Cleaning Out the Closet

With my third-born album "Here Nor There" now grown up and moved out of the house, it's time to go through a few old things and put them in order. I have quite a few little bits and pieces of songs from past sessions that never found a home. Most of them are in this homeless state because they obviously didn't belong anywhere else. They were either unfinished, didn't fit in, or were just plain not that good. There is one song, however that I was always proud of called "A Lie". I've polished it up a bit, created some artwork, and added a couple more of the best/most interesting of these leftovers to create a mini EP called "A Lie". Remember, these songs are pretty old and somewhat second rate...enjoy them for what they are.

The track-listing is as follows:

1. A Lie
2. So Alone
3. The Descent

All of these songs come from the "Making It Right Again" recording sessions of 2003-2005. Go HERE to listen and download it for free.

'Here Nor There' Song Sampler

Album Release Information

Here it is folks. An official album release announcement!

Here Nor There, the third album by James Gillice, will be digitally released on Friday, November 26th. It will be available for download starting at midnight on Friday morning. This will be a "pay what you want" release. More details to follow.

Make the music of James Gillice a special part of your Holiday Season.

Go HERE to preview tracks now and to download on the 26th.

"Wherever You Go"...Finished!

So I did end up adding a few backing vocal tracks as well as doubling the lead vocals. It is now a finished song which can be listened to by anyone...even YOU!

Listen on the player embedded on the right side of this page ----->

or

Go to the song page and read the lyrics if you're into that kind of thing. Don't forget to "Like" it.

Anyway, thanks for listening and I hope you enjoy it. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Vocals Recorded

"Wherever You Go" has vocals! This was the last major missing piece of the Here Nor There puzzle. I recorded and mixed over the weekend but didn't have time to really listen for problems until the bus ride this morning. As is not usually the case after a first mix, it sounded really good with fresh ears this morning. I still may want to go back and do some vocal doubling or create some new harmonies, but it could actually be complete at this point. Like I said, this was the last major task left. From here it's just listening and making minor adjustments until it's as perfect as I am capable of or patient enough to make it.

Once I am fairly certain that I've got an acceptable mix, I'll get this song up on the webs so people can hear it.

The Joy of Just Playing

Hello Friends,

Things are very close to being finished. I'm a mere few hours away from getting the final vocal tracks recorded for the last remaining song. When I will actually get to start those hours is another question. After recording is finished, it will just be a matter if going back and making any last minute adjustments to any of the songs that need it.

For several years now, as I've been working on this project, I find that when I have the time I feel guilty if I'm not hard at work with recording and mixing these songs that are all 4 or 5 years old at this point. The production aspect has taken a front seat to actually playing music, which I really have done very little of in recent years. So much in fact that I've at times found that picking up the guitar and attempting to play is not as effortless as it once was. In short, I've gotten a bit rusty and it is frustrating. My fingers will hurt sooner than they should because they are not as tough as they once were. It often takes a concerted effort that once wasn't necessary and I feel the quality of my performance has suffered out of sheer neglect.

But last night I decided to forgo work on the album and just pick up the guitar and play. It was the most rewarding musical experience I've had in a while. It felt great. My fingers are back to their old strength, the music came forth with ease, and most importantly, my heart was in it. It was nice to feel that again.

I can't wait to get this album completely finished so I can get back to the less technical part of creating music...writing the actual songs. And I just think I should mention, I've got quite a few good ones coming through these days. I can't wait to flesh them out and see what kind of life they take on in the recording process. One song particularly has me excited, "Come and Gone" has the potential to be the most beautiful thing I've ever written. I love it. Hopefully you will too.

Stay tuned. Much more to come in the weeks ahead concerning album completion and release.

Much Love,

James

To The Last

"Wherever You Go" is the last song awaiting completion. Last night I went over the lyrics that I'd written a very long time ago and took stock of what was there. It turns out there are more lyrics than I can fit into the song, so it's a matter of figuring out what to cut, what to keep, what changes to make, and what order to put it all in. I'm excited to hear how this one turns out. It's kind of an odd song in a way that I can't explain. It has an unusual melody and rhythm in the verse that is carried along by semi-syncopated guitar riff and a echoing electronic beep of sorts. The strings and backing vocals are laden with reverb to give it an ambient feel that I am really enjoying. The chorus is my favorite part. It's quite catchy and keeps the song from being only a sonic experiment.

This is one of those where I'm not sure where it came from or what it is exactly. All I know is, there it is...and I like it.

It's hard to say what other people might think of it. Maybe they'll love it. Maybe they won't. I'm curious to find out.

Progress

I've been working my way down the list, trying to get everything that needs to be done...done. "Take Our Chances" is officially finished. "Castles In the Sand" is officially finished. "Drifting Away" is the next major mixing project on my list. And when that's done I just need to finish recording vocals for "Wherever You Go" and then complete a final mix of it.

It really is getting close now.