James Monte

The holidays at the end of every year is one of those times I look forward to the least.  It's not that I don't like the holiday cheer and culture that goes with it, quite the contrary.  I used to loved the holidays when I was a kid, as my son does now.  The reason I dislike them is because the added stress and financial burden that seems to be a prerequisite for this time of year.  Time is always a commodity, but during the holiday season there is even less to go around.  My schedule is packed until the end of the year and even a couple weeks into January.  I always love spending time with the family, but everything else I have planned always takes a back seat.  Therefore I won't be working on my music again until mid to late January.  I hate to say it, but other things are more important than a dream.  And that's all it is, really.

I know I've been quiet lately and here's why - Last month I went with the family to NYC and spent some quality time there.  We took in a Mets game and caught the Yeah Yeah Yeah's with Har Mar Superstar at Barclay's center in Brooklyn.  I also stopped by Matt Umanov Guitars and bought a new Seagull guitar which sounds and plays beautifully.  I can't wait to start recording with it.  Which is another reason I've been busy.  I've been writing and practicing with any spare time I have outside of work and I hope to be able to start playing out some songs early next year. All in all it was a good time and I can't wait to go back.  Hopefully next time it will be for my own show or two. In a few days we'll be getting on a plane again to catch the VooDoo Experience in New Orleans.  I've never seen Peal Jam or The Cure before, so I'm super excited for that.  I'm also really excited to see Nine Inch Nails again.  They always put on a terrific s...

This update is a bit late, and for that I'm sorry. It's been a crazy couple months.  I changed hours at work, said goodbye to a close friend, did a ton of landscaping at my home, and doubled down on practice time with my band, Hemlock Heyday.  If that's not enough, I'm working on 3 albums.  The first is the one I started all the way back in 2003.  The second is more of an acoustic offering mostly made up of songs I wrote when I was 17-19 years of age, or new songs about that period.  The third is a new band/project/collaboration separate from Hemlock Heyday that is more of a tribute to my close friend that recently past, Marc Berg.  There will be more information on that as soon as I get a solid master cut.  When all this is complete I will be releasing a collection of songs and demos again from my past that will wrap up the loose ends of that whole period of my life.  I expect 20 or more tracks on that release.  After that who knows. ...

Digging into the raw tracks of my follow up record, I found a lot about myself that has changed.  I've also found a lot that has remained the same. I started the project in late 2002 or early 2003, and have periodically worked on small pieces of it throughout the years.  The last time I really added to it significantly was in 2005 right before moving to the Twin Cities again.  So the lion's share of material was recorded in and around my home town.  The record is largely complete, however I want to go back and change a few things.  Mainly some vocal tracks and post production items.  I also want to add a second half of the record.   I've reworked some tracks to be performed acoustically and I feel adding them would be fitting. When that's done I'll proceed to the final mixing and mastering of the album. When I've completed more I'll share, but for now I need to get back to work.

Eleven years ago was I was at a huge turning point in my life.  I was out of high school and I was playing drums in this metal band called "Dwelling".  I had just reconnected with my high school sweetheart after a bunch of disastrous relationships, and I was working a bunch of random dead-end jobs.  At the time I had a lot going on, I was everywhere.  Everything was happening really fast and I didn't have any real direction. I had all my gear in my bedroom at my parents' house where I grew up.  I had been demoing a bunch of stuff there and much of it wasn't fitting together so to speak.  I don't know what I expected.  I was trying to make this epic rock record with a bunch of cheap shitty gear and I wasn't getting the results I wanted.  That's when I decided to start a new project, something small that I could package and pass out at shows and put my own name on.  I had to start from scratch. It was the summer of 2002 and I was listening ...

Lately when I'm working on, planning out, or even thinking about new music I get a feeling of hunger and excitement.  Hunger to get back out there and bring it to the world, and excitement at the very thought of it.  It's a feeling I haven't felt in a long time and it's absolutely fantastic.  The feeling of wanting something and the anticipation of getting close to it, maybe even loving it; brings back past feelings.  It's much like a first kiss with someone you've crushed on for a long time, or like the very first time you figure out how to play a song. The anticipation and excitement phase is definitely where I'm at. I want to get that first kiss with this new project; that first song. I won't be satisfied though, until I can break away from the glow of my LCD monitors and get out there on stage with my new songs and a live band behind me.  I want to let my real voice out this time; no gimmicks, no masks, just the songs for what they are and my awkw...

I am getting ready to (finally) put out some music of my own again.  I'll start by reissuing some of my older material and then (hopefully very soon) I will be putting out some new music too.  I have a few projects working right now and I can't wait to share.

One of the very first tapes I formed a connection with was Nirvana's "Nevermind" album.  I listened to that tape so much I wore it out.  I'm pretty sure that was the album that inspired me to be a drummer too.  Still today when I hear that album it brings me back to when I was a young boy.  I feel like the same kid listening to the tape on my walk-man, drowning out all the crappy stuff happening around me. I had a small collection of cassette tapes.  When things got tough I'd often retreat into my headphones and get absorbed into the music.  I would imagine myself in those tapes playing the music;  being part of the band.  I would daydream about what it was like to be in a band.  I would wonder about how to make music and how to record it.  It became my world. As an 11 or 12 year old boy my favorite tapes were "In Utero" by Nirvana, "Ten" by Pearl Jam, Blind Melon's self titled album and "Get a Grip" by Aerosmith.  There were ...

I vaguely remember a time when I had a fire that burned deeply within my soul.  The embers were hot and seared my flesh spilling flames outward for all to see.  There was nothing that could smother my burning desire to express this passion.  My fire was being a musician. I would sacrifice anything and everything I had or was to be in a band or play on stage.  I made poor life decisions altering my adulthood forever just so I could get the next gig, or to share the stage with one of my idols.  I was all in and nothing stood in my way from reaching the top.  Nothing except of course what happens to the majority of aspiring musicians that never realize their dreams.  I grew up. Life as it seems has it's way of getting people stuck in a rut.  You get that job that is supposed to sustain your creativity, however it becomes the very thing that stifles it.  You make a few small sacrifices at first, but over time making bigger sacrifices becomes ...

I've had a lot of different plans.  A lot have succeeded, but even more have failed.  It seems the most ambitious plans never really get far. When I was still in high school I really wanted to work in music.  Most of all I wanted to be an engineer and work in recording studios.  I was laughed at by many people older than I, including people who were tasked at helping me find my career or a school.  I remember this particular time when our high school held a career day where we all signed up to get advice from people who've had jobs in the real world.  The goal was to get career advice and gain perspective.  I had very obviously signed up stating I wanted to be a studio engineer.  The two guys I was set to meet with were not even working in the industry, so why they even had me meet with them was always confusing to me.  We chat for a bit. They asked me what I wanted to do, how I wanted to get there, and how I could achieve this. ...

Wednesday night I said farewell to a project I had been involved with for the past 4 years.  Eternal Voyager was a band I had been playing drums for since about December of 2008. Through my entire stay in the project, the band has been strained by my busy schedule as well as other hardships.  Now with my schedule becoming more hectic with the pursuit of higher education and involvement with other projects, I had to take a step back and take a serious look at where things were at.  I felt the band would be better off with someone who could devote more time and effort to the project.  I had just finished my drum tracks for EV's full length album the previous week and felt now was the best time to make my departure. Brian has been at the helm of this band since 1998, and I know he's going to continue on.  It is, after all "Eternal Voyager". I wish Brian, Brett and Co. all the best of luck with the future of the band and the search for a new drummer.  I c...

My initial thought: When I was a teenager I felt like I was some kind of special shit.  I thought I was so cool and edgy and that would never change.  Fast forward to my thirties and now I'm as lame as anyone else's dad.  It just sort of happens.  You grow older and get stuck in your routines and responsibilities.  All of a sudden your that guy walking his wife's dumb-ass dog in the suburbs wearing khaki's and a polo shirt.  What the fuck ever happened?  I would have never been caught dead dressed like that, 10 years ago even. After some reflection: The thing is, I like reading books and taking naps.  I like drinking tea and watching a good movie rather than going to a club or bar.  Is that me being lame, or do I just know what I like? The clothing I have an excuse for.  I have a job that provides income to fund my life.  I need to dress appropriate for that job or I might lose it and not get paid.  I have no excus...

So here I am creating a new blog.  I've done this before for random things and never really had much use for these.  This one I plan to be a little different.  The purpose for this blog is two things; 1. to write about what's on my mind, and 2. promote the various projects and crap that I do. I find writing to be cathartic even if there is no audience.  If there is an audience then that's even better, although I'm not sure how much on here the average reader would find remotely interesting. I'm 30 years old; married, father of 1 son, and 2 cats.  I work in the network I.T. field and have been an amateur musician since about the age of 13. I have a deep appreciation for music and the arts and I am engaged in modern technology.  I often will write and talk about these subjects.  I dislike politics and big business so I will rarely write about that on here unless I am particularly invested in the matter. I've always lived by the "live an...