Digital downloads of the reissued Empty Chair album are available for the USA directly from the distributor here: PROJECT359 Digital Download Store.

The album is also available from Amazon.com.

Additional online stores will be posted once they have gone live.

I can’t recall the last time I’d used the software but it’s good to know that it’s like riding a bike, everything is where I remember.

I still don’t miss working in that environment and it is where it should be, my hobby. It remains enjoyable this way.

So the latest developments are just me toying with concept art for the new album (seeing as I already have the theme) and logo changes. All of which will be unveiled in the coming months.

Not much to reveal at this point, but in truth I really wanted to blog from my phone to see if it would be of use, lol.

As the Empty Chair album will soon be rereleased, I’ve uploaded one of my favourite tracks to YouTube for all to enjoy (along with some other previous releases).

Lost At Sea was by far my favourite track from the album because it captured my true feelings at that point in time. It was a moment in my life where I felt all my walls were crashing down and I couldn’t stop myself from drowning.

Being my favourite song, I took it and remixed it into this dance instrumental. The melodies still tug at me yet I see the happiness now that I’ve made it to the shore.

Turn up the bass and enjoy.

Click here for the PROJECT359 YouTube channel.

I’m not giving anything away yet and I plan on keeping this under wraps until release when I’ll discuss the overall concept of the project.

All I can say now is that I’m deeply excited and nervous as my aim is to out do anything that I have done before.

Keep watching…

Track two from my last album, “Darkness Bleeds.”

This one is one of my favourites as this album introduced guitar, a heavier sound and darker lyrical content.

This song reflects my hatred of people pushing values and beliefs on others without practicing what they preach. A strong theme throughout this whole album.

Lyrics

Everywhere I go it’s always just the same.
Condescending eyes that stare without an understanding.
Forever hold my tongue for fear of harsh reprisal.
It wouldn’t change the game, just fuel the fires of condemnation.

I’ll be your canvas,
Take your brush and illustrate a cliche.

Paint me a picture,
Get it all down.
Remove the lines from my face,
And retouch my frown.

Draw a smile that suits you,
To hide my pain inside.
But I’ll resurrect myself,
Before your color dries

You don’t know my name but label me without a reason
It must be good to know, that you’re so high on moral standing
You’re oblivious to those that don’t share your conviction
I wouldn’t want to be so out of touch with my surroundings

I’ll be your canvas,
Take your brush and illustrate a cliche.

Paint me a picture,
Get it all down.
Remove the lines from my face,
And retouch my frown.

Draw a smile that suits you,
To hide my pain inside.
But I’ll resurrect myself,
Before your color dries

Paint me a picture,
Draw it all down
Remove my true identity
And make me a clown

However, over the last couple of months I’ve been listening to some of my favourite music that has influenced me over the years and I’m getting the buzz again.

One of the biggest regrets I have is not keeping my masters from my previous releases (musicians reading this will shake their heads in dismay) but I honestly thought my therapy was over and writing music was no longer something I would be involved in. Unless they are buried at the bottom of an unopened box I brought back with me, I have no back ups. Last year my albums were removed from iTunes due to dwindling sales and rising hosting fees and with no masters to hand, I can’t re-release them.

Whether or not I commit depends on a number of factors. My instruments were sold before the move as I didn’t want to haul it all back with me. I packed my life into two suitcases which doesn’t really leave room for much. I have no studio to speak of now and simply have Logic Pro with an array of VSTs.

Then there is the matter of work. I hardly have the free time I once did and with no guaranteed free time so it would be hard to focus on a music project as before. Hell, it’s hard enough to get any free time to enjoy life itself, let alone music.

Should I continue with the same project or restart anew? Reinvent myself?

Maybe I left my creative side in the States, who knows.

This track is an old one and from my first album release, “Another Side To Me.”

Fading Light features backing vocals from my wife and I have to admit that she sings a lot better than me as I was still finding my voice back then. Not sure I ever found it.

Track three from Empty Chair and one of my personal favourites.

This is from the pre-mastered CD, so apologies for some of the earsplitting spikes and the odd few pops and clicks.

PROJECT359

After I arrived in the States, I had to wait for all the legal paperwork for me to be get work out there, so while waiting for that, I started dabbling in music production in my own home studio under the name PROJECT359. I created a number of demo CDs with a varying number of tracks and published them in a variety of places online.

Another Side To Me

Then around 2003/2004, I wrote my first album and released it via CafePress (another place of high fees, but heck, my stuff was out there in physical form). This is also the only album that featured backing vocals by my wife.

Empty Chair

Once I saw an actual album out there in the World, I quickly began working on a second album and in 2006, I released “Empty Chair” via iTunes and other online outlets and to this day, I feel it’s my best work yet due to the nature of the songs meanings and the blood, sweat and tears invested in the project. This album was my therapy in dealing with life’s changes and being in a new country and feeling like a fish out of water…or more appropriately, “like a little worm on a big fucking hook.” One of my favourite songs on the album, “Lost at Sea” captures that emotion and I still listen to it when I can.

Darkness Bleeds

Due to work commitments it was a while before I worked on any new material until sometime in 2007 I started on my third and latest (and I guess last) album. 2008 saw the release of “Darkness Bleeds” and while I have a couple of songs that I truly like, it wasn’t of the same calibre as “Empty Chair.” However, it was the first album that I wrote, recorded and produced from my own studio.

There are some old songs floating around the web and once I can remember the passwords to those accounts, I’ll grab those early demos and publish them as well.

This week sees the last of my albums being taken down from iTunes although I’m still available on the U.S.A. Amazon MP3 site which is odd seeing as I can’t collect those royalties anymore. Oddness.

So, I’ll be busy recoding music files into various distributable formats and publishing them for all to listen, download or just completely ignore.

As for any new material, I have no drive to write anything nor do I have the funds to replace my studio that I had built up in the States. I fear anything new would be totally different and far from what I had done before that I wouldn’t like what I’d produce. Never say never though.

Watch this space for the old discography, coming soon.