Latest News

Return to the studio and active work on the next album 

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Well hello everyone! I know it’s been quite awhile since you’ve heard much from us, especially on the website here in any ‘official’ capacity. But we’re still around, and in fact, I'm back in the studio working on the next album. I’m really excited about the material I’ve been working on, and even though we don’t have any new audio right now to share with everyone, I wanted to at least offer a more substantive update – especially since I’ve been kind of slacking on keeping up with the website over the last few years. 

I took a long personal break from working on this project for a number of years after spending about a year and half working on the material for the follow-up album to Looking Backward. I never intended to be away from my own music for so long, but sometimes life just gets in the way, and I got a little sidetracked with some other endeavors and circumstances. But last year, I returned to the studio after the COVID pandemic set in and began making some rather substantial changes to some of the existing “new” material I’d started 7 years ago.    

Of course, the problem with taking so long in between albums is that musical influences and preferences can change as artists evolve, grow, etc. When I first started working on the second album shortly after we released Looking Backward, I was all pumped up on many of my progressive rock influences and writing/recording pieces that are like 8-13 minutes in length and a bit more involved. But I’m in a completely different head space these days and have a lot of new ideas that I’m excited about implementing, but I’m finding it challenging to try and make the things I want to do now fit within the framework of the songs I established 6-7 years ago. My focus now is on creating more concise songs with strong melodies and killer hooks. Lots of layers still, but I'm trying to simplify certain aspects of the writing. So I’ve set most of those older songs aside for now (except for one) and I’ve started writing completely new material that is more in line with where my head is at now. My thinking here is that I can likely get quite a few new songs finished a lot sooner than I would the older songs if I were solely focused on trying to totally rework those songs into something I’m comfortable releasing. But that said, for the proggier supporters out there -- there are at least two longer pieces from the earlier batch that I still want include on the next full album, so I expect to double back around to those a little later in the year (I’ve done a ton of work on the two longer pieces already, but a lot of tweaking and re-working still needs to be done to get these songs where they need to be). 

Overall, if I had to characterize where I’m headed musically, I think it’s probably fair to say there will be a significantly greater synthesizer/electronic component/presence on the next album(s). I’m having a blast experimenting with different kinds of synth sounds than I’ve personally worked with before in my own music or than were prevalent on Looking Backward (and in ways I’ve never used them). The next release will likely look like some form of synth rock/progressive pop/synth pop. Though I’m not abandoning guitars, so don’t get the wrong idea! If anything, I’d like to do more with guitar than we did for Looking Backward. Just not sure what that aspect totally looks like yet. 

Which brings us to I’m sure the question on everyone’s mind: When are we going to (finally) release another album? Hopefully at some point inside of the next 2 years. It really just depends on how much I’m able to accomplish in the coming months. And I’m considering a couple different options to potentially get some new music out there sooner than later, including either an EP or maybe just releasing an interim single or two while we finish the next album. But I’d like to get some new music out to everyone one way or another within the next year or two. 

Admittedly, this can be a very time-consuming process for me, even when I’m going at it full bore. There’s a lot of programming involved, and I just don’t work as quickly as some of these seasoned studio pros… and maybe even sometimes allow a little perfectionism to get the best of me. But in the near future I do plan to bring in some other key musicians (guitar, drums, bass) to help with the album so that I’m not trying to do so much of everything by myself (vocals aside of course). These musicians would also constitute the core of what will eventually become a live Storm Chronicles band. So my hope is the process will speed up a bit more once we bring in these musicians to help on the recordings (especially drums and guitar - which I’ll be working to find within the next few months). 

Finally, a note about the Looking Backward CDs, if anyone is looking to purchase one at some point: We will not be pressing any future copies of Looking Backward on physical CD media once our current stock is depleted (though digital versions in both MP3 and CD-quality FLAC formats will continue to be available for purchase/download from our website). We only did one small pressing of Looking Backward on CD (300 copies), so I suppose that makes it a bit of a “limited edition” now. That said, we still have some copies left, and you can purchase one directly from our website here. But once they’re gone, they’re gone! Also, as of this writing, the only place you can purchase our physical CD from is this website. We are working to restock on Amazon as well, but right now, our website is the quickest and most direct way to obtain your copy. 

I want to thank everyone for your continued patience and support. We really appreciate it, and we will be back with some great new music. And I’ll try to update everyone a bit more often as we progress.   

-- David Burr

Fat Cat Radio interview and showcase 

The Storm Chronicles' appearance on Fat Cat Radio this week seems to have generated some additional interest in what we're doing -- a success! My interview with Big Lou was definitely thought-provoking, and he did a great job of keeping me on my toes and twisting my noggin around a bit ;) -- ah, the mark of a great host (which he is)! So a huge thank you to Big Lou for giving the Storm Chronicles some great exposure on his shows. Also, a special thanks to all who've tuned in to/streamed the interview -- We both really appreciate the kind comments and support. And as always, feel free to email me any questions or comments that may have not been addressed during the show :) I'm happy to answer them if I can. 

David Burr

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For those who missed Big Lou's interview with David, you can listen to it here:
http://www.spreaker.com/user/fatcatradio/the-storm-chronicles-music-showcase.

And to groove on our Fat Cat Radio music showcase (no interview, just music), visit here:
http://www.spreaker.com/show/fat-cat-music-showcases.
 

 

New Progression review out now 

We just received a fantastic review of our album in the latest issue of Progression magazine. Check it out...


"This debut album from Seattle's Storm Chronicles is surprisingly rich and mature for an opening statement.  At first listen, you'd assume David Burr (keyboards/guitars/drums/bass/vocals/samples) and Jody Dietz (vocals) have been playing together forever.  And you'd be almost right.  Although the two only have been performing together since 2011, the music on Looking Backward has been in development nearly two decades (which partly explains the title).  The result is a satisfying blend of symphonic progressive rock, ambient atmospherics and melodic pop. 

Burr cut his teeth musically playing in various cover bands before conceiving, writing and producing this album, and those influences shine through here. Tracks a la "Ghost Writer," "Corners" and "Individual" sound like Alan Parsons' best work from the 1970s, while the two-part title track evokes Rush's 2112.  Throughout this album, Dietz's wide-ranging powerhouse voice negotiates Burr's multifaceted compositions like a Coast Guard searchlight on the raging sea. 

It will be interesting to see what these two do for an encore, as their obvious command of melody is a rare gift indeed."   


-- by Nick Tate, Progression magazine (Issue 67, Spring 2015)



Big thanks to Nick Tate for the great review and Publisher John Collinge for the exposure. We were blown away by the kind words about our music. 

Copies of the latest issue (#67) of Progression can be ordered at: progressionmagazine.com. Wonderful articles and coverage of the progressive rock world. Highly-recommended reading. 

And our album can be purchased here on our music page.
 

Upcoming Progression review and more 

The next issue of Progression magazine will include a favorable review of our first album, Looking Backward. The forthcoming issue #67 is slated to come out in the next few weeks. This is a fantastic magazine and regarded as one of the most prominent progressive rock publications in the U.S., so we're thrilled in be included in this publication. Stay tuned for updates and order your copy at www.progressionmagazine.com.

Also, another great review of our debut album came out recently from music reviewer Dmitry Epstein (DME). Check it out here: http://dmme.net/storm-chronicles-looking-backward/

We continue to plug away at the new album, and we've got some exciting new sounds emerging. Jody has been hard at work on vocal parts, and we begin vocal recording sessions this month. We still have quite some distance to go toward finishing this beast, but our progress has been consistent, and the foundation of the album has been established (and then some). We'll keep everyone updated as more news develops. But we are looking forward to a flourishing year! Stay tuned, and thanks for continued support...
 

Progress update / MSJ review 

We just received some good press in the Music Street Journal. Check out the review of our debut album here:
http://www.musicstreetjournal.com/index_cdreviews_display.cfm?id=104659

Also, a little update re: what we've been up to: I've been hard at work on the foundation and instrumentation of the new album for the past 8 months or so. As of right now, we have 5 songs in various stages of recording (and a 6th in the early stages of writing). The songs are averaging about 10 minutes in length -- some a bit longer, some shorter. It's been a time-consuming process, as I'm developing and recording almost all of the instruments and parts myself (although I will be bringing in a bit of outside help for some of the guitars - more on that at a later time). But I've been making some great progress, and I'm very pleased with the way the music is developing, as the layers are added bit by bit. With this next album, we'll be taking what I think/hope will be a substantial leap from the foundation we established on Looking Backward. Much of what I've been doing in the studio this year has been focused on experimenting with new sounds and new ways of doing things that ultimately (hopefully) serve the music in the best possible way. Jody and I will start getting together sometime in the next few months to begin working out the vocal parts.

The album is evolving into something more than I originally intended, but it's a good thing; we'll be releasing more music than we had planned. When we finished Looking Backward, our original intention was to just pick out a few finished (or almost finished) songs from the backlog of material written during the same Looking Backward period, re-record them and maybe change/re-write a few things, and then put out a 25-min EP. We weren't anticipating a lengthy recording process.

But instead, I've ended up significantly re-writing whole songs.... to the point where probably about 80 percent of the material for this album is new. Five-minute songs become 12-minute songs, and next thing you know, I've got a beast on my hands. And I've tried to just travel wherever the music leads me.

So, we've decided to make the "EP" a full-length album, 5 songs. This will be the "standard" edition of Supplements. However, we will still be offering an "expanded, limited edition", which will include some additional songs. This expanded edition will be limited to 300 copies total pressed, and this is the version some of our supporters from the last Kickstarter campaign will be receiving. It's hard to say at this point how long it will take to finish the album. It will likely come out sometime next year, but that's about as specific as I can be right now.

As always, thanks to everyone for the continued support. And feel free to email me with any questions or comments: stormchronicles@yahoo.com

More to come soon...

David Burr

Press, Aural Moon rotation and follow-up update 

We recently received a very favorable review of our debut album in the Equal Ground to kick off the New Year. Check it out here. We are also now in regular rotation on the progressive rock internet radio station Aural Moon. Tune in to hear some great music and request our songs.

We plan to begin working on our follow up release in the next few weeks. We took a couple months off for the holidays, but now we're beginning to get back into the swing of things. Although we expect to be immersed in the the current album cycle and promotion for some time, we'll be simultaneously working on our next album. We've decided to take a somewhat unorthodox approach with our follow up.

Our next release will be entitled Supplements, and we plan to make it available in two different versions: both a full-length album version and a condensed 5-song EP. The full-length "special edition" version will be strictly limited to 300 copies on CD, while the EP will be distributed without any such limitation. However, the full version will also be available for digital download. The limited edition physical CD is just our way of offering something a bit more unique to our collector and audiophile friends who prefer the uncompressed listening experience over MP3 download. Those who pre-ordered the EP during our last Kickstarter campaign will receive the full-length Limited Edition version of Supplements.

We do not yet have a concrete time frame for the release of the follow-up, as we're still in the process of mapping out the album and sorting through our existing backlog of demo material to focus on. But we can say that much of the material is already written and ready to be recorded for release sometime this year. We will keep everyone updated on the progress of our next release in the coming months.
 

Aural Moon airplay 

We will be featured in a 20-minute segment on Aural Moon radio on 11/18/13 at 6 p.m. PST (9 p.m. EST). The New Moon on Monday broadcast is a 2-hour show that spotlights new progressive rock album releases. It will also re-air on 11/20/13 at 10 a.m. PST (1 p.m. EST) and and again on 11/22/13 at 2 a.m. PST.  We are honored to have caught the attention of this fantastic station. Big thanks to host Mat Sgattoni. Tune in here: www.auralmoon.com
 

Prog airplay 

We were recently added to the rotation on Progulus (www.progulus.com), a great progressive rock internet radio station that highlights a number of talented independent prog artists. Visit the website here to tune in and hear some great music.

Also, our song "Individual" recently debuted on Shaun Geraghty's show "The Prog Mill", which broadcasts on Stafford Radio in the UK every Sunday at 10 p.m. UK time (3 p.m. PST here). Big thanks to Shaun for giving our music a spin! The station can be streamed at www.staffordradio.com.

Radio Interview 

We'll be doing an on-air interview Sunday at 12 p.m. PST on 89.1 KMHD2 HD radio out of Portland, OR with Vinni Tallbut. You can tune in at www.KMHD2.org. We'll be chatting about the music and our project, and Vinni will be playing some cuts from our new album. Check us out! Also, check out KMHD2's facebook page at www.facebook.com/amusicrevolution.
 

Press release on new Storm Chronicles CD and helping other indie artists 

Our focus lately has been to spread the word about what we're doing musically and how we're also helping other indie artists with this CD release. We've spent the last few weeks sending out our press release to a number of media outlets (print media, online publications, and internet radio stations). But of course, word of mouth is always going to be our most powerful ally. If you dig our music, tell a friend!

Check out the press release we issued when the album was released in September...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

NEW SEATTLE-BASED ROCK GROUP HELPS OTHER INDIE ARTISTS WITH DEBUT CD

September 17, 2013 (Seattle, Wash.) -- After nearly 20 years in development, the Storm Chronicles released their debut album today and are donating a portion of the proceeds from sales to help other independent artists running fundraisers on kickstarter.com.
 
The CD release, entitled Looking Backward, resulted from the group's own successful Kickstarter campaign in April. Each month, the Storm Chronicles will contribute 5 percent of profits from CD and digital sales of the album to other Kickstarter fundraising projects.
 
"We believe strongly in giving indie bands more exposure," explained David Burr, Creative Director for the Storm Chronicles. "Indie artists provide people with more choices, and they effectively diminish the power of the big record companies that selectively decide who should gain exposure and who should not."
 
The endeavor is part of a program known as Kicking It Forward (kickingitforward.org). Burr discovered the program while running his own Kickstarter campaign for the Storm Chronicles.
 
"There are a lot of quality artists out there that few people have ever heard of," continued Burr. "Sure, we naturally want to establish ourselves and sell records too. That's no secret. But we're doing this because we also genuinely believe in the importance of advancing the indie movement overall. And we know how hard it is to establish yourself if you're an unknown act."
 
The Storm Chronicles plan to announce the contributions and promote each band they back on the group's Facebook page every month.
 
The Storm Chronicles consist of Burr, who resides near Seattle, Wash, and lead vocalist Jody Dietz, from Longview, Wash. Burr is responsible for the majority of the duo's songwriting, as well as the instrumentation and production. The Storm Chronicles' sound can be characterized as adult album alternative rock, and it's reminiscent of a wide range of quasi-retro influences -- including Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, and Tears For Fears..
 
Burr developed his music and skills during the course of nearly 20 years, and he began working with Dietz 3 years ago to transform some of his demos into the final Looking Backward recordings -- as well as officially launch the Storm Chronicles project. With a significant backlog of material, the Storm Chronicles plan to release a follow-up EP sometime early next year.
 
For further information, contact David Burr at stormchronicles@yahoo.com or visit stormchronicles.com.
Digital cover artwork available upon request.
 
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