It Never Rains In California (It Pours)

True, my life has unfolded differently than I might have planned (or dreamed). Tonight finds me at Universal Studios Hollywood (more Burbank than Hollywood, really), not on the road like my pals The Nadas or Raining Jane.

Fortunately, though, I receive the occasional email from my rock ‘n roll pals.

In fact, Raining Jane cellist, guitarist and vocalist Mai Bloomfield and I have been corresponding quite a bit of late.

You’ll recall Raining Jane as that terrific LA-based folk/pop quartet with whom I played a bit in Des Moines. They were kind enough to share their stage with me, and capable enough to back me up on a few of my songs — none of which they’d ever heard, but all of which they nailed. One of those was “Breathe In.”

As I was brainstorming “The Invention of Everything Else” (due June 18 on Authentic Records!), then, it dawned on my to ask the ladies to sing back-up on the song as they’d done so beautifully in March. Which is when I began emailing Miss Bloomfield.

A few months later, we appear poised to pull of some sort of Internet collaboration. She’s got my rough tracks, and — if she can get her operating system (OS) fully-functional — is going to get the ladies to sing four-part harmonies on the song. Plus, technology permitting, Mai is dropping a cello onto “How To Be Alone (Or, The Astronaut’s Lament).”

So we email periodically. The fun part isn’t talking about “The Invention of Everything Else,” though. It’s Mai’s stories from the road. This one came yesterday:

What a day… We are in a tiny town outside of Seattle where we came to our friend’s bar to celebrate a good friend’s birthday. It was flashbacks to a bad early college scene, one of which I’m grateful I never partook in as it would have been something out of a frat house movie scene (and there were no frats at UC santa cruz) in which everyone crashes the night in the apartment above the bar accompanied by a sink full of orange puke. Um… Gross. The light is, that we’re with some friends who are visiting from out of town. But I do sort of feel like we’re in a strange ghost town locked in a bar – where um, we just ate breakfast, and are now playing pool with coffee and the local old folks who have just wandered in for what, we don’t quite know. Oh, and we woke up to a flat tire on the van which was cute. But since we had no where to go, it was a perfect time for AAA to come. So, here we are, the morning after, still at the bar. Guns ‘n Roses is blasting, the bloody Marys are flowing, and I found a spot of sunshine cause I just realized they have wireless! In fact, I’m about to work on my OS. Nerdy! I know, but it makes me happy.

So, cold coffee and dirty dishes at dive bar in Seattle? Or a honor bar Heineken and a house salad in Burbank? Not sure who wins that one.

Correction: I am sure who wins that one.

You do, when “The Invention of Everything Else” drops come June 18th.