Mix

Year of Kings. Day 333. I wanted to tell the band that it doesn’t work without this mix of individuals. I’ll try to explain it. The songs are simple. The melodies are simple - even naive. We talk about and think about songs that can be enjoyed the first time you hear them, that you can sing in the shower. But the band has a real singer and some incredible musicians - so we’re able to have this mix of naive and simple along with this mix of smart and talented. We chose simplicity backed by talent.

Year of Kings. Day 334. What does it all mean? We are sliding into new territory again. We started the year by recording “porch” at Kevin Boggs studio - with nods and references to the music found in there mountains, country, folk. Then we referenced Irish influences when we headed in the studio with Kevin Moloney. Now? Merlin does light up when the new songs are more rocking, more garage, more pop punk, more classic indie, Blondie, Echo and the Bunnymen, Waterboys…

Year of King. Day 335. We’re not advocating, ahem, that you spray paint “love is punk” everywhere this summer, but we may hand out stencils and spray paint at shows this summer.

Year of Kings. Day 336.

Year of Kings. Day 337. Is that Craig playing drums? Why - yes - that’s Craig playing drums!!

Year of Kings. Day 338. Organizing for this summer. We’ll make some graphic or something. Starting next week we’re out just about every weekend. We’ve got our stuff from our “Porch” album, the new unreleased material we recorded with Kevin Moloney, and the new new stuff we’ve been working on at Craig’s space. Sure we have country/mountain/Irish/punk/garage influences but this is pop music - it’s true and it’s real and it sounds like your heart is exploding and it’s pop.

Year of Kings. Day 339. You’re never ready. We’re never ready. I thought that locking ourselves away in Craig’s old family home in the Swannanoa Mountains for a month of practices and songwriting would be a great way to focus. We have 3-4 new songs in good shape, but twice that number of song that have promise and need work, and Craig is just starting to play drums, and what does that mean for our sound? Well… I guess that nothing is perfect and we’ll never be 100% ready… so here we go….