For today's SMOKE SESSION, I wanted to take a lighter approach towards the topic of "drugs" - but instead of the usual "say no to drugs" message you'd see on TV throughout the 80s and 90s, I wanted to take a celebratory pro-drug stance. I also intended to be a little blunt (no pun intended) and direct, no hidden meanings, just “I only feel good when I’m on drugs.” can’t get that confused. Despite the intentional humor/sarcasm, the song has a bit of a darker tone to it, so maybe things aren't all good in "Drug Land"?? You can hear the musical interplay back and forth; the up and down effect of being with and without substances as the song chugs along. I had fun making this one, I liked creating the different moods as the singer went through his "experiences." I enjoyed using weird chords in the verses, and then trying to pull it together for the choruses. The strain I smoked while creating this song was from Willie's Reserve called "Humble Pie" which was high in Caryophyllene - great for a creative, relaxing state. I figured if it was good enough for Willie Nelson, I could try it out for myself - and I certainly enjoyed it! I'm starting to like Indica hybrids a lot more for writing songs, Sativas are almost too anxious for me now. To be in a good state of mind to write a song, I feel you need to slow down a bit and be receptive to the messages being sent from all around you - that's when/how the ideas come. If you don't have your feelers out and you're not in a calm state of mind - you won't catch the ideas when they come. So here is just a fun little nugget called "(I Only Feel Good) When I'm On Drugs" - and don’t take the lyrics TOO seriously, I’m actually doing fine, thanks! Enjoy this HOME RECORDED TUNE, and be prepared for the upcoming release of our BRAND NEW EP “Celebrate The Imperfections” coming this FALL - and if you are near LAS VEGAS this Saturday October 13th, we are playing NuWu Dispensary’s 1-Year Anniversary Party - so come on down and hang with us!
SMOKE SESSION: Strawberry Cough
the rippin' and the tearin'
seattle power shredder
For this week's SMOKE SESSION I vaped some Strawberry Cough from GLP and started elaborating on some ideas I had recently come up with. First off, the line "You don't even have a heart to break" sounded like such a bitter concept, I wanted to see what I could do with it. Its something you'd have to be really angry to say to someone else. Also the title of the song "Kiss and Tell" to me has such a push and pull to it, the KISS is the sweet, wonderful part but the TELL is much more mysterious - who did you tell and what did you tell them?! I'm also working to simplify my musical delivery, and this is a demo but I'm intentionally not overdoing the guitars and other instruments during the verses and vocal parts. I can always add more later, but I like hearing some space in there every so often. I wish I sang this better but typically with demos the vocal melody is so totally new, that I'm honestly just not that good at singing it yet! The next version I'll have it locked in I promise!
As for the cannabis in today's session, Strawberry Cough from Green Life Productions is one of my absolute favorites! Years ago when cannabis first went legal in Nevada, Strawberry Cough was a strain I just HAD to track down, in addition to the incredibly sweet, fruity scent and taste, SC's effects are ideal for creative folks [check https://www.leafly.com/sativa/strawberry-cough] so I had to see what it was capable of. Immediately I felt the rush of euphoria and creativity that makes you just want to write songs all day! This one tastes great and feels great on the mind/body level as well.
So even tho this song is far from perfect, it IS what I was able to come up with today on Strawberry Cough, bruises and all. I'll have to post a remix soon. But for now I'm happy with the bitter love concepts in the lyrics and the guitars at the end are kinda cool. Hope y'all are having a great day - until next session...
SMOKE SESSION: Head Cheese
Head Cheese from Polaris voted Best of Las Vegas 2018.
I had to take advantage of this unique date; 8-8-18, and record something unique. That was the plan, anyway...I was thinking about my own unique life journey - the UPs and DOWNs - and how my main regret would be any time I STOPPED life's momentum and didn't let things continue to play out to see what might happen. Looking back, I think I wanted everything to be "perfect" before anyone heard it. And my definition of what "perfect" was seemed to change constantly. It's enough to make you crazy. So recently I have come to appreciate the idea of the process, and being patient. I didn't want to worry about achieving "perfection", I wanted to celebrate The Imperfections (hence the name). I stopped my own progress so many times in the past - afraid of what might lie ahead. Maybe it was nothing different than life as I knew it, but you can't stop yourself before you finish, its not fair to the universe! This song deals with life's journey, and the process - even if you can't see it now - life is leading you towards an exciting story! People love roller coasters because they ZOOM, ZIP, WHOOSH up, down and all around - not straight ahead and slow. What fun would THAT be? Stick with this song to the end, there are some fun surprises, just like life - now isn't that nice?!
As for the cannabis - I went with my tried and true favorite strain Head Cheese from Polaris based right here in Las Vegas, NV. It was voted "BEST STRAIN" in the Las Vegas Weekly Best of Vegas 2018 issue - and its well-deserved. First of all, it has a STRONG stinky/moldy cheese smell, some people don't like that. But for me - if a flower smells THAT strong, it means there are some serious terpenes in action which typically results in a more enhanced sensory experience overall. Its dense and moist, which isn't easy in the Nevada desert. Head Cheese makes my body feel like its getting a warm hug (which makes me feel safe and creative while coming up with fresh new song ideas). But Head Cheese also packs a hefty cerebral blow - sometimes I can get too cloudy or confused if I have too much, but with well-dosed moderation, Head Cheese can aid mental creativity and give a euphoric stamina well-suited to any kind of creativity, in this case, songwriting. I ground up the cannabis with my trusty SLX Grinder and vaped through my Da Buddha Vaporizer which I've had for 10 YEARS NOW! Happy anniversary to us.
I started recording the song on an acoustic guitar, then laid down the drums over the top - the guitar riffs came soon after and the chorus vocal harmonies topped off the whole shebang. Still tweaking it, but here's where its at now...