Genna & Jesse

New Song

I awoke from a nap this afternoon to hear Jesse playing a new song he has been developing for a couple of weeks. Hearing it on guitar rather than piano, it was less Harry Nilsson, more Nick Drake - perfect in light of the pink moon we just experienced. I do not know exactly what the song is about, but it did reference the blue heron we watched take flight on Easter Sunday at Pennypack nature preserve outside Philadelphia. And something in the way he sang, in the delicate way he plucked the strings, brought tears of love to my eyes. It is truly inspiring to live with such an authentic and thoughtful artist.

Open Mics on the Road

What a delight to be able to step into any town, any venue with an open mic, and share our joy, love and passion. Each open mic has its own vibe, often set by the host, its own rules, its own gear… Always an exciting adventure! Last night we got to do this at Sidewalk Cafe on Manhattan’s East Side. So fun! I am truly blessed to be able to travel with my partner and play the pants off these places!

Here In The Now

I have been here before. We have been here before. An intersection.

So many paths to choose, each leading beyond known unknowns, toward destinations near and far, and each a collection of moments, of accumulated thoughts, emotions, and raw documentation of the process so as to become destinations of their own. Myriad roads and no map.

How joyful to be here now. Genna & Jesse are about six songs in. Locked in. We’ve gone out a few times for fresh air or nutrition, but otherwise we’ve been holed up in the studio since Monday, recording just about non stop. Yesterday Dave Gursom came by to play some 5 string and 4 string bass. More paths from which to sculpt. More choices to embrace.

We also had a visit from Jennifer Patankar, which included some talk about the future of “Boomerang.” We’ll be headed back to Goldenheart Manor, to finish mixing the song with Roger Rocha, after which Jennifer will get a start on the artwork and (gasp) perhaps some initial video ideas.

Some mornings these plentiful decisions feel daunting. But not today. The journey of the coming days is ours for the choosing. If I want to use sections of 5 different takes by 2 different players on 3 different bass guitars on the same song, then why not? I probably won’t go that route, by the way (and if I did I might swear never again to speak of it), since Genna and I have taken a more down home approach to this project. We have, in fact, enlisted some of the musicians right here at home to throw down with us.

So yes, we are here by choice, and I choose to celebrate this and so much else within the comfort of my headphones (at least until, Genna wakes up, after which we can switch on the studio monitors).

There are more new songs being written, and some older ones being excavated, so this next batch will bring yet more treats to the glorious decision making party. So precious to be at such a distance from the final result and yet so intimately close to the process of the gears turning and the tubes (silently) humming as zeros and ones whiz by at ever amazing speed. From either a wide or tight focus, this sure feels like fun.

Genna & Jesse Recording Lock-In: Day 2 (Valentine’s Day)

Hola!

Day 1 found Jesse and I settling into our newly renovated studio space, (we’ve been working very hard in preparation for this recording project…), gathering supplies for the next several days and beginning recording in earnest! We had a lot of fun tracking Rhodes, guitar, scratch vocal and loads of percussion. One fun thing about living at Ramen is the plethora of “found” instruments. Sometimes a recycling bin can make a cool bass drum. Sometimes you can tape a shitty snare drum to a plastic trash can and make it sound dope! ;) We love little accidents in the studio— especially on a record like this that intends to capture some of the intimacy of our lives at this moment in time. So little environmental sounds are entering the mix and adding delightful nuance to these recordings.

It’s an interesting experiment, friends. When you live, love and work together, things can get intense. It’s interesting to note that this project comes on the heels of the realization that Jesse and I need more separate time. (It’s so hard to find!) We have been working over the last month or so to find balance and time away from one another in order to promote optimal relationship health. In light of that, it’s sort of funny that we’ve chosen to hole up together for these two weeks. But music is what we do, we felt the call to integrate it more essentially into our life and work and ultimately… the Universe asked—nay, roared for it! We both felt the inner call to embark on this undertaking and wanted very much to realize this vision. So we are learning a lot about coexisting and co-creating in a dynamic, flexible and loving way that embraces both the coming together of two people as well as the separateness. We are unique and very different people, Jesse and I. We are constantly in learning mode when it comes to how to effectively, easily and lovingly work together in spite of our sometime craziness and the various stresses that can rain down from time to time. Challenges help us to learn patience and love and surrender. For that we are grateful.

Here’s to learnin’ some!
Love & Light
Genna

Two Hearts, Two Weeks, One Record!

There’s been some radio silence on the G&J front, so sorry about that! :) We have been transforming our studio space in preparation for our upcoming record-making lock-in! That’s right! We, Genna & Jesse, are locking ourselves into our home studio to make a record. We’re doing it on a two week time frame and will have absolutely no goal other than to eat, sleep, feel good and make a record! This comes as a very welcome activity as we’ve been so bogged down with OTHER stuff lately, the music has kinda taken a back seat. BOO! This is our version of a honeymoon, friends. And we are excited! XO

PS: If you are one of our musician friends, you can probably expect a call over the next two weeks. We want YOU on this mo fo too!

About When We Were Young

I wrote When We Were Young in the months before the Occupy movement began to take visible shape in this country. I was feeling the way many people are: frightened, disillusioned, and fed up with unworkable systems, and ways of thinking and being.  I longed for a simple future when things might be less pressured, less scary, and more free.

When We Were Young looks to a future I believe will come, when we have recognized our ability to create reality via our thoughts, beliefs and intentions. We have everything we need to revise, re-invent, and co-create the structures, processes, rituals and lifestyle practices which will bring us into alignment with our ideals.

Although the song is not overtly political, (I don’t think Occupy is, for that matter) it is our commentary on this social situation, from the standpoint of attempting to evolve beyond what we currently contend with and to stand as leaders in a world of light and love.

-Genna