Louisiana

I left my job on Tuesday. It was only going to be for a month more anyway, but I got very bored quite quickly, and I really don't value money very much, I don't think. I would much rather have my day free to watch Wipeout. I was quite enjoying doing the Lunchbox songs, but even that got a bit tiring because I didn't leave time to eat enough. I almost fainted one day, I think.

Tuesday was also the day of our Bumblebees gig at the Loui, which I enjoyed more than any gig before. I think it will keep feeling easier and better for a while, as we get used to the blinding lights. Talking between songs is still a problem, but I problem that I secretly sort of enjoy. 12 people came, three of which were our parents, three of which were Jelas, one of which were Byrion, four of which were Jon and his friends, one of which were Oli. We got paid £12, so all of those people can now lawfully consider themselves our employers. Or shareholders. We are going to use the money on getting the bus to Bath to see the Jelas play.

This was the setlist (which I have coloured maroon):

To Bee Or Not To Bee
My Kaleidoscope
The Velocity Of Money
Beetroot
Fluffy Clouds Of Joy
Beachy
Cool Science

Cool Science had feedback on. I was petulant.

We played with Nina's Cafe, The Bloody Tourists and The Monaros. None of them were amazing, but The Bloody Tourists were really nice. The drummer from Nina's Cafe said, as we were coming off stage, "we're probably the weirdest band on tonight". What a weird thing to say. We didn't watch them, we went to get some chips.

We won't be gigging until May now, due to various holidays and stuff, so we have plenty of time to make a couple of new songs, and possibly to try and find a drummer. If you are reading this and you are one, or know one, we probably want to know.

Lunchbox No. 7: New Forest Barn

Me and Roz have been away for the weekend. This song is about that weekend, in a vague way. I think it's one of my favourite ones so far! It feels like I've done more than seven. Do you like this one?

New Forest Barn

I am really ever so bored of work now, in a way that is unimaginable to the human mind. When I get some time I want to write about the last Creationism, and I want to write about The Jelas and Islands. Right now though we have to practise because the Bumblebees have a gig tomorrow! We truly are on the up and up. We got played on Radio Bristol at about 2am on Sunday morning. Hopefully that means we qualify for a rider now.

I might not have time to put up the Lunchbox tomorrow. See you all at the Louisiana!

Lunchbox No. 6: Office Talk

I didn't spend that long on this one, I was really hungry and sick feeling. It's vaguely about not really liking being in an office, but it's not really about anything. If you are only going to download one out of this one and the one before, make it the one before.

Office Talk

I think I will stop doing Lunchboxes for this week cos the park is getting a bit too busy. And I want to go to the pub for lunch tomorrow.

Lunchbox No. 5: Gown Lament

I am pretty pleased with this one, I don't know why. I think it sounds a bit more complicated than it is. I did the vocals today but all the rest of it yesterday.

It is based on a true story that happens every morning when I have to get out of my Mark & Spencer dressing gown and into my work shirt. Every day it gets colder (despite the popular myth about it getting warmer towards Spring) and therefore harder to make the transition from laziness to business.

Gown Lament

Go Hungry

Oh. For anyone who has stayed up past their bedtime awaiting the next installment in my cult "Lunchbox" series, I'm afraid there is no lunch for anyone today. I made my usual trip to the park to do the song, but unfortunately it was buzzing with child-like flies. They were children. Sadly I had forgotten it was half-term.

I kept thinking they would leave for some food or something (they were all so fat I'm amazed they even thought of going to a park), but alas ...they didn't. If only I lived in Bridgend, eh? So I done all the music but I didn't do any singing. And it doesn't sound very good without the singing. So I'm going to finish it tomorrow, along with a WHOLE NEW LUNCHBOX! That's right, there will be two songs tomorrow. And if that doesn't make you want to kill yourself, I don't know what would...

Sorry this post is so late as well, I had to go straight from work to Bumblebees practise. I'm still hoping on getting another song ready before the gig, but seeing as it's only a week away and we're only going to have one more practise, and I haven't actually written the song yet, it's probably a bit optimistic.

Lunchbox No. 4: Art Loss Rep

I really didn't feel like doing a song today. I hope that partially explains why this is the worst sound ever created outside of a Kooks gig. I hope I don't have to work for much longer.

Art Loss Rep

Lunchbox No. 3: Marmite By Blockbuster

Hullo! This one is a bit late cos I got a bus home (rather than a lift), and I've had tea and watched Fresh Prince and done some emails and stuff. I did it from about 1.10 to 1.55 cos I had to phone the Job Centre and have a satsuma. I did literally no mixing on it when I got home, cos it's quite simple. Anyway I quite like this one, it's based on a true story.

Marmite By Blockbuster

More writing soon hopefully, making this more blog less dumping ground.

Lunchbox No. 2: Notre Dame Valentine

I did this between 1 and 2. It's not so hot, but the brilliant thing about this is I always have a very good excuse for making a rubbish song. I did about ten minutes mixing on it when I got home cos it sounded worse than I remembered.

Notre Dame Valentine

Bye!

Lunchbox No. 1: Weird Spider Dream

I did this between 12.30 and 13.30pm, and I mastered it at ten past six, cos it took ages to get home and then I got some food. The last half hour I was figuring out how to put it on here. Anyway I've done that now. This song is about a dream I had last night.

Weird Spider Dream

I have to go do Bumblebees practise now. Hopefully there will be another song tomorrow!

Plan Of Attack

Yesterday night I thought of a really cool idea. I should take my MacBook to work and use it in my lunch break to make a song! I didn't do it though because I was really tired and forgot about it. So I'm going to do it tomorrow, and for every other day that I have to be in a boring office for ages.

It works this way:

1. I have all morning to think up a song, all the words and the tune and stuff.
2. In my hour lunch break I go to the park and record the song, all the singing and percussion and softsynths.
3. I can use the journey home to EQ, mix, compress, whatever.
4. When I get home I post the song here! The deadline is 6pm....or something

I call it "WHAT'S IN ELLIS' LUNCHBOX?"

You'll have to wait and see...

Quantity Street

Eurgh. Somehow, without trying very hard, I have found myself working 9 t'5 at an office. I sort of needed a job, but not badly enough to actually get one. But then the agency phoned with work and I found myself saying 'okay then'. So for the next few weeks I am ADMIN ASSISTANT first, musician second. Probably tea-maker third. I am in a Loss Adjusters, which is the most boring work in the world (no offence Jon- I'm sure it depends which office you happen to be in - mine is a dull one). It will last for a couple of weeks, which will pay for Andorra in April, and maybe some treats for the two of us.

Still, I didn't mean to start on a DULL NOTE - the last few days have been generally really good, some of the best in ages. Thursday was our club night, and despite it closing early, I still enjoyed it. But we need to sort out how much control we actually have over closing time, because if we really pull out all the stops to get people to come and it still shuts at half twelve then we'll have been wasting our time and more importantly our friends and 'punters' money. People were coming around the time it was shutting, which just added to the annoyance. Matthew and Mike (Milky Way DJs) arrived just as they stopped letting people in and, having finished up, we met the Jelas on Park Street on their way to our now non-existent night. We wandered round with them a bit, and they gave us a lift home.

Friday, Roz and I went to a Pancake Party at Cafe Kino, with Daisy and Oli and Steve, who are all really nice. It was ALL YOU CAN EAT. The only problem was you could only order one pancake at a time, and supply was substantially outweighed by ferocious, ferocious demand. We got through a selection of toppings, sweet and savoury. Us two and Daisy and Oli went on to Start The Bus, which is new. The music was a bit loud. I thought I saw the bassist from Kotki Dwa. It was like:

"Hey are you the bassist from Kotki Dwa?!"
"No, but I am a bassist!"
"Don't lie! I know you are....what's your name then?"
"What should my name be?"
"Umm. I think it was Tom, or Tristan..."
"Nah, it's Ian."
"Oh alright. Someone thought I was in Munch Munch once."

A friend for life. Anyway we didn't love the place but the decor is kinda alright. We'd like to play there. We went on to Renato's and I did some jammin' blues piano with someone wearing a waistcoat (I think). It was a really nice night. We don't really go out very much but with the right people it's fun.

Went swimmin' on the weekend, it was like welcome to exerciseville. I think it is the sort of thing we (or everybody) should do regularly, so we'll try to. We also did a bit of work on the new Bumblebees' songs, they sound much better than before. I don't think they are worldbeaters (or as good as some of the old ones) but they are workable and I more excited less nervous about our next gig now, and less worried that I'll never be able to finish another song.

Anyway I'm writing here only because I've made myself, and it shows. So BYE.

Bouncebackability

Brrrr. I am still not feeling very great. I have felt much worse, but I have never felt so consistently low for this long. I have forced myself to finish some Bumblebees songs because we have a gig quite soon. They are okay. I have to keep telling myself that there is no way I would peak as a songwriter aged eighteen. I just have to relax a bit and be patient.

Roz and me have Creationism tomorrow. I really hope that some people come, and that those people enjoy it, because I really like doing it, and I feel like we've put enough effort in to deserve to have people there. It would be a bit much to say that doing a clubnight is difficult, but I wouldn't say that it is easy. Roz took about three days doing the poster (I spent about ten minutes making it FLASH in an extremely garish manner), we spent a day putting posters up around Bristol, and an evening handing out flyers to anyone who looked even mildly 'indie'. Since then we have been practising, worrying, and trying to find new bands that aren't Vampire Weekend. (I don't mind them, but c'mon, overhyped much? Paul Simon rinsed that hi-life shit years ago...)

p.s. If America really has to have a President, I want it to be Barack Obama.