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To: over-the-rhine-announce at actwin_com
From: OTRhine at aol_com
Subject: Letter from Linford
November 26, 2000
Hello from the attic,
These gray November days bathe everything in gray:
my thoughts, my dreams, my world. I was talking to
a friend on Thanksgiving morning after running five
miles (Jim Wilson) who said he was going to try to
write eight good songs by Christmas (and he was hopeful),
but the hard part was finding the words. His daughter
Leah told him, Writing is easy, Dad. Just close your eyes
and write what you see.
Is this what I have tried to do for the last ten years?
Close my eyes and write what I see? There is a line in
the first song on Over the Rhine's new feature-length
album (Films For Radio) that reads, Roll the movie of my life
inside of my head.
Maybe these internal worlds, these arguments won and lost
on the inside without uttering a word, the vast impressionistic
terrains and uncharted waters out of which epiphanies sometimes
surprise us by leaping into focus, the shadowy corners of inside
rooms where rays of light occasionally and unpredictably illuminate
parts of us we had no idea existed--maybe these fertile places
that contain everything we've witnessed, participated in, felt,
longed for, are what we hope to uncover and rediscover when we
close our eyes and pick up a pen.
(How are you? I'm fine.)
And now the mist is becoming the lightest rain, holy water
sprinkled by infinite fingers above the rooftops, slicking the
patient dark trees. A breeze is taking the hands of the pines
gently, asking them to dance for no reason, swaying them one
way or another just because.
Well, we leaned into the harness this Fall and harvested a
garden of you, our faithful few: the few, the many who have
supported us so generously over the last years through thick
and thin.
We have a new record finished, but we have a major label now,
so there is always the chance that someone important at the
label will hear the record, like it more than they expected,
and want to invest more into it, in which case, we'll open it
back up and play around some more, something that is not
exactly a chore, but sometimes the hardest part about painting
is knowing when you've made your last stroke.
Plan "A" is for the record to be released February 27, 2001.
We'll let you know if that changes.
You have been so patient through all of this. I hope you feel it's
worth the wait. We've tried some new things on this record,
done some things the way we always have, tried to surprise
ourselves and even Jesus a few times. I'm pretty happy with
the collection of songs, I think, which I noticed the other day
were pretty much all written in the first person.
There are songs by Karin. Songs by me. Songs by me and Karin.
We even covered a song that sort of came out of nowhere at us
that was written by Dido Armstrong. The chorus says simply:
Give me strength to find the road that's lost in me.
Give me time to heal and build myself a dream.
Give me eyes to see the world surrounding me.
Give me strength to be
only me.
We found it strangely close to home and rather spontaneously
decided to include it in this new collection. I guess I sort of
see the song as a prayer of sorts, and it fit nicely right after
"I Radio Heaven". (Not to mention cross-pollinating with other
bits of lyrics on the record: I don't know who else to be,
more and more I'm secretly just me.)
I've been asking myself what the themes of the record are and
I'm not completely sure yet. There seem to be several, but one
running theme seems to be about the surprising difficulties
involved in telling the truth to ourselves and others.
(Just thinkin' outloud.)
Well, I better get to the other newsy bits and move along
with my day. It would seem that prime time television is
starting to discover Karin's voice. A significant portion of
"Latter Days" was recently included in an episode of Felicity,
and "Give Me Strength" was featured on a rather intriguing
episode of NBC'S Third Watch last Monday evening. Both have
generated an uncommon amount of e-mail etc., which begs
the question, what would happen if more people actually
got a chance to hear Karin sing?
There was a very fine compilation album that Hear Music
put together that is available at Starbucks which includes
tracks by David Grey, Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Morcheeba,
Bruce Cockburn et al, as well as "All I Need is Everything"
from Good Dog Bad Dog. (GDBD continues to surprise us with
its ability to venture out into the world with just a suitcase
full of simple recordings. To make friends, and post us interesting
letters. Again, we thank you for taking such good care of this music.)
Finally, we certainly hope we will have the chance to be together
in the coming weeks. We're piling onto the bus this Tuesday night
and heading west for Minneapolis. Our tour starts Wednesday and
ends in NYC on December 21st (with a few breaks). Bundle up some
friends and come spend an evening inside out of the cold.
We're playing some of our favorite little rooms in all of the USA.
The music will be so close, you'll be able to reach out and fill your
pockets with dripping handfuls of it. We have no idea what to expect,
even after all these years. That's the beauty of all this I guess.
(The world can wait.)
You can go to overtherhine.com for complete concert listings,
ticket info etc. Hope to see you.
And finally, "The Homecoming Show". (An extended
evening of music. And maybe a few rabbit trails.)
Every December we try to put together a special show
in our hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. This year promises
to be one of our favorite evenings of music in a long,
long time. Critically-acclaimed Canadian
singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith is joining us at the
Taft Theater on Saturday, December 9th. If you haven't
heard Ron's three records, the eponymous debut,
followed by "Other Songs", and then "Whereabouts",
you missed three of the most beautiful recordings
of the last decade. Simply put, Ron is one of the
most gifted songwriters making music today.
And as if getting one of our favorite songwriters of
all time on the bill wasn't enough of a coup, Texas pop
phenomenon Sixpence None the Richer is rounding out
the proceedings this year with their melodic, irresistible
armload of songs and melancholy musings. We watched in
amazement as Sixpence did the impossible over the course
of the last few years, namely, conquering pop radio, VH-1
and late night television (not to mention airwaves all over
the UK, Europe and Japan) on an independent label and on
their own terms. Help us spread the word, gather some
friends together, pile in the car and join us just a stone's
throw from the Ohio river for a warm evening of musical
communion and a few surprises. We'll be looking for you.
Special note: we'll be taping Over the Rhine's portion of the
show for re-broadcast on several radio stations, and much of
the evening's proceedings could end up on a "live" cd or ep.
Hope you can enjoy with us this little chapter in the band's
ongoing history. Road Trips-R-Us.
Well, I guess I'll sign off and get back to working on those liner notes.
Still trying to create spaces where good things can happen,
your apple cart kid,
Linford Detweiler
The short version (more info at overtherhine.com):
(Don't ask me why, but it's our favorite time of the year to tour):
*Wednesday, November 29, Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis, MN
*Thursday, November 30, The Busted Lift (webcast), Dubuque, IA
*Friday, December 1, Pres House, Madison, WI
*Saturday, December 2, Schubas, Chicago, IL, Two shows
*Sunday, December 3, Miramar Theater, Milwaukee, WI
(We've never played this venue in Milwaukee, but by all reports
it's a very nice little theater in the round. Up-and-coming
Ticklepenny Corner will be joining us. Higly recommended.)
*Friday, December 8, Duncan Hall, Lafayette, IN
*Saturday, December 9, Taft Theater, Cincinnati, OH
(Our homecoming concert with Sixpence None the Richer
and Ron Sexsmith. Be part of our "live" audience--the show
is being taped.)
*Wednesday, December 13, Lil' Brothers, Columbus, OH
(w/Ashley Peacock. Ashley sent us a cover of Etcetera Whatever
that absolutely knocked me out. Looking forward to hearing him
"live" for the first time!)
*Thursday, December 14, Symposium, Cleveland, OH (w/Ashley Peacock)
*Friday, December 15, Tin Angel, Philadelphia, PA, Two shows
*Saturday, December 16, The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI (w/Ashley Peacock)
*Wednesday, December 20, Rosebud, Pittsburgh, PA
*Thursday, December 21, Makor, NYC
(Almost all shows have special guests--I only mentioned a few...)
If you would be willing to put up posters to help promote
the above shows, please contact Stacie BeBout at otrhine at aol_com...
Over the Rhine's new feature-length album in fine record stores
everywhere February 27, 2001.
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