Today is the last day of what has been an almost 2 week stay in my village house, where i have at last been able to work constantly. Here is where we stand.
The working title for the series is The Puppetshade Chronicles. I have NO idea what to title this first album.
As of this writing, i have 20 completed songs running 1 hour 23 minutes. There is likely to be a half hour more.
It is long. I have agonized over this. This album, which is just the first in the series, will end up being just under 2 hours. The length is driving me nuts, and i’ve questioned and double questioned every decision. That is just the way it is.
I cannot break it into 2 albums. You’ll understand when you hear it. Despite being the first in a series, the album is a single, complete story. It does not break into 2 albums. This is the story, it is long, i am sorry, but it is what it is.
Given how much a certain portion of the fandom likes the youtube listening parties, i have questioned how to make that happen. 2 hours is way longer than many can actually hold attention, especially 2 hours of new stuff. I mean… it’s asking a lot. It’s asking too much. I have considered releasing this like i used to, no listening party, just straight onto Bandcamp, Spotify, and the other online stores. Alternatively, i could release certain bits and pieces beforehand so that there is a good chunk people will be familiar with going into the livestream. For instance, tracks 1 to 5 make a good chunk. Peppered in a few other odd tracks here and there, and asking people to make it through the full album for a listening party it wont be SO out of the question.
I will be recording singers some time in the winter, possibly late Jan, although weather wise that is a terrible time. However, i cant bother people during December, and November is too early, so… it’ll just have to be. The cast is not yet complete, i will have to hire a few new voices and since i already have to go to Minneapolis, i might as well just… keep hiring in Minneapolis.
(If you are reading this and know people in Minneapolis who can sing like mfs, i am looking for mfs who sing. Heaven forbid i dont bother Nora to solve all my problems just one time)
The cast thus far is:
Hayley Warner as The Narrator
Abby Holmstrom as Jenna
Lauren Osbourn as Jes
Oliver Marsh as Yery
? as Cery
Kerttu Aarnipuu as Crimson Rose
Bradley Johnson as Stringless Oki
Nora Sonneborn as Arcane Annah
Myself as Rainu and L3X the Bot. (I may hire someone else to play Rainu)
? as Mir
Also cast but not appearing until the 2nd album are:
Maggie Kozak as Astrid the Psychic Spacer
Aly O’Keeffe as Paisley Piper
(I will likely work Kiera-Marie Somers in here somewhere. Possibly as Ragged Cindilou)
There will likely be some more as we go. I cannot say how long it will be. There is a very, very vague possibility, and don’t quote me on this, that if this doesnt turn out to be piece of s***, when we wrap it up in about 4 years time, we will perform the majority of it as a live concert type thing with the very last album premiering live. This is just a thought being thrown around, once again, don’t get your hopes up.
