Great, someone else that needs to learn to spell.
In late February, Jude got the “Spawned a Daughter” co-op Achievement with his wife as they welcomed Jacquline Marie Kelley into the world. Mom, dad, baby, and keytars are currently doing fine.
If it was a boy, I feel certain it would have been named Roland.
So you may or may not have heard, but Dan got a new job (again), and it required relocating to Los Angeles. That’s all done now, and the boxes are mostly unpacked. In the course of moving, he sold his Mac (which was used for PSwap recordings) and upgraded to a new machine. Trouble is…not all his old hardware works on the new machine yet. Snow Leopard driver issues. They will be resolved and music will resume.
The second half of 2009 really didn’t go as planned; the two-jobs-in-four-months thing did take up a lot of time and mental energy, and all the while we were hearing “when is the next song coming out?” The fact that you even want one is a compliment, and we will make good on our slackery in 2010.
It did not escape our notice that some of you bought PSwap gear for holiday presents, and we appreciate that too. More than anything, we appreciate your patience, because we know you want to hear new music. We want to make it. We just have to get rid of these pesky real lives first…
I’m going to be moving to a new apartment soon, so I’ve started tidying up my musical workspace/gaming area/home office. When I did, I came across this scrap of paper that you may find amusing (click on it to see it full-size). So now the truth can be told: This is how I write lyrics. I immediately type them in and send them to Jude for his additions, but I’m really a paper guy when it comes to hashing out ideas like this. And in this case, I’m proud to note that most of the lyrics were final from the start, though if you look closely you will see a few roads not taken. Also, the notepaper was from Game Developer’s Conference freebie table; I love this size paper and have several of them lying around for just this reason.
Meanwhile, work on the next song (yes, we picked one out of the mess of ideas) continues, albeit slowly, partly due to my situation. Drums are tracked out, bass is laid down, and the rest is up to me with guitars and vocals. There are a lot of layered guitars…
Bet you’re wondering why you haven’t heard any new songs from us in several months. I think it’s time I told you the truth: Palette-Swap Ninja is…not breaking up. It’s true. We love working together, and we’re totally committed to making more silly music in the future. We are neither bored nor uninspired. Sometimes, when a band has been together for a while, you know, they get closer and even more dedicated. It happens. And when it does, you have to simply accept it: Things are just going to keep getting better.
Boy, I feel better just saying that out loud.
However, there are some concrete reasons behind our unintentional hiatus. A lot of people have looked at all the things I’m involved in and asked “How do you find the time?” Well, lately, the answer has been “Actually, I don’t, but I’m still looking.” This is not meant as whining, it’s meant as explaining. But factors include:
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We are nerds — proud nerds, even — so we were proud and honored when NERDSociety.com contacted us for an interview. Liking attention, we answered all their questions. The interview includes some photos you may or may not have seen — photos of what we actually look like…sometimes. In any case, go read it and tell all your friends.