride aside...cough cough.... gold gedal...cough cough...this is a time for everyone to put their personal differences aside and let their (chosen) hockey team do the talking for them. This usually includes large amounts of beer and wings and will inevitably end up with one group jumping for joy and the other sinking into their drink with mumbles of this season being a 'building year' and so it 'didn't matter anyway'. If you add betting into the mix you add a whole new dimension of humiliation, from buying a round of drinks to shaving your chest and having to wear my aunt's summer dress because I don't care what you say, that was NOT a goal and it should never have gone into overtime in the....uhhh...where was I?

We should fight wars this way. Each country comes up with their best and brightest to represent their nation and when an issue of war or international policy comes up, you have a best of 7 to decide who wins. – although if that were the case we would still remain Canada but Toronto would be split up into many different Countries...but I digress.

I'm a huge hockey fan, currently cheering for Colorado. While watching highlights and score updates I often hear talk of team 'momentum' and how it can carry a team forward to greater things. This momentum can be seen on the ice where players seem to 'click' and energy levels are way up. They move faster, hit harder and score more.

Hockey is a lot like life in the entertainment industry...

There is a lot of travel and late nights.

Every time you play, it's in a different place.

Most of the hard work is done BEFORE you play.

The hits hurt most when you don't see them coming.

team momentum is everything.

One bad play and you can get a golie pad upside your head...

Keep your head up!

Go Avalanche!!!!

Apr 16/10 ~ CD Release Hype

Apr 16/10 ~ CD Release Hype

After many hours of writing arrangements and spending time in the studio, we are pleased to announce that our new album Nothing But Blue will be released in June! We are so excited to show all of you what we've been up to over the last few months.

Some of you may be wondering how we came up with the album title name Nothing But Blue. It wasn't an easy decision to make and it took a lot of brainstorming. In the end, it came down to a vote and Nothing But Blue was the clear choice. When you listen to the album, you will soon find out where the idea came from, but we'll let you figure that one out on your own! :)

And now for a little Q&A! This month's question is a pretty popular one for musicians. It marks that life-changing moment when we found a special place in our hearts for music.

Q: At what point in your life did you realize that you wanted to be involved in music?

Thom: Every year at my high school, we would have two major music concerts (Spring and Christmas). My friend and I would always put together a song or two, usually making fun of our music teacher. It became a regular thing that the audiences began to expect. They would become more elaborate and creative each time. It was after one of these evenings that I thought to myself..."I could really do this if I wanted to".

Joe: I don't think I've ever come to that realization because it's just always been a part of me. There are a lot of musicians on both sides of my family. We have an old vinyl of my maternal grandmother singing at some point in the late '40's / early '50's. My mom even sung on live radio as a child (she sounds like Connie Francis). My dad and his brothers formed a band in the 60's. Basically, what I'm saying is: it's in my genes.

Dan: In grade 2, at 8 years old, I played the part of Pinocchio in the school musical. That same year I was at the father/son banquet for Cub Scouts and I saw a live band performing at the event and I thought it was really cool.

Janet: My grade 3 teacher would bring in his guitar once a week and play us a few songs instead of story time. He would teach us the song so that we could sing along. It was these sing-along's that made me realize that I really loved music. Two years later, I transferred to a private school for the arts where we had music classes every day. From that point on, music continued to be a big part of my life.

Apr 3/10 ~ Joe's Top 10 Comedy Shows Currently Airing

Apr 3/10 ~ Joe's Top 10 Comedy Shows Currently Airing

It's Easter weekend. I thinking of writing a blog about rebirth and how The Essentials were sort of reborn since we introduced Janet to the group culminating in the production of our album which will be released soon, but I fell asleep at the computer. Not a good sign.

Then I thought of writing a blog just about the album and thought - it's almost out, why bother? All y'all will just hear it soon and decide how great it is for yourself, rather than have me tell you in advance.

So then I thought, why not do a ranking of what I think are the best comedy shows on TV right now? Not of all time. Right now.

But that has absolutely nothing to do with the band or time of year! Perfect.

Note: the views expressed in this blog are Joe's and not the other members of The Essentials.

10. LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN (I had to put Dave on here even though I think he's kinda lost his love for the gig. He basically invented the Top Ten list, so he should be on this one. I'm a big Dave fan. I went and saw the show live when I was in NYC a few years ago and never laughed harder.)

9. SLAP CHOP COMMERCIAL (It's not even a TV show but it has to be on the list. Here it is. If you haven't seen it...judge for yourself -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUbWjIKxrrs )

8. GLENN BECK PROGRAM (It's not meant to be a comedy program but all far-right politics aside, this cat is unintentionally funny with his chalkboards gone wild and grossly overexaggerated facial expressions and suppositions.)

7. AMERICAN DAD! (I started watching this because it used to air after Family Guy and I couldn't find the remote because I was sitting on it. As you can see from some of the other entries on this list, I think politics is generally ridiculous and funny. I mean, there is an hombre named Rob Oliphant who "represents" me in Ottawa. That's not funny. But the fact that he also represents the wants and needs of 117,082 other people simultaneously is quite comical if you think about it. And the only thing funnier than Canadian politics is American politics. Anyway, this cartoon spoofs U.S. government policy and conspiracy, so I like it.)

6. FAMILY GUY (It's starting to lose it's edge a little since they lost Mike Henry to The Cleveland Show and replaced him with, well, nobody. No more Cleveland Brown or Herbert the Pervert. Come on now.)

5. DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART / COLBERT REPORT (I put these two cats together because it allows me to cheat and put 11 entries on this list. Besides Stewart gave birth to Colbert, and still tosses to him on occasion because they air back-to-back.)

4. IMPORTANT THINGS WITH DEMETRI MARTIN (Probably the least known of all of the shows on this list, but I caught it because it airs before The Sarah Silverman Program and I'm prompt. He basically takes one theme – for example, this week's was "nature" – and all of his sketches and jokes that week have to do with the theme. He's pretty damn clever and sharp. Worth a watch.)

3. REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER (Like I said above, I find politics funny. Bill's show is a little more politics and less comedy than Stewart or Colbert but he's just a really funny guy, whether or not you agree with his views.)

2. SARAH SILVERMAN PROGRAM (Simply put, in my view – Sarah Silverman is a comic genius. Way ahead of her time. She may offend but she's brilliant.)

1. 30 ROCK (Tina Fey's brain and Alec Baldwin's execution. The other characters are all perfectly cast too. Incredible. Just watch 3 episodes to understand the characters. If you're not hooked, I'll refund your money.)

The Office just missed this list. I know a lot of people will freak out when they read that it's not Top 10. I mean, it's good, but just not Top 10 for me.

The Simpsons was intentionally left off the list. They jumped the shark when they started having a celebrity on every episode and travelling to so many foreign countries. Sorry South Park, but you're getting unoriginal too.

Mar 18/10 ~ Life in the studio

Mar 18/10 ~ Life in the studio

As most of you already know, we have been working hard in the studio recording our upcoming album (check out our latest video blog for a sneak peak at one of the songs).

We are excited to announce that our album is being produced and engineered by Darryl Neudorf, the former drummer for the band 54-40. He has been honoured with production credits on several albums of well known Canadian artists, including Sarah McLachlin, Neko Case, Blue Rodeo, and he was just nominated for a Juno Award for his recent efforts.

We are learning many 'tricks of the trade' from such a talented professional and we are trying some "out of the box" techniques to achieve some unique sounds on the album. Like this for example:

Darryl is also a great coach when it comes to performing the songs in the studio. He really goes deep into the meaning of the songs and the messages that need to be portrayed in our performances to sound convincing. Anyone can sing a song, but if you're not singing the words like you mean it then you lose the whole message of the song.

For example, when I was in the studio on Saturday to sing the lead on one of my original songs, I finished my very first take and I was pretty happy with my performance, I figured I would have to do one extra take as a backup and that would be it. I mean, I wrote the song so how could I have sung it wrong, right? I was SO wrong! When Darryl told me his feedback of my take, he said that it sounded pretty, the tuning was good, but he didn't believe it. I wasn't convincing!

So, we stripped down the song and got to the root of the song's meaning. I tried take after take until finally, after two hours, I "got it"! It was definitely worth the time and effort to capture the best performance. It feels very rewarding to finally get that perfect take (plus, I'm so excited that two of my songs were chosen to be recorded on this album!).

However, sometimes it can be hard to keep your sanity in the studio. You can't always be perfect! :)
I've come up with three "essentials" for surviving life in the studio:

Pre-production and rehearsals – It is very important to come to the studio prepared and ready to sing your parts so that you're capturing the best takes and using your studio time efficiently.
Get as much sleep as you possibly can in your down time away from the studio - It's easy to get run down when you're spending so much time and energy into a project like this...which brings me to my next point...
Stay healthy! – When you're run down, you're more susceptible to catch the common cold or flu (which happened to me and took 2 whole weeks to get rid of!) Take multivitamins, drink lots of water, and try your best to eat your fruits and veggies in order to stay healthy.

Next time around, I will try to practice what I preach! :)

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for...it's Q&A time!

Q: Do you have a favourite motto or saying?

Thom: "Just Do It!", "That's my mama!", "Don't touch that!", "Where's Dan?!"

Joe: "Die trying or try dying." (Ok, I really don't have one, I just made that up now.)

Dan: "Enjoy your success but never quite believe it". Inspired by a former roommate, Mike Therriault, from acting school. He never believed that he would succeed with his acting but his hard work and dedication has landed him some very successful jobs (Stratford/Broadway, London's West End. He also was the original Gollum in "The Lord of The Rings" the theatre production).

"I've often thought that playing a musical instrument is an obsessive-compulsive disorder or a symptom of being socially inept, but I can't decide whether playing an instrument makes you socially inept, or you're a sociopath to begin with and you play an instrument as some sort of consolation." –Sting

Janet: "Perfect!" (I tend to use that word a lot!)

"Yeah, that's a good one...sure glad I found that one" (Quote from Jerry Seinfeld Stand-up)

Mar 15/10 ~ Vlog #9: A random rehearsal for the studio

Mar 2/10 ~ Excelentousness!

Mar 2/10 ~ Excelentousness!

*Must be read in the style and voice of Morgan Freeman*

There is an eerie quiet in The Essentials world. The streets are empty. The trees are still. It's almost as if the world has just taken a deep breath and this is the pause before the giant exhale. The inhabitants of this world are hold up in their houses, pouring over every piece of music they can get their hands on. Picking songs apart note by note in the hopes that their efforts will be rewarded with the sweetest gift of all...the one. a work of art. Call it what you will. They sit in basements, offices or perhaps even darkened kitchens, staring into their computer screens, delicately picking up each note and placing it into its proper place. Hours can pass with little notice. Many weeks pass as each member of The Essentials continue to pour heart and soul into something that can only be described as Excelentousness.!

That's right friends and fans. I used it. The most sinfully delicious 6 syllable word in our English language. A word used for centuries to describe all that the kings of old held dear. (what does that even mean?) With only a short time before heading into studio to begin the giant exhale we pause and reflect on the process we are about to enter into.

Studio life is a world unto itself. Surrounded by musical instruments of every shape and function. Strange computers sit in every corner of every room, There is always a guy named Grasshopper who sleeps on a couch in the main room at night. (nobody really knows if the studio people are aware of him), Hidden rooms and passageways cover the studio space many you would only know existed if someone were to enter of exit from time to time. Two words for you dear friends... Studio Coffee. A distant cousin to the coffee the average person would drink but far more dangerous. Hours of sitting and questionable cleaning habits has left the coffee you and I know defenceless to the elements. Boiled down to the consistency of tapioca, a new pot will be added to the last creating a species of super coffee that can be downright angry. (The last time I was at the studio I was mugged by my late afternoon double double. He didn't get much but I didn't think he would have had the guts...) Soon there will be faint whispers of an album being done. Not much at first, just a whisper on the wind of time...but as the weeks go by, those wisps of wind will turn into a distant thunder. Soon everything under the sun shall be saturated with the sounds of Excelentousness.!

For further overly melodramatic descriptions of what is going on while The Essentials enter the studio and begin production on their 6th CD, keep your eyes glued to our blog spot: www.essentialsmusic.com/blog.html

~wish us luck!

Feb 15/10 ~ What do we do when we take a break from music?

Feb 15/10 ~ What do we do when we take a break from music?

Love is in the air!

Happy Valentines Day and Happy Family Day to all who celebrate them!

I can't help but want to sing the Sister Sledge classic, "We are FAMILY, I got all my 'brajahs' with me. Hey, hey, hey! We are FAMILY!" ...Oops! Got a little carried away there. :)

During this weekend of love and family, The Essentials are also showing our passion for music.

We have been working hard at our arrangements, in anticipation for our studio time. There is a lot of preparation and pre-production involved before walking into the studio to record. There are a lot of decisions to make about song selection, theme, arrangements, etc.

We also finished a photo shoot last weekend and we are excited to reveal our makeovers and new promo shots soon.

And now, for the second instalment of The Essentials Q & A. This month's question was submitted by a fan, and it is...

Q: When you take a break from your music, what do you like to do?

Thom: I like spending time with my 3 month old baby, Madeleine, or teaching (I teach Stage Combat classes, and I also teach a course in the Music Theatre Program at Sheridan College).

Joe: I'm a diehard Toronto Raptors fan. Besides singing the anthem at the occasional game, I try to get to a game a few times per year (sitting in the nosebleeds with the really rabid fans). In the sports vein, I also get World Cup Fever every 4 years mostly getting my heart broken by the country of my heritage - Italy. Other than sports, I like hanging out with friends and family, especially if it involves a patio in the summer.

Dan: I like to relax and swim in my hot tub and pool. I also enjoy walking my two dogs – I have a 160lb Great Dane named Tucker as well as a Burmese Mountain Dog/Lab cross named Newman. I've also been doing some home renovations in my down time. Even when I'm not working on music or recording in my home studio, I'm always thinking about rhythms.

Janet: In the summer I like to play baseball. I like to go to concerts and musicals as often as I can. I also try to travel as much as possible and spend time with my friends and family.

If there's something you've been dying to know about us, please send your questions to: band@essentialsmusic.com.

Feb 1/10 ~ Tonight's Headliner: YOU!

Feb 1/10 ~ Tonight's Headliner: YOU!

Two music-related events have collided for me recently.

First, The Essentials have been planning our next album, and in doing so, have had to do some soul searching and exploration as to what is so appealing to our audience about our music, so we can capture it in the studio.

Second, I'm reading a book called This is Your Brain on Music. I guess it was first published in 2006, so I'm a little behind the times. According to that hyperlink the book "describes the components of music and ties them to neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, cognitive psychology and evolution" and people like George Martin, Neil Peart, and Pete Townshend have praised it. I'm not going to do any such thing. It's interesting, but for me to praise it would mean that it would have to be the type of book I can't put down. I put this book down a lot, but it's interesting enough that I do want to finish it.

So, two music-related events. First, planning and exploring our own music to prepare for our album. Second, reading a book that is basically about how our noggins process music.

Something was stated in the book that I found interesting. I'll quote it;

"Some of the oldest physical artifacts found in human
and protohuman excavation sites are musical instruments:
bone flutes and animal skins over tree stumps to make drums.

Only relatively recently in our own culture, five hundred years ago
or so ago, did a distinction arise that cut society in two,
forming separate classes of music performers and music listeners.
Throughout most of the world and for most of human history,
music making was as natural an activity as breathing and walking,
and everyone participated."

Everyone participated. Interesting, eh? It means that just a couple of hundred years before Mozart hit the scene everyone participated. Everyone. That would have included you. So, if your great-great-great-etc-grandparent went to a concert, they were always also the main act!

So, we're not wired to sit and stoically observe music being performed; we're wired to participate.

Whether it's tapping your foot, clapping your hands, or singing along, that's how we're made. Go to your nearest Irish pub on St. Patrick's Day if you need more proof.

Anyway, I think that's part of the appeal of acappella music versus say, a string quartet. Whether you have a high voice, low voice, or don't even see yourself as someone singing a lead (you'd be amazed how terrified some people are of the word 'karaoke'), there is a part for everyone in this style of music. I can't count how many people have come up to me after a show and said something like "we put your recording of Brown Eyed Girl on and my boyfriend tries to sing your bass part" or "my sister sounds so ridiculous screeching out Dan's lead when we play Lion Sleeps Tonight in the car". I love it. Be the headliner, dammit! Take centre stage.

As far as eureka moments go, this is a mild one. I think it's something I've always known, but never verbalized before: This is the kind of music you can sing along to no matter what your voice type is. My bandmates and I promise to keep that in mind when we hit the studio next week. But, since we are earth-conscious, we promise not to use animal skins or tree stumps to make it happen.

Jan 15/10 ~ New Year's Resolutions

Jan 1/10 ~ Death to the album?

Jan 1/10 ~ Death to the album?

"What's an album?" That question will come from some 12 year old kid in about 5 years.

He and/or she is just 7 years old right now and all they know is their iPod and begging their parents to download certain songs that their friends have from the internet. When he and/or she will ask that question, we'll laugh at them and show them CDs with actual artwork and liner notes longer than 140 characters. Or better yet, find some vinyl circular thing that our parents owned that we can no longer play. We'll follow it up with the fact that we used to walk a mile uphill to school – both ways of course.

Every music industry resource you can possibly read will tell you about the death of the album. Some say it's 10 years away, some say it's 5 years away, some say it's here already.

They don't suggest that music will go away. Music has been around since we wore but fig leafs (or is it "butt fig leafs?").

Music is art for the ears and it will never go away. To say music will go away is like saying that children will no longer draw when you put a crayon in front of them.

These experts just claim the album will go away and the single will make it's triumphant return, albeit digitally.

They tell us that the "new industry" is about a band releasing a single every month or two instead of an album every year or two.

I don't agree with them, but I sorta do.

Don't -> Albums are not flawed by design. They're flawed because record companies have, for decades, gotten away with putting 1 or 2 hits on an album and then 8 to 10 tracks of cats in heat and charging 10 times the price by doing so. You know it, people were paying 10 times the price they should have because they really wanted those 1 or 2 hits.

Do -> No longer are we handcuffed to the album, but if it's full of good music, isn't part of the joy experiencing the songs as a cohesive collection? The first track counts. The last track counts. Tempos, keys, melodies, and lyrics count. It all counts when it's well done.

Now back to The Essentials.

We're releasing an album in 2010. It's one that will be very near and dear to me because we've been planning on it for so long. As a matter of fact, we've been planning it for so long that we're basically ready to release two.

So, we're planning on releasing one in 2010 and one in 2011.

And no cats in heat on either of them.

We have the material, all the pieces in place, and plan to make these recordings really stellar.

We're also excited to be in the final negotiating steps with a really cool producer to do both albums. Once it's all finalized we'll let you know his and/or her name.

We're pumped about the next couple of years. All killer, no filler...as the saying goes.

So, in 5 years, when that 12-year old kid asks what an album is, you can hand over our 2010 or 2011 CD with pride and say, "Listen to this kid."

Dec 31/09 ~ Vlog #8: Countdown to the New Year

Dec 24/09 ~ Vlog #7: Christmas wishes from us to you

Dec 15/09 ~ Happy holidays!

Dec 1/09 ~ Shotgun!

Dec 1/09 ~ Shotgun!

More than once a new sound tech or other person travelling with us for the first time has been amazed at The Essentials' level of sophistication when it comes to a shotgun call.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm talking about who rides in the passenger seat of a car on a road trip.

The basic premise suggests that you must shout out 'shotgun!' in order to ride in the passenger seat.

I heard it goes back to the days of horse and buggy when one person took the reins and the person beside them held a shotgun in case anything untoward went down.

There are many self-proclaimed "official" websites on the internet but speaking on behalf of musicians everywhere, I must say that the rules I've seen are not sufficient for any self-respecting travelling band.

Here is a shortened version of our rules:

TEN ESSENTIAL SHOTGUN RULES

The Basic Rule: The person calling 'shotgun!' must be outside, within line-of-site of the vehicle, and within earshot of the driver and must verbally declare 'shotgun!'. In a rented vehicle where there are multiple drivers insured, "Driver" must also be called. The other seats must also be declared clearly. For example, in a van "Middle Left", "Middle Right", "Back Bench" and/or "Back Left" and "Back Right" are acceptable. The order of calls is irrelevant. For example, one may call "Back Bench" if they don't want to ride shotgun but would rather lie back and sleep. This specific move is known worldwide as a "Dan Speck Special".
Tie: In the case of a tie (when two people call 'shotgun!' at the same time), the person who repeats the word the quickest wins the Shotgun call. The driver shall be the judge in all such disputes.
No Sleeping: The person riding shotgun must remain awake to keep the driver awake unless the driver specifically tells the shotgun person they are fine and don't need company to stay awake. If the shotgun person falls asleep, the driver may pull over and appoint someone else to the shotgun seat. This is never done by a shotgun recall, but only by appointment by the driver as he/she is usually in the best position to evaluate the alertness of the other passengers.
Map Duties: The shotgun person shall be tasked with all mapping and/or GPS responsibilities. If the shotgun person proves to be incompetent in this regard, then a vote may be taken amongst all passengers, suspending that person's shotgun privileges for the balance of that road trip. Incompetence is defined as getting lost twice on one road trip.
Retention Triangle: The retention triangle is considered part of the shotgun seat (see yellow triangle in photo). While standing in this space, the person retains his or her rights to the shotgun seat. This is usually only used in a 2-door vehicle when letting someone in the back seat but may also apply to someone just stepping outside to stretch. Only one foot has to remain planted in the retention triangle to reap its benefits.
Verbal Retention: A verbal retention may also be called should the shotgun person wish to retain his or her seat but it must be called while in the seat itself or retention triangle. For example, if the shotgun person steps out of the car while visiting a coffee shop, then they may proceed inside as long as they say "Shotgun Retention!" or just "Retention!" as long as this is declared from the shotgun seat or retention triangle. They may then proceed inside the coffee shop. No retentions are ever acceptable when going in for a sit-down meal, even at a fast food restaurant. Food and drink brought to the car, as well as snack and washroom breaks allow the shotgun person to enjoy their time in the facility without worrying about recalling Shotgun.
Highway Rules: The verbal retention only applies while driving on a highway or having stopped into a city or town for provisions.
City Rules: While within a city or town that is serving as a starting point, or end point to the day's journey, leaving the shotgun seat or retention triangle for any reason negates the original shotgun call. Helping someone put their luggage in the trunk, for example, nullifies the shotgun call (and retention may not be called) and anyone may recall 'shotgun!'.
Vehicle Ownership: The owner of the vehicle, if not driving his or her own vehicle, may automatically claim the shotgun seat. The owner of the car may in fact be demoted to one of the back seats if he or she falls asleep. This is for safety purposes only.
Obstruction: If the shotgun person leaves the vehicle at any time to clear an obstruction from the road he or she retains the shotgun seat without having called for its retention. If he or she is unable to move the obstruction under their own power and have to call for help from the passengers in the back of the vehicle, he or she must move the shotgun seat up one notch for the duration of the trip.

I hope you understand now what it takes to be in a travelling band. These rules may seem like overkill, but believe me, there is nothing more important than having fair rules that everyone agrees to and abides by to help the harmony of the band.

We have more shotgun rules, but a lot of them are common sense. Like if someone's significant other is on the trip, they automatically take shotgun or if the person sat in the seat without calling it then it's as if they called it, but I felt 10 was enough for now.

Nov 26/09 ~ Vlog #6: The Buffalo Bills organization discriminates!

Nov 18/09 ~ Vlog #5: A little Christmas music for you...

Nov 16/09 ~ A Girl Outnumbered on the Road

Nov 12/09 ~ Vlog #4: Trying to land our first NFL national anthem gig!

Oct 31/09 ~ Vlog #3: National anthem in full from Ottawa, ON

Oct 27/09 ~ Vlog #2: Tee shirt display, plus a bit of the Canadian National Anthem

Oct 20/09 ~ Vlog #1: Our First Attempt at a Video Blog Gone Awry

Oct 16/09 ~ Turkey and pumpkin pie, oh my!

Oct 6/09 ~ An Autumn New Year

Oct 6/09 ~ An Autumn New Year

I've always felt that we celebrate the New Year on the wrong date.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy ringing in the New Year as much as the next guy. My eyebrows tend to grow back, charges are usually dropped, and my neighbour's snowman can easily be returned to it's androgynous ol' self.

Although Jan 1st represents the beginning of a new calendar year, my own personal 'renewal' always seems to start after Labour Day in September. Maybe it's a throw-back to old school day patterns. Or maybe, there is just something about the onset of fall that renews my energy and motivation.

The coming of cooler weather and the end to those relaxing days of summer tells me it's time to sit down and take inventory of my life and it's direction.

The same can be said for The Essentials (except for that bit about relaxing during the summer). The Essentials actually had a very busy summer because we added a new member, and, for the 3rd summer in a row...prepped Christmas music for a busy holiday schedule.

There is something very unsettling about walking down the street in the scorching heat singing "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas". I've narrowly escaped beatings from friends and family alike. Anyone in the music business will tell you similar stories. It's the reality of being a musician and it's the only way of being truly prepared when the holiday season descends upon us.

Now that autumn is here, the fall fair/festival season is fully upon us and we have thoroughly enjoyed visiting some of the small (but mighty) communities right here in Ontario. Needless to say we've had a great time! We always love going into places like Acton, Embro, or Rockton and feeling so very welcomed. Being from a small town, my brother Dan and I feel a little closer to home. We also played in some bigger places like London, ON (Western Fair) and Toronto (Taste of the Danforth & the CNE). So, thanks to everyone who brought us to a fair or festival and to everyone who clapped, sang along, and cheered!

Once these fall dates are finished, we'll head into the holiday shows, and then the other New Year will be here. Not my New Year (after Labour Day in September), the January 1st one. You know, with Dick Clark, and the whole countdown thing, and the champagne, and the fireworks.

January is usually a down time for musicians, but not for us.

We're going to be starting a major project in January, which we're all very excited about.

I'd tell you. But I really like suspense. :) Keep checking back for the news or sign up for our email list by clicking here.

Oh, and Happy New Year...whenever you celebrate it!

Sep 22/09 ~ September Update

Sep 22/09 ~ September Update

September is almost over already. Where oh where did summer disappear to so fast?

I've officially been singing with the group for over a month now and I've had the time of my life (RIP Patrick Swayze).

The Essentials had a fantastic time singin' in the sunshine at the CNE (aka "the EX")...when we weren't battling to be heard over the G-Force jet planes that is. We got to meet a lot of great people during our adventures there. It was a great opportunity for us to bond as a group and share a lot of laughs (my face would hurt by the end of each day from laughter!).

Here are some of my favourite highlights at the EX:

The super-friendly CNE EXpress Train employees that accommodated us on a daily basis and put up with our loitering at their shuttle bus stops everyday
The lovely and talented Ms. Lydia who ripped a lead in The Lion Sleeps Tonight (aka: "In the Jungle") every time we passed by her stop on the CNE EXpress Train
Our dear friend and next door (dressing room) neighbour, Melina, the living statue from Montreal. Even on the windiest days, you couldn't see her move an inch!
The delicious wraps, salads and freshly squeezed juices served at "Juice It" in the food building...mmmm!
The Olympic spirit in the air at the Winter Games display. We got to try our luck at curling, sit in a bobsled, and get our picture taken with the actual 2010 Olympic torch!
The Canadian Forces exhibition where I got to try on military equipment and sit in a Snowbird airplane
The petting zoo and reptile displays. Thom was the only brave one to feed the donkey and wrap the boa around his neck. Perhaps I wouldn't have been so afraid if that donkey hadn't charged at me with an evil look in his eye! (no joke)
The tasty Tiny Tom Donuts, I gave in after the very first day...how can you resist them when you walk past the smell of freshly baked donuts every day??

(Joe/Editor's Note: they ain't baked, JT, but you can continue to pretend they are if you want :) ...click here for video)
And last but certainly not least, the Chocolate Covered Bacon (aka: Chocobacon). One of the most interesting food combinations I've ever tried. A little bit salty and a little bit sweet, only found at a fair near you!

It felt nice that people actually recognized our voices from the CNE jingle that aired on practically every radio station in Toronto. All-in-all, it was a great experience and we hope to be invited back again next year! Click here to see some pics of our CNE adventures!

After surviving the CNE, we had a tough week of rehearsals in order to prepare for our next couple of shows, but it definitely paid off.

The crowd was LIVELY at the Norgan Theatre in Palmerston, ON (11 Sept '09). It was my very first "full out", 2-hour show since joining The Essentials and I was a bit nervous before stepping on stage. After the first song or two, I got over my nerves and enjoyed every minute in the spotlight!

It was great to see a lot of familiar faces in the crowd at our London, ON show on the Western Fair grandstand last week (17 Sept '09). We had a lot of family and friends come out because Joe and I are from originally from London, ON and the Speck brothers grew up a short drive from there in Forest, ON (about a 45 minute drive from London). We're all based in Toronto now, so it's always great to visit the welcoming faces in South-Western Ontario.

Thanks to all of our family, friends, and amazing fans who came out to support us.

A big thank you to everyone who came out to see us at the Embro Fair (18 Sept '09) and Acton Fair (19 Sept '09). We had a blast both nights. In Acton, we were exchanging sets with a bunch of crazy guys from Ottawa called Eddy and the Stingrays. We even did a totally unrehearsed song with them! Hopefully we can hang out with these hilarious guys when we are in Ottawa next month.

If you're wondering what's next for us, well, we're rehearsing right now for our Christmas shows. Besides that, we have a lot of neat and interesting things coming up like our 2010 album release. Click here to join our email list so that you'll be "in the know". You can also connect with us on facebook or twitter.

Hope to see you at a show, and thanks to all of the fans who have emailed in or said hello at a show and made me feel so welcome! :)

Aug 15/09 ~ Interview with Janet

Aug 15/09 ~ Interview with Janet

Ever see one of those movies where a hobo's running beside a train and gets on it?

That's what it's been like for The Essentials' newest member, Janet Turner. Not that she's a hobo...far from it! But The Essentials' train is in constant motion and she's only had a very short time to hop on.

This month, Janet recorded a radio commercial for the CNE, had her first show with The Essentials, and hit the recording studio to cut the theme song for a Hollywood motion picture (the details are confidential at this point, but the movie is scheduled for release in late 2010).

Run fast, JT! Grab on and swing up. Don't drag your feet.

So, we thought we'd take a little breather and ask her few questions to familiarize you with her.

Height? 5'7"

Shoe size? 7 (ladies)

Sign / Birthday? Libra / September 27 (I expect many wonderful gifts!)

Season? Fall.

A 3-sentence mini-bio? I grew up in London, ON, and began singing at the age of 12. I started my career by singing in competitions all over Ontario and have performed national anthems for such teams as the Toronto Blue Jays, Team Canada Hockey, and the London Knights. I graduated from the Music Industry Arts Program (MIA) at Fanshawe College and I'm currently working in Toronto on the business side of the music industry.

Who's your favourite musician of all time? This is a toughy, but I'd have to say Kanye West....just kidding! I will trust my instincts on this one...the "King of Pop", MJ (R.I.P.). And, I would have said that before he passed away. He had it all: wicked pipes, catchy tunes, and innovative dance moves. He has influenced some of the most talented artists of my time. He's truly an idol and no one will ever replace him.

What did the first show as a member of The Essentials feel like? My first show felt exhilarating. It was a great feeling to be on stage again, especially with 3 fantastic guys beside me! I was a bit nervous before stepping on stage, but once I was up there I got into the groove and was in my own little world. It's an adrenaline rush every time! I can't wait for our next show! :)

Between Dan, Thom, and Joe;

1. Who's the nicest?
2. Who'd you most trust to pack your parachute?
3. Who do you think would be the best poker player? 1. Thom

2. Joe

3. Dan

Steak or sizzle? I'm not quite sure what this means but I would never pass up a steak dinner.

City or country? I'm a country girl all the way.

Beach or pool? Beach.

Sunrise or sunset? Sunset...I'm not a morning person.

Deepest darkest secret? Wouldn't you like to know...

So there you have it. A bit about the lovely lady of The Essentials, Janet Turner. Email us any other questions!

We're at the CNE in Toronto everyday from Aug 21 to Sept 7, so hope to see you there or in your area soon!

Jul 17/09 ~ New Member

Jun 29/09 ~ Gigs, Birthdays, and a Cliffhanger

Mar 22/09 ~ Manitoba Tour Photo Blog

Feb 18/09 ~ Since We've Been Gone, Gran Torino, Love & Woodstock

Jan 10/09 ~ 2008, 2010 Release, Website Update

Jan 01/09 ~ Remember December, Live Show, Original Album

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