tag:thecriminalkid.com,2005:/blogs/https-thecriminalkid-com-blog-2?p=2Blog2022-09-05T09:05:32-06:00The Criminal Kidfalsetag:thecriminalkid.com,2005:Post/70534712022-09-05T09:05:32-06:002023-10-16T09:03:19-06:00Dear Disaster Listening Party!<p>Last night the small group of us who made the album Dear Disaster got together via Zoom for an official listening party. In this session, we chat about each track and listen through the album as a whole. Hope you enjoy! :) </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="FHdPPC4Mnmk" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/FHdPPC4Mnmk/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FHdPPC4Mnmk?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="500" width="800" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>The Criminal Kidtag:thecriminalkid.com,2005:Post/69312932022-03-24T16:38:59-06:002022-03-24T16:39:53-06:00Musical Entrepreneurship with Dave Roman<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="4YE2KX_ivgc" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/4YE2KX_ivgc/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4YE2KX_ivgc?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>In the first interview I've ever done on this channel, I have a conversation with my long-time friend and fellow entrepreneur David Roman. He runs Roman Empire Studios, where he does all kinds of audio projects for people, including mastering the tracks on my upcoming album. He's also a great musician and producer! Check out his project <a contents='Femme Fragile and new single "Bitter"' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_w6P9AP5ho" target="_blank">Femme Fragile and new single "Bitter"</a>.</p>
<p>(PS: there are a couple of times the camera stops going back and forth - that's because of footage malfunctions, not narcissism.) :)</p>
<p>This episode is part of a longer conversation, which you can <a contents="check out over on his channel" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjUGPhstpT8" target="_blank">check out over on his channel</a>.</p>
<p>The track we mention collaborating on many years ago (Sleep in the Ocean) <a contents="can be found here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://davidroman.bandcamp.com/track/sleep-in-the-ocean" target="_blank">can be found here</a>.</p>49:28The Criminal Kidtag:thecriminalkid.com,2005:Post/69172242022-03-10T14:00:00-06:002022-03-10T14:00:02-06:00Pre-save the upcoming album Dear Disaster!<p>Hey all,</p>
<p>We've got an official release date for the new album: <strong>March 25, 2022</strong>. Mark your calendars...or, even easier, pre-save the album on your favorite platform so you are notified when it's live! :)</p>
<p><a contents="Click here to visit the pre-save page." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/thecriminalkid/dear-disaster" target="_blank">Click here to visit the pre-save page.</a></p>
<p>It's been ages since I first wrote and recorded these tracks (two years!), and I can't wait to get them out into the world.</p>
<p>-Allysia</p>The Criminal Kidtag:thecriminalkid.com,2005:Post/69159442022-03-07T11:32:01-06:002022-03-07T11:32:01-06:00The Criminal Kid Interview: Roman Empire Studios Podcast<p>Hey friends,</p>
<p>I was recently on a podcast with my longtime friend Dave Roman, who is an excellent sound engineer and artist. He made significant contributions to TCK's upcoming album Dear Disaster by mastering the tracks. He also produced the opening track of the album. </p>
<p><a contents="It's a video podcast" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjUGPhstpT8" target="_blank">It's a video podcast</a> - feel free to <a contents="watch it on YouTube" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjUGPhstpT8" target="_blank">watch it on YouTube</a>, or catch it wherever you catch your podcasts. :)</p>
<p>-Allysia</p>The Criminal Kidtag:thecriminalkid.com,2005:Post/68991122022-02-16T07:04:07-06:002023-05-17T11:05:10-06:00"All Your Words" Official Music Video Release<p>Allysia Marie (The Criminal Kid) collaborated with Vancouver-based director James Xander, along with cinematographer Roozbeh Peykari, in a new music video that puts Vancouver in the spotlight. The romantic track All Your Words features a variety of local favorite spots, including scenes shot at Gastown, Stanley Park, and Lionsgate bridge.</p><p>You can check it out here:</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style="--video-width:560px;"><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="BCoEzU53V-U" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BCoEzU53V-U?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p>Allysia wrote her upcoming album Dear Disaster in the wake of divorce. All Your Words, a short and sweet pop song, is a bright spot on an otherwise dark and pensive rock album. </p><p>“I don’t usually write anything in the neighbourhood of romantic music,” Allysia says, “but every divorce album needs a love song, doesn’t it?” She continues, “It’s the magic of that moment, the spontaneity of infatuation. This song was an attempt to capture that feeling.” </p><p>A variety of Vancouver settings are prominently featured and beautifully captured in this music video, namely Jericho Beach, Spanish Banks, Stanley Park, Gastown, Robson Square, and Lionsgate Bridge. “I got a years’ worth of cardio in running on the beach with Ty,” Allysia recalls, laughing, “James really pushed us!” </p><p>“I put a lot of love and energy into this project,” says James. “We wanted to create a romantic vibe for the video, and Vancouver was the perfect backdrop for our shoot. The beauty of the city complemented the dreamy look we were hoping to capture. We really lucked out.” </p><p>The track <i>All Your Words</i> was written in one breathless evening after a serendipitous encounter with a childhood friend at a music festival. “Most tracks I write are more layered, and evolve slowly over time, so this track was rare in the same way a perfect experience of infatuation is rare,” she reflects. </p><p>“Working with Allysia was an absolute pleasure,” says Ty Javos. “It was a privilege to help bring our director James’ vision to life. The work of the key creatives involved shows the passionate dedication that our team shares!” </p><p>The video for All Your Words is available now, and the track is on all streaming platforms.</p>The Criminal Kidtag:thecriminalkid.com,2005:Post/68985862022-01-19T15:00:00-06:002022-02-15T15:20:23-06:00“Dear Disaster” Playlist<p>“Dear Disaster”, the album I recorded in 2020 which is finally on its way out the door (March 2022!), was written during a tumultuous time of my life, and <a contents="this new playlist" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2wrqI4Po4Y19QjOiEAEjkm?si=f4cbdd9028214850" target="_blank">this new playlist</a> reflects that. </p>
<p>I have a master notebook for everything I’ve written in the past couple of years – lyric snippets, full songs, piano scrawl – as well as a variety of cover tunes. I love writing out lyrics in my notebook by hand; it allows me to get inside the lyrics more fully, and it feels like act of love. I write down chord symbols and sometimes more specific performance details (or not – it’s all very random). My notebook is nearly full now, and soon it’ll be time to move on to a fresh notebook, a symbol of a new era. I’m very excited for that era when it comes – I already have an idea for the next direction. </p>
<p>But before the notebook wraps up, I want to celebrate all of those cover songs I’ve loved during this process. These songs bear similarities in vibe and tone to the album I’ve written, and have been heavily inspirational throughout the process. Some of these songs I’ve learned to play in full, and others I’ve just dabbled with, but they’ve all been just as much a part of the story of my album as the songs I wrote myself. </p>
<p>I hope you enjoy this (rather sad) playlist – hearing these tracks gives me deep nostalgia and potent memories of the past couple of years. The magic of music. </p>
<p>-Allysia</p>The Criminal Kidtag:thecriminalkid.com,2005:Post/68985872022-01-07T15:35:00-06:002022-02-15T15:22:16-06:00New single “Persephone” coming out next week<p>Hey friends, </p>
<p>My friend <a contents="Rob Hillstead" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://darkgems.media" target="_blank">Rob Hillstead</a> and I collaborated on a music video for The Criminal Kid’s upcoming track Persephone. The track – and video – is dark, symbolic, and an ode to growing older, living through pain, and coping with dissatisfaction. I’m very excited to be able to share it with you on January 14th! Do <a contents="pre-save it on Spotify" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/thecriminalkid/persephone" target="_blank">pre-save it on Spotify</a> so you can hear it right when it’s released, and follow The Criminal Kid on YouTube so you can catch the video too. </p>
<p>It’s been a decade since releasing music, such that I’m, in many ways, an entirely different person now. Persephone captures some of this feeling for me, and it’s a big reason it’s the first track I’m releasing off the new album. </p>
<p>This is a dark, mournful track, but there isn’t a lack of hope. There is movement, even though the traveler is weary. There is a true self hidden, even though the fog of complacency is thick. </p>
<p>Be well, </p>
<p>-Allysia</p>The Criminal Kidtag:thecriminalkid.com,2005:Post/68985882020-09-20T15:00:00-06:002022-02-15T15:24:01-06:00Mixes, Round 1<p>About two months after leaving the studio, we received the first mixes of the album. I was thrilled, and immediately walled off a block of time to listen without interruption. My art project! I had a (rough) copy of my art project, at long last! </p>
<p>I wish I could tell you that upon first listen, I felt proud of what I’d created, that I felt gusto and all of the “hell yeah” steam in the world. Mainly I just felt small. Who was I to have any business writing another album? What talent do I even have? Am I even a real musician? What if all the time, energy and money spent was for nothing? </p>
<p>A high (the mixes!), a low (I’m crap!). So it goes. </p>
<p>The mixes were fine. Still some work to be done (major work on a couple of tracks). But hearing them through this time around surfaced every one of my insecurities. </p>
<p>Fortunately, I’d also been listening to Elizabeth Gilbert’s soothing voice in Big Magic for the second time. It’s a book all creatives should read. It put me at ease. It allowed me the mental space to think, “even if this isn’t perfect, I’m still proud.” To think that, even if this album amounts to nothing, or everyone hates it, it was still a worthwhile pursuit, one that filled my soul with pleasure and grew my character. </p>
<p>Recording this album, just like with These Blue Walls from 2012, will be one of my favorite memories and one of my proudest projects. I know that to be true. These Blue Walls wasn’t perfect, but it was the best of what we were that moment in time. I feel that this new album is the best I have at this moment in time, and that’s a wonderful thing. </p>
<p>Onward, </p>
<p>-Allysia</p>The Criminal Kidtag:thecriminalkid.com,2005:Post/68985902020-09-08T15:40:00-06:002022-02-15T15:26:26-06:00Releasing an album is a lot.<p>Staring into the future of my album launch is something like standing on the edge of a cliff, looking out over a seemingly-unending seascape. I have to jump in the water, and I have to swim. It’s inevitable and it’s scary. I don’t know how far it goes; only that I can’t see the land on the other side yet. </p>
<p>I’ve been a musician for as long as I can remember, and I know a little about music. I can play Beethoven and write a pop song and improvise in a room full of musician-strangers. But I don’t know anything about the business. How it all goes. How an album is birthed into the world. All these years, focusing solely on the product - the music - with no attention to everything else. </p>
<p>That’s the mentality of the hobbyist. Someone who writes music and jams and plays shows purely for fun, purely for the love of it. I love music, no question there. But I’d also love to share my music, and connect with people who listen to it. Without any business, without any marketing, without any plan, my album will be a tiny drop in an ocean that’ll disappear as soon as it arrives. </p>
<p>That’s how it went for The Criminal Kid’s first album in 2012. Our band broke up mere months after our studio recording sessions, and our album release came and went without much fanfare. No one had the heart to promote it. We were idealistic kids who had no idea what we were doing. </p>
<p>So here I am, a month out of the studio, staring at the ceiling and saying fuck. What am I doing? How do I do this? How do I share this? </p>
<p>There’s a knowledge gap. How am I supposed to plan for something I don’t understand? </p>
<p>I could keep staring at the ceiling - staring at the sea - or I could understand. Learn to swim, and learn to swim well. </p>
<p>That’s where I’m at right now, my friends. My face buried in books and piles of notes. I’m going to figure this out. We’re going to do this thing. </p>
<p>-A</p>The Criminal Kidtag:thecriminalkid.com,2005:Post/68985912020-06-24T15:00:00-06:002022-02-15T15:28:33-06:00An album announcement video!<p>Hey friends! </p>
<p>This announcement has been a long time coming. Over the last couple of months, I've been steadily working toward recording a new album - getting all the prep work done (marketing plans, grant applications, hiring the team). And now we're nearly at the fun part: recording! </p>
<p><a contents="Here's a video I just published about it.&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-UfN51dOhI" target="_blank">Here's a video I just published about it. </a></p>
<p>This video was filmed and edited by my friend Rob, who works on film sets in Vancouver, BC. He's going to be the producer of The Criminal Kid's second album (and was the producer of the first album as well). </p>
<p>My friend Rob and I go way back. I joined his band in 2004, a nervous vocalist and keyboardist who'd never jammed with anyone before. The stars aligned with his family traveling to Saskatchewan over the summer, so we decided that now's the time. </p>
<p>I'll be sharing videos and updates of the process, so stay tuned for that! We officially go into the studio on July 3rd. </p>
<p><a contents="Come hang out over on Instagram" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://instagram.com/thecriminalkidmusic/" target="_blank">Come hang out over on Instagram</a> if you want to catch daily updates! </p>
<p>Talk soon, lovely people! </p>
<p>-Allysia</p>The Criminal Kidtag:thecriminalkid.com,2005:Post/68985922020-06-03T15:00:00-06:002022-02-15T15:29:36-06:00Beginning again.<p>January is the time for resolutions. I optimistically set mine just like everyone else. In January, I declared that I would make 2020 the year of “courage, songwriting and recording an album”. </p>
<p>In the winter, this declaration felt vague. I worked toward recording demos of the piano/vocal parts of my songs and finished five. But I didn’t have a vision for how it would all come together, and if I’d even be capable of recording another album this year. </p>
<p>Then, Covid. Guess I won’t be performing this year. I decided to drop the music project altogether, opting to focus on writing and my business. </p>
<p>But the music wouldn't leave me alone. I left it, but it kept coming back to me. I'd look at a mile-long to-do list and still somehow find myself on the basement keyboard, writing and singing, beyond my better judgement. </p>
<p>Last month, something shifted. Perhaps it was the big emotional wave of the last half-year settling. My feet landed on the sand and I felt, yes, I need to do this. I recorded five more demos in a week. I connected with the producer of my first album, and we began hustling for album grants and patching together a lineup for studio recordings. </p>
<p>Now, a couple of weeks later, with a grant application submitted, a marketing plan created, and recording dates in July booked, it’s all very real, very quickly. </p>
<p>Michael Van Betuw and I will be the main performers on the album - the longest threads. As for the rest, we'll see. </p>
<p>This afternoon we’ll be working out a schedule and setting up some Covid-friendly jams for the end of the month. Fortunately, my province has been relatively sheltered from the pandemic - we can convene to practice and record. </p>
<p>Looking forward to sharing the journey with you. </p>
<p>-Allysia</p>The Criminal Kid