The Sweater Friends

Goodbye My Friends

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:43:23 PDT

As I sit down to write my last blog post for the Sweater Friends I am so filled with emotions it’s hard to describe. This silly band truly started out as a joke between two friends but it grew into so much more than that. I owe so much to this band. So many good times and lessons learned. Closing this chapter of our lives is such a bittersweet experience. I know there are so many other opportunities out there for both of us. I know time for those opportunities will be freed up by ending the Sweater Friends. But I’m not going to lie and say there isn’t any sadness associated with Jake and me making this decision.

For my last post I really just want to remember some of my favorite Sweater Friends memories.

Our First Show – Our first show pretty much accomplished all of the goals we set up as a band at the start (yes we had band goals). Our goals as I remember them were to play at Kilby Court and play a show with some really popular established bands. We weren’t prepared when the opportunity presented itself (the night before the actual show) and we finished writing a song as we drove to the venue the night of. I can’t remember ever being so nervous before (and since) in my life. I had always been on the other side of the stage at Kilby Court and I was a big fan of both of the bands we played with (The Green Peanuts and The Contingency Plan). It seemed to be happening way faster than either of us had thought and starting that night, The Sweater Friends were born.

Band Practice With Jake – So much other stuff happened during band practice other than playing our guitars. When we both lived down in Salt Lake it happened much more often and almost felt like a mini therapy session for both of us. We talked about our families and current relationships. I remember getting to talk about the decisions to get engaged and married. I remember the practice when Jake had to tell me he had seen my current boyfriend out with another girl. Band practice was never just band practice. It was getting to hang out with one of my best friends.

Playing During a Power Outage: While we were playing a festival up in Park City about a year ago, there was a huge snow storm and the power went out. That moment after the lights went out was probably the most rewarding moment to reaffirm our choice to be an acoustic band. Jake didn’t skip a beat and the show went on in the dark.

Finally Playing the Arts Festival: It’s no secret it took some time and persistence to get to play the Utah Arts Festival last year. All the credit goes to Jake on this one. He worked ridiculously hard to make this happen. It always feels great to accomplish a goal like that, especially when it seemed like such a long shot in the first place.

Playing a Show at the Anarchist House: A few years ago Jake and I were asked to play a show at the Anarchist’s house in SLC. When we arrived no one seemed to know who we were or what was supposed to be going on (this happened more times than I can remember). We went out and sat on the sidewalk and waited until it was time to play. I’m glad we didn’t get discouraged at our initial impression of the place. Jake and I were able to play a nice long set in front of one of the most captive audiences I have ever seen. I could feel the entire room hanging onto our every lyric and I think any musician would agree that’s what it’s all about. Getting to put your thoughts to song and maybe someone at some point will hear your music and really listen to it.

Playing Our Last Outdoor Show: I guess at the time we didn’t know it would be our last outdoor show. A few months ago Jake organized a show up the canyon. That show embodied what the Sweater Friends were all about. We were always looking to play shows where people wouldn’t pay to get in which meant we often used our backyards and basements. As we played songs in the canyon that night we had honestly just planned to play 3 songs. Quick and simple. When we finished our last song on the set list, our friends started asking for others. I don’t remember how many more songs we ended up playing, but I’m glad we did. It just felt right to play the songs for the people that had supported us for so long. Exactly when they wanted them.

There are so many other memories I will always cherish about the Sweater Friends but I think this post is already the longest post I have written for the blog.

I’m so grateful that Jake and I are such good friends to realize it’s time to end it. It would be a tragedy to let the band muddle along while we both continue to become more frustrated with the local scene, time commitment and all around pressure on our music. That’s not what music is meant to be. Music is meant to be fun, exciting, an outlet for creativity and thoughts. And in my opinion, music is meant to be a musical joke gone ridiculously right.

Pickett: the new free single via uRECORDS

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 08:00:06 PDT

We are thrilled to announce the release of "Pickett" on the uRECORDS Spring '11 Sampler.

Get Pickett as a free download before the sampler release date by simply clicking download on the above player or by visiting our music page here (our music page is accessible to mobile users).

The entire uRECORDS sampler will be available for download this weekend at www.urecordsslc.com. We will give you more details as that goes live.

A big thanks goes out to Ben for making this happen in the allotted time frame.

Jake

Lyrics:

This story begins like any other I suppose
with a man in black and busted nose
making his escape
you see he'd lost everything he had to loose
except the clothes on his back and his worn out shoes
but none of that matters now

When the squatters came and torched his house
got to know is wife and kept her blouse
something vital snapped
some say it was a nerve deep in his brain
or a chunk of his heart due to the pain
but I guess we'll never know

So when is plans for revenge wound him up behind bars
a few nights in he jumped the guards
and that's where we find him now

And so I roam
and all I've known are
tattered footprints and a foreign pillow
and I don't care
because my dear
is still a whisper on the wind
and my heart is too hard to simple break of bend
because they're not
taking me alive

He ran all night and was discovered one town over by a kindly young girl named Lola Larae
she took him in, dressed his wounds, watered the soup to make it go around and waited until he came to
as he did, she began to ask "where are you headed", "where are you from", "what's your name"
but his answer was always the same
"it doesn't matter to me, why would it matter to you, thanks for your kindness but I'll be gone in the morning"
and he rolled over, leaving Lola to return to her room
just as she was drifting off to sleep, she heard a faint melody through the hall
she slipped out into the hall and heard the man was singing

cause I don't need a soul
if there's nothing left to live for
I'll watch my life wash away
'cause baby, all I need is you

With a squeak of the floor boards, Lola was discovered
entranced by the man's desperate exchange with the darkness
she said "your song reminds me of one my mother use to sing us"
and automatically dropping her gaze to the ground, she began

I sat down by the old oak tree
and heard we're more than roots and branches and leaves
and so should sing you and me
we're more than skin, and hair and bones and teeth
we're simple like a sword and a sheath
and who we are is buried deep underneath

A thick awkward silence fell on the scene
which was eventually alleviated by the drag of Lola's night gown against the wood floor
coming morning the man was true to his word and gone with the rising sun
grateful for the girl's kindness but unable to be quenched

And so I roam
and all I've known are
tattered footprints and a foreign pillow
and I don't care
because my dear
is still a whisper on the wind
and my heart is too hard to simple break of bend
because they're not
taking me alive

The weeks became a blur along the side of the road
sleep, and sustenance were overtaken by his flames of rage
after countless threats and kicked down doors, the man caught wind of a murderous group roaming his country side
still determined, he set his sights on their leader
who lived in a house too big to have been earned honestly

Slipping in through the back window in the darkness
having decided revenge was wasted with a warning
he ran through the following memorized moments
he slipped out into the hall and saw a slowly rocking sillouette
singing a song all too familiar

I sat down by the old oak tree
and heard we're more than roots and branches and leaves
and so should sing you and me
we're more than skin, and hair and bones and teeth
we're simple like a sword and a sheath
and who we are is buried deep underneath

'Cause I won't have a soul
if I take another man's world
I've watched my life waste for too long

I want a chance to breathe
without the choking vale I see
without these nagging thoughts unsure
and all these questions blame won't cure
and if I hold you to my view, would you help me say that
I'm not taking a life

My Life on Public Broadcasting

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:35:18 PST

I know I normally do not mix politics and the band blog (though our songs might), but something is happening that I feel really strongly about and I wanted to express a few thoughts and feelings.

Photo by Harry Hamburg

Public broadcasting, which makes up NPR and PBS, is under attack from a budget stand point. There are plans a foot to cut the funding to both of them down to ZERO. As someone who has spent time on a daily basis with both of these entities, the thought of loosing them as currently constituted is tragic. I guess the only positive thing about what is happening is that I realized to an even greater degree how much public broadcasting means to me and who I am. Thinking back, public broadcasting has improved my life since I can remember. My favorite show growing up, even into my teenage years, was Arthur. I remember thinking how much of a treat it was to watch NOVA with my dad or the cooking shows on Saturday afternoons. And let's face it, who among you can say that Sesame Street was not apart of your daily ritual as a child (remember that crazy pinball that would count stuff and sing to twelve? I still get that song stuck in my head).

In my opinion, great parts of American life should be open to all. National Parks, historical sites, these are things that belong to us as Americans in general. Though this might sound a little strong, I place public broadcasting in this same category. It is our national voice and not the voice of the board members. Unlike other news sources, we the people have a majority share as stakeholders. The free education and development that can come from NPR and PBS is a true national treasure.

NPR has become a huge part of my life because it is a news source I can turn to that does not tell me what to think but merely gives me content and information to think about. I am allowed to consume it how I so choose. My mind has been expanded in irreparable ways because of public broadcasting and I would be devastated if that went away.

Everything costs money but this is different than most political debates because of the way public broadcasting has become part of our national fabric. It has been woven into us and because of it we are stronger and a hell of a lot more colorful. Depriving not only today's world of the quality programing that comes from PBS and NPR, but the world our children will live in as well, would be like plugging up Old Faithful geyser. Maybe even worse because unlike a location, NPR and PBS are experienced everyday across the nation.

Save us from the wing nuts on either side, save us from the bias that privatized media can create and give us the facts, give us the brilliance that public broadcasting does. I would like invite you to sign a petition to save NPR and PBS at http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/save_npr_pbs/ as well as use your social media (like Facebook or Twitter) to spread the word. Or better yet, call your congressional representatives and let them know how you feel about PBS and NPR.

Jake

Studio Update: Oddities

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:44:55 PST

I had a chance last night to hear some of the tracks we have been working on for The Ghost and the Guest and came away feeling very excited. A last minute edition to the album called "The Same", which I wrote on the mandolin, is turning out awesome. I made a rough draft of the song a few weeks ago on my iPad and thought I would share it with you.

Along with rough draft of "The Same", I have posted some other tracks that have been hanging out on my hard drive under an album called Oddities. I plan to add more "live recordings, rough drafts, covers (that we can distribute) and other Sweater Friends stuff for your listening and downloading pleasure". Feel free to check them all out at http://music.thesweaterfriends.com/album/oddities.

Jake

PS: Something awesome about the Bandcamp site is that you can follow an artist via rss feed! Use http://music.thesweaterfriends.com/feed/album/oddities for the Oddities album.

The man behind the photo

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:58:30 PST

I have had a few questions about where this picture came from that we are using for Pickett. Believe it or not, he is (or was) a relative of mine and the father of the man I am named after. His name is John Workman, father to Jacob Lindsay Workman, and was born in Maryland in 1789. Son of a Revolutionary War veteran (who was also name Jacob Workman, I know, there are a lot of us), John would later join the LDS church and emigrated to Utah in 1852. He is actually buried here in the Salt Lake cemetery not too far from where I current reside.

The plot from The Ghost and the Guest has nothing to do with John, or his offspring, but rather is pure fiction written by a person with the same blood pumping through his veins as John had. The photo by no means is intended to be a mockery or a joke but rather an attempt to give authenticity, both on a personal level as well as historic. If you are interested, there is an online history of John Workman at http://workmanfamily.org/histories/WorkmanFamilyHistory.html

Jake

Companion Journal

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 22:38:17 PST

Newly released excerpt from the companion journal to The Ghost and the Guest

"With fire they took her and with Hades own rage will I stoke the flame that is now consuming my core. Whatever love is, whatever love was, has become shocking and relentless. The blood my heart now pumps is done so on one condition: revenge shall be swift."

Read the entire excerpt at http://theghostandtheguest.thesweaterfriends.com/

Jake

The Ghost and the Guest website

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 18:48:32 PST

Get a taste of the new album by following along at:

http://theghostandtheguest.thesweaterfriends.com.

We will let you know when updates are posted or simple stop by from time to time. We love you!

Jake

Lessons Learned

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 11:14:11 PST

I am about to start applying to grad school here in a few months. This change will bring big tests, paper work, application fees and above all the hope of being able to sell myself to the school that I would like to attend. Grad school has always been somewhere in the back of my mind and it is exciting that I'm almost in the doorway. While I have been thinking about this process, my mind has been pointed towards things in my life that have taught/molded the parts of me that I feel are of value. Though there are surely more than one source of refinement on the list, I thought it would be appropriate to share how being a musician has blessed my life.

Like everyone else, my mistakes make up a big part of who I am. I remember in high school, my pal Tom talked me into doing a jazz solo competition at the BYU Jazz Festival. I said yes because Tom was (and still is) a good friend. I really had no idea what I was getting myself into, I mean I barely knew the blues scale. The prior months to the performance, I just kept putting off my preparation mainly because it was hard and easy to block out. I had never done anything like this, let alone in front of some of the best musicians in the state. I remember when the moment came for me to perform, we were in a class room on campus with a hand full of my jazz band buddies, my teacher Amber, and a BYU Jazz professor. I played "Watermelon Man" and still have a very vivid memory of the cold sweat rolling down my back as my shaky fingers eeked out a melody followed by a portion of "improv" (which really just amounted to me playing the same note patterns from a blues scale in B flat over and over again). It was bad. The professor was kind, mentioned I could branch out into different scales, and that was that. Later I received a cassette tape of the ordeal which I never listened to. Every time I would dig through my dresser drawer and accidentally come across the tape I would hide from it like it was emitting some high pitched sound that only I and selected breeds of dog could hear. I think I ended up throwing the tape away but I don't remember for sure, all I do know is that it is gone.

I find it interesting how the moments that you feel the dumbest tend to create some of the strongest memories. Why embarrassment likes to cloud you our brains like an unexpected morning fog beats me but it does. It has taken years to be able to deal with feeling dumb or stupid but in the end, I can see how these feelings, not in excess of course, can bring about something positive. Plainly put, feeling dumb means you are about to learn something. I'm sure you can imaging what I learned from this instance but the reminder that comes with the sore spot was worth the effort. If anything, I've learned how to deal with feeling dumb. It isn't a pleasant feeling by any means but I now see the value in it. I hope I have never made any of you feel dumb or stupid, because it is a horrible feeling, but when these emotions come, find comfort in the fact that many of the worlds greatest lessons have been learned soon there after.

Jake

Arcade

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 20:28:09 PST

There may or may not be a secret arcade hidden on our new site.

http://thesweaterfriends.com/

Let me know if/when you find it.

Jake

bloggering

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 12:03:41 PST

Indie Ogden was kind enough to mention us in a post dedicated to how great the music is in Ogden, UT. Let us second that idea! Thanks!

Check out the post at http://indieogden.blogspot.com/

Jake

Studio Update 1

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 13:12:22 PST

Recording the new album started off really well. I sat down Friday night around 6:00 and by the time 11:00 rolled around, most of the acoustic guitar work was done. Give us another hour and a half and the foundation will be laid. This album is longer than anything else we've ever recorded, with 12 full tracks and some half-tracks that fill in the story and glue the music together.

I am really happy with the tone that we have been getting thus far. A new mic arrangement and a beautiful preamp to run everything through is making the guitar sound much more real that anything else we have ever recorded. In fact, I would say that what we have recorded thus far sounds more real-life than sitting right next to us playing. It's really amazing.

This time next week we'll hopefully have all the stringed instruments done. Until then, hope everyone has a good week!

Jake

quotes

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 08:39:47 PST

So I tried to look up a good music quote this morning, something to inspire and start the day out right. I really came away with two results.

1. There are a lot of really bad music quotes.
2. One has to wonder if any of the lame quotes people use on the internet are real or cited to the right origin.

Whatever.

Thanks Guitar Center Dude....

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 08:44:40 PST

Maybe 10 or so years ago, (that seems a lot longer when it is written out like that), my parents wanted to buy me an acoustic guitar. I had been playing the guitar for a little while on a garage special from my grandpa but was growing out current instrument. So the three of us headed down to Guitar Center to buy one. I don't remember much but I do remember it being very busy there, a lot of people hustling about, each one trying to play louder or better than the next person as they "tried out" a given guitar or amp.

I don't know if you have ever gone into a music store before but trying out an instrument rarely means that you are interested in making a purchase. Rather, it has become a weird way of showing off and one-upping your fellow guitar players in an off-stage setting. You'll be walking by a row of tweed covered Fender amps and see some guy busting out a blues solo like he had been practicing for weeks just for that moment. Take a few more steps and you'll hear the hiss and punch of a Mesa Boogie half stack. As you look towards the sound you'll probably see a guy who wears the same pair of shorts year round, needs to rethink his facial hair design and is trying to melt your face on a black Dean electric guitar that could poke your eye out. Continue on your journey to the acoustic guitar section and you'll see a humidity controlled glass room full of $2000 guitars, a dude playing one with his foot resting on a black bar stool and his wife looking bored-ly off into the distance while waiting for him to get his fill (that one would be me).

Anyway, back to the store, my parents and I ended up being helped by a 20-something dude who showed us the Martin DX1. The X series is a lower line that Martin put out, taking advantage of Martin design while using wood-composite to make up the sides and back of the guitar. At the time however, I had no idea about this, much less my parents. The Guitar Center dude, after showing us the around, went through and played ever DX1 they had in the building, which amounted to a lot, and came back with the best sounding guitar he could find. My parents kindly bought it and set me up for my love affair with music.

Well, every time I am in that expensive guitar room, the one with $2000 guitars, $4000 guitars, I think to myself that my guitar sounds just as good and was less that a quarter of the price. It's true too, I have never played a guitar I would rather have than the one I was give all those years ago. The sound and the feel are rare to say the least. That is why I just wanted to say thanks. Thank you Guitar Center dude for taking the time to pick out the best guitar you could find. Those 20 minutes or so of your life have made the past decade of mine that much better.

Jake

POV

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 18:50:05 PST

This is what recording looks like. Some mics, wires, the beast, and Ben's back. Awesome.

Jake

Lost in Translation

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 15:00:30 PST

Things get lost when they change format. Parts, details, sentiment, it just happens. To draw upon my own experience, I can read the same text in English and in Spanish but come away with two different meanings. Lets take the verb to love for example. In Spanish, there are two words that fall under the love umbrella, querer and amar. If I were to say "I love pizza", translated literally into "amo a pizza" it would sound like that whole if-you-love-it-why-don't-you-marry-it idea from when you were a kid or that I have some sort of romantic attraction to baked bread with tomato sauce and cheese. What you would say to express the same idea is "me gusta a pizza", which again offers literal translation problems become something to the affect of "pizza pleases me", conjuring up ideas that would probably be illegal in most states.

Keeping the core content the same as something moves from one medium to another is what translation is all about. Even though water changes with temperature, expanding and contracting, hardening and vaporizing, the basic 2 hydrogen molecules clinging to an oxygen remains the same. This struggle is a bit what writing a song is like, let alone a whole album. Everyone writes differently but for me, music starts in my head as I'm walking to the store to get some eggs (or to church with portions of Everyone We Know). Being able to transfer the melody and progression that sound so good in my mind to my fingers and vocal chords is challenging. Especially from the point of view of The Sweater Friends where we write the vast majority of music outside of practice, you learn to jam with yourself, with what you hear as you play that isn't physically there.

Recording this album will be a translation of sorts. Even moving from a live performance setting to a studio album makes you think about things completely different. What should the right guitar tone be like, what do we want the environment to sound like, things like these that can make or break an album. Even the tempo, unlike in a live performance, is set in stone once the first track is laid down. Will 115 bpm or 120 bpm fit this song best? There seems to be a lot of extra stuff on the table when recording rather than simple playing our songs. Lets hope we get them right.

Jake

I'm cold

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 22:37:40 PST

Hello all, I'm sitting here in the dark of my tiny apartments, listening to the ever-changing hum of my 5 year old MacBook and looking at the mulit-colored Christmas lights outside my window that I really should have take down a while ago. It is kind of chilly but I hear the furnace trying to do its thing and at least I'm not outside in the 10 degree Utah winter. My wife Jess is asleep in the other room so I'm trying to type softly. It is a good night.

I am typing this because something is happening this week that was started about a year and a half ago. Friday night we will begin the long journey of recording a new album. The Ghost and the Guest emerged out of a song, which turned into a 7 minute musical ramble and in turn lead to the creation on an entire album based around a fictitious man named Henry Pickett Pratt. Living sometime in the mid 1800s, Pickett has been somewhere in my mind for a while now. The album, which has ballooned into something quite different than anything else I have ever written, is ripe for the picking and ready to make the leap from my brain to a recording.

I plan to blog a lot about the recording process, with pictures and videos and all that jazz, but if anyone has any specific questions, technical or whatever, please feel free to ask. Thanks again for all the love and support.

It is really happening!

Jake

I Heard there is a free Sweater Friends holiday song...

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:10:58 PST

Well, you would be right!
Stream/download it at http://merrychristmasfromthesweaterfriends.viinyl.com/

I recorded the whole thing on my iPad and it turned out pretty good, at least for having such a tiny mic that sits next to the headphone jack. I spent the majority of the time writing the lyrics. Christmas is something important to me and so is birth we are celebrating. Just click "lyrics" on the song's link to read them without disrupting the track.

I really do hope you have a wonderful rest of your week and a warm weekend.

Jake

Viinyl.com

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:42:49 PST

A cool new site called viinyl.com creates pages for a single music track.
We were given a pre-release membership and uploaded a couple of songs. They can be seen at:

http://sinners.viinyl.com/
http://usandthem.viinyl.com/

I thinking this would be a very cool way to release some new songs from The Ghost and the Guest.
Which by the way, we will begin production of the new album the week after Christmas!
Very cool. Hope you have a great weekend.

Jake

Inspiration

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 06:00:10 PST

I really hope the new album turns out as awesome as this high school orchestra.

Can you just see those monkeys hitting things with bones?

Jake

Songwriting Interview with Jake Part 2

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 06:00:05 PST

Here is the remainder of my songwriting Q&A. -Jake

6. Do you collaborate or enlist outside opinions during the writing process? What effect does that have on the writing process?

Yes and no, I perform the songs with a girl I grew up with. Mostly, songs will already be written when one of us brings a new one to the table but Garageband and email has enhanced our song writing and really made our band possible. We are pretty spoiled in our day and age to have a digital scratchpad whenever we need it.

7. Songwriters are known for loving most of their “babies” equally. This is why artistic coaches have the mantra “Kill Your Babies!” How can you tell when one of your own song is really good? How can you tell when one is bad or misbehaving?

It is really hard. CD Baby sales reports really help ☺. Playing them live do as well. We are planning to record a new album soon and recently played the first four songs of the new album at a show. The two I though people we going to like where never mentioned when I talked to the audience afterwards. In fact, they loved the one I had doubted since I wrote it. This made me reevaluate the recording that is coming up and allocate more recourses to the song. My favorite songs are not our top sellers but when you write from personal experiences, you will surely bond with the songs for other reasons than being a catching tune. It is like 3rd grade when you had to pass around your story for peer review. You don’t need to take everyone’s opinion as fact but a fresh set of ears is incredibly valuable.

8. What do you get out of being a songwriter? Do you imagine you’ll write songs forever?

Yes. As busy as my life has become, I would not do it anymore if I did not enjoy it. In fact, when I sit down with my guitar, I don’t want to play other peoples songs anymore, I want to play mine, I want to play the one that has never been played before.

9. What roles do “inspiration” and “perspiration” play in your writing process?

Inspiration has a big role. Though it was not initially, I have learned the truth behind “writing what I know”. My songs can’t just happen by deciding I want to write a song, it is more like I find myself planting a seed by scribbling on a napkin while out somewhere. Nature is big too, I have spent a lot of time in northwestern Wyoming as well as the wild portions of Uah and have found that bring in a place that I feel is “inspiring” leads to inspiration. As for the perspirations, my wife mentioned that I need some new deodorant, ha.

10. Imagine the greatest song you’ve haven’t written yet. Describe it.

My perfect song would be like climbing a tree, starting with a solid trunk, supportive yet bare and simple. As you move upwards, the branches would expand, bearing fruit and flower, knotting and swaying with your grasp. Though there would be repetition wood and the basic framework the same, change would be key to making the song engage you, wanting to know where it goes. Finally, you’d be at the top, having a little different perspective and maybe slightly raw hands from what just happened. Good art takes you somewhere that you were not before, maybe even somewhere you have never been. I want to move people.

Songwriting Interview with Jake Part 1

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:46:39 PST

CD Baby, the company that distributes our music, recently posted some questions about songwriting in their DIY Music section. I took the time to fill them out and thought I would share my answers with you. Enjoy! -Jake

1. What does your songwriting process look like? What are a few of the more common ways in which you compose a song?

Songs usually come from tinkering around with riffs, at least the good ones. My wife asks me how I can play the same thing over and over again with really no end but the repetition not only refines the part but also allows me to “hear” things that are there in my head. The trick is getting them out of my head. If my brain had a USB port I would be set but this struggle of translating the mental realm into something that everyone can hear is what I would call songwriting. It has eased with time but the long repetitive practices in the solitude of my apartment are the best way to wash it all out. It’s like panning for gold I guess, it takes a little motion and a good amount of time.

2. Think of your favorite songs. What do they do to or for you? What is it about the song (technically, emotionally, thematically) that moves you?

I love Saves The Day’s “This is not an exit”. The lyrics have such strong imagery in them, when he asks you to “walk across the stage, take a bow, hear the applause” I end up doing so every time in my mind. The music is perfect for the story as well, it swells and bursts, plunges and flows, the song really takes you on a ride as you float belly up to the clouds.

3. What are your common frustrations with songwriting? What are the ways in which you get stuck?

I get stuck when I think about the end product too much. Just like a good song is a journey, so is writing, I can get bogged down in my ideas. I feel like they either run like a faucet or are as dry as a desert.

4. How do you overcome the frustration? How do you get un-stuck?

Reading.

Also, when I am frustrated with songwriting, I hate listening to music. Like it is laughing in my face because I can’t seem to get my music right. Nothing sounds good when I am having songwriters-block. This is where the tinkering comes in though; my best songs took refining and I think the good songs I have yet to write will need this as well. I don’t know what it would be like to have to produce music. Maybe I should try it sometime and make myself write music for a few weeks straight. I would be interested in what comes out.

Thinking with a pad of paper helps. Not just typing on a screen but actually moving my fingers to create the letters of my songs and thoughts. It makes it easy to organize what I want and I won’t feel the need to stay too long on one idea for fear of forgetting it because I already have it written down. The dullest pencil is better than the sharpest mind.

5. Do you envision an audience or outside listener when you write? If so, how would you describe that audience? What effect does this have on the writing process?

I hardly ever do. Sometimes when I write something that might have a political or philosophical message behind it I think about “how” to say what I mean but the substance of the message is usually what is on my mind, what is keeping my up at night. For me, songwriting is almost therapeutic; a way to make sense of the world around me while doing something that takes my mind off life, which is playing my guitar.

A Problematic Ballerina

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 10:01:24 PST

I have been working on a few final papers the past week and came across a quote that made me grin. It comes from Tamara Karsavina, a russian ballerina. She said, "each art is only powerful in its own domain, and once it seeks to embody the principles of other art it is doomed to failure". I laughed out loud when I read it because this "album" we have been working on is just that, a hybrid, a mixture, the illegitimate child of songwriting and a Spanish degree.

Really the best way to describe The Ghost and the Guest is to say story telling in all it's facets. Though I think there are very blurred lines separating music and the written word, the cohesion that will bring our "western" album together will be Pickett (the main character) with his struggles and triumphs. Think of it like a movie... with out the visual. Narration, dialog, soundtrack, everything that a movie supports itself with will in this case become the focus. Like removing the table from a dinner party, the meat of the story is still there though you might have to picnic.

I hope that Tamara Karsavina is wrong and that the last year or so of creating is not "doomed to failure". We'll find out soon. Record is on pace to start any day now. Until then, have an awesome Thanksgiving. We really are thankful to have you as a fan.

Jake

Ally's Music Picks

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 01:46:00 PDT

Hi everyone! It's been awhile since I've posted about what music I'm listening to right now. I have three words for you Mumford and Sons. So good. Little Lion Man is their single out now. I bought this CD after hearing the single on TV a few weeks ago. It haven't listened to anything else since then - and I've even bought a few more new albums since then. I'll get around to listening to them soon, I'm sure.

I'm not quite so sure what it is about Mumford and Sons that has me so addicted. Their songs are just so full. That's the only way I can think to describe them. My favorite song by far is called White Blank Page. I'm pretty sure I listened to that song ten times in a row after I first heard it.

Jake and I talk a lot about what it is about certain songs that make us want to listen to them over and over. One thing that comes out time and time again for me is the emotion in them. There's two reasons for that. First, I am terrible about expressing emotion when I'm singing (and life in general). Just awful. It's something I think I'm getting a bit better at as time goes by but I am still so far away from where I want to be. Second, there's that point in a song where I can feel what the band is singing about. I mean really feel it. You can close your eyes and your heard skips a beat and catches your breath. All because of a song.

Isn't music wonderful?

Free show at the University of Utah

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 21:40:13 PDT

We will be playing in front of the Union building this Friday at the University of Utah.
11:30 AM to 1 PM.
Free! Fun! Beauty! Wow!
Sponsered by Urecords http://www.facebook.com/urecordsslc
Come stay "hi" if you can stop by.

Jake

New Photos!

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 20:20:54 PDT

Click here to see them (http://www.flickr.com/photos/thesweaterfriends)
Thanks Taylor :)

Jake

Music Videos

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 10:54:13 PDT

I'm not sure why, but I have always loved music videos. I thought I would share some of my faves with you.

Saves the Day- At You Funeral
Thrice- Image of the Invisible
Jack Johnson- You and Your Heart
Rocky Votolato- White Daisies Passing
The Strokes- Reptilia

If you watch any of them, make it Arcade Fires video for We Used to Wait called The Wilderness Downtown. It is amazing. The coolest thing I have ever seen on the internet.

Enjoy! Share your faves too, I'd love to see them!

Jake

Radio Appearance

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:02:35 PDT

We will be playing Weber State Radio 88.1 tonight at 8:30 pm.
You can steam the audio along with an in studio camera feed at:

https://departments.weber.edu/kwcr/listenlive.html

Tune in if you can!

Jake

Nice to meet you

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:03:51 PDT

When people meet me and eventually find out I’m in a band I can almost guarantee their reaction is disbelief. They always take a step back, size me up and then say “You?” It’s understandable and I like that people can’t see me up in front of people singing and entertaining. I’m a pretty quiet person in most situations. I would much rather sit back and listen to the stories of your life than tell you mine. I’m cautious and tend to scrutinize most things. I’m always going to stand up for what I believe in and I’ll always try to do it without walking over your beliefs. After all, we’re all entitled to opinions, right?

I hate having people hear me sing. Now after that statement, being in a two person band doesn't seem like a good place for me. Before Jake and I sat down for our first practice, I’m pretty sure my Mom was the only other person that had heard me sing alone. I remember Jake asking me to sing the song we were playing, Rocky Votolato’s Suicide Medicine. I’m pretty sure if given the chance to die at that moment or sing, I would have picked die but that wasn’t an option so I sang it and Jake didn’t run from my room screaming at the awful noise.

A few months later as we waited to play our very first show, I was the most nervous I can ever remember being…ever. I think I may have scared Jake a little bit, being that nervous. Thank goodness for him and his past performing experience. Luckily for me my need to follow through on commitments is always more than any amount of nervousness.

Now I’m not to the point that I’m absolutely fearless, but I’m way better about singing for people when they ask me and I rarely get nervous when performing with Jake. I can add that to the list of things I’m been able to do, experience or conquer since joining the Sweater Friends.

Music we enjoy

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:40:46 PDT

There is a CD on spinner.com that I enjoy a lot at the moment by Meridene. Listen to it here (at least when I posted this). "The Truth the Dead Know" is pretty catchy. I really like the horns in the chorus and the synth tone. It's a "cool" song, listen and you'll see why.

Jake

Dinosaurs Love The Sweater Friends

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:10:25 PDT

My pal Nate rolled out a new sticker design for us a while ago and they finally found their way to my mail box.

Looking pretty good huh? If you'd like to have a digital copy, this link will download the image. Thanks again to Nate for sharing his skills, you are the man. All merch orders will get one of our new stickers free for the next little while. Couple that with our $5 t-shirts and I think it's a pretty good deal :)

Jake

falling

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:05:40 PDT

I don't know about where you are but here in the Salt Lake Valley it is easy to tell that Fall is headed. Accordingly, on my cold walk to class the other morning, I had this strange desire to drop everything and play my guitar. You see, for me at least, Fall weather has always been guitar playing weather. Why? I have no idea, but the brisk air and the jacket wearing usually bring a guitar playing mood to my life. I'm excited, I think it's gonna be a good Fall.

Along with the guitar playing feeling, I also have some good old standbys bands that seem to sound better this time of year. One of them being The Get Up Kids. Their album Something To Write Home About is my favorite fall music. They also put out a live album which is fantastic. Their iLike page has lots of videos and even some of their new EP on there.

http://www.ilike.com/artist/The+Get+Up+Kid

Very enjoyable.

Jake

A Good Cause

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:34:50 PDT

Did you know you can get free Sweater Friends' music AND support the World Food Program at the same time by simply clicking a few buttons?

Due to the horrible flood season Pakistan has experienced, the World Food Program (http://www.wfp.org/) is in need more than ever for assistance. We have decided to chip in via a site called Gimme Sound that allows artists to post songs for download and donates a portion of the ad revenue to a charity of the artist's choice. We currently have six tracks available and best of all it's completely FREE to you!

Pretty neat, huh? Spread the word!

http://www.gimmesound.com/TheSweaterFriends

Jake

Gigs, Blog, Photos, Videos
FREE MUSIC DOWNLOADS

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:10:14 PDT

This made me smile.

Sweater Friends TABs

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:49:28 PDT

Like a lot of ideas I have, this one came while listening to NPR. There was an interesting piece on All Things Considered today about sheet music and it's availability on the internet. You can read or listen to it here. I was reminded of request I have received for Sweater Friends TABs and other info that would be useful in learning to play our songs. In the past, I have helped where I could but have never actually TAB'd out one of our songs. Well, that is all about to change.

I have decided to make the Tablature for everyone one of our songs available online for free. I know it will be accurate too because I am the one creating it.

I plan to post them all via Google Docs. You will be able to view or download the documents in just about any format. I already have a song up, Black Bookend, and it's already to go lyrics and all. The link is:

https://docs.google.com/document/edit?id=1e6RImbMeBXAqamQS4RFICU5vKP5iTslXhzeUlb_lZhM&hl=en&authkey=CNOJ-MYC&pli=1#

The plan is to post every song we have released. Feel free to share the link, it is needed in order to access the TAB. My apologies to those who have asked for TABs in the past but I hope this will make good on your requests.

Enjoy!

Jake

I guess it's kind of like cheese

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 22:20:30 PDT

I'm not gonna lie, sometimes I feel like I should have outgrown this band thing by now.

My love affair with music started somewhere in junior high. Though we are all made up of different parts and places, if I had to label myself in the social structure of teenage life I would have to go with nerd. Looking back I can see that but at the time I was just a kid who wanted what every other kid wants, and that is friends. Music was a big help in that category in that I found people to hangout with. I remember though that I still didn't fit in with the kids who listened to music I liked. I wasn't cool enough for the kids with spiked hair and studded belts. I don't know if it was my size, my clothes or even just my shy-manner but the people I related to musically were the same who threw me down in the halls and pushed me into locker doors.

As I got into high school, the friend thing got better (bigger pool to swim in I guess) but I still had some rough goes when it came to this music thing I loved. Ha, they are funny to look back at. The first show I ever helped plan was a flop. We called it Skankfest, maybe 7 people came (2 of them being the cops) and it ended up making the "no thanks" section of my buddy's CD (The Green Peanuts). Or my very first performance, which was at a battle of the bands put on at a big Boy Scouts of America event. We called ourselves Via Satellite (I still like that name) and we played 2 songs, an Offspring cover and an original called "Virginia Sucks" (I don't remember what that one was about, I didn't write the words, but I do recall it talking about a spray painted Camaro). Combine our lack our preparation with the sand storm that was raging and you can guess how it went.

By the end of high school, my band "Good As Gone" had done okay. We recorded our own full length CD (I still have some if anyone wants one, $5, ha), called "Anywhere But Punk" as sort of a statement against the music scene that I wanted to be a part of. The vocals had too much of a going-thru-puberty feel though to make it that enjoyable to anyone. By this time I was writing songs and really figuring out how to express myself. Next came "The Pirates of the Great Salt Lake" which lasted maybe a year. Musically we were never impressive (though I do still like some of our songs) but our live show was fun. We tired to be as crazy from beginning to end. We even BROKE a stage once. My two years of missionary service killed the pirates just as we were starting to get noticed.

That brings us to The Sweater Friends, which is by far my most successful music project. I do not say that with any sort of arrogance, it is simply a fact when compared to the rest of my music endeavors. It is so funny to me that three years after a random invite to play a show Allyson and I are preparing to record our 4th album (if you included the demo we hardly speak of). WTF is right.

I turned 25 last week and I wonder how many other 25-year-olds still play and promote their own music. Most of those kids that I never really fit in with sure don't, so why me? I think that is because when I get a few moments or an afternoon to do what I want with, I play music. And if I'm not doing that with my free time, I'm publishing my music and my experience online. I don't really see that ever ending and if the trend continues, it's only going to get better. I guess "The Ghost and the Guest" will tell.

Boiled down, music has to be enjoyable to the musician first. If you are that misfit, my heart goes out to you. Let my just say that coming to terms with what's inside is key to conquering what's outside. It's not easy but it works. It has for me at least and I am nobody special.

Jake

"Do what you love, love what you do" - Bouncing Souls

By comman consent

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 09:36:03 PDT

We were featured on the blog By Common Consent. Check it out here:

http://bycommonconsent.com/2010/08/03/the-top-10-lds-musicians-you%E2%80%99ve-never-heard-of-no-10/

(hopefully YOU have heard of us, haha)

Jake

Video Blog: An Introduction

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:01:35 PDT

Out of the eleven tracks that make up the story to The Ghost and the Guest, eight of the songs have never been performed. We have plans to change that with our next few shows but I wanted to share with you all the opening song to the album. This song started as two chords that I used to play over and over again. I learned to play them with feeling and though the message was simple, the sentiment came from deep down. I would close my eyes with the blinds shut and play for who knows how long, really until it just felt right. The words followed rather quickly but that feeling had to come first. It was like my brain was cut off from the equations and the almost hypnotic peace and focus that came over me was moving my pick and pressing my fingers. I hope you enjoy the song even half as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Jake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3ZALtchAyY

Album Chat with Larry and Sara!

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:22:09 PDT

Larry King and Sara Palin discuss the new album.

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/6827145/

Pretty awesome. We are really getting out there.

Jake

Favorite Duets

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:41:00 PDT

So Jake and I have been trying to share some of the music we're listening to on a regular basis. This week I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite boy/girl duets. I've really come to appreciate a good duet since Jake and I have started playing together. I have a whole new perspective. Here are a few I think you should check out.

Sam and Ruby - More: I first read about this duo in an airplane magazine while traveling for work. I'm not sure what was written about them to get me to download their EP but I am so glad I did. It's different from what I usually listen to. Quiet, slow and soulful.

We the Kings - We'll Be a Dream: I wish I could sing like Demi Lovato at the end of this song. Maybe in a few years, for now I'll just listen to is over and over and try my hardest.

On The Surface - Still As Beautiful: An acoustic guitar, one boy, one girl. Sounds familiar? Okay, so there are more instruments during the chorus. So beautifully simple with harmonies that enhance the story to no end.

Stars - Your Ex-Lover Is Dead: Story telling at it's best. After listening to this song I was in the taxi cab in Montreal sharing the awkward moment. I'm not sorry I met you, I'm not sorry it's over, I'm not sorry there's nothing to save. How can you not relate to those lyrics?

Pink featuring Steven Tyler - Misery: I love how their voices match so closely. I love the harmonies. I never loved this song until I heard this version

New Found Glory - Stay (I missed you): I hated this song until I heard it as a duet. I love the give and take and dimension added by making this into a duet.

So there you have it. Some of my favorite duets. I hope you take a moment to listen to a few of them.

The Ghost and The Guest track list

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 23:11:36 PDT

I have spent the past few weeks since the Art Festival mapping out The Ghost and The Guest. In essence, I have broke down the entire album, track by track, part by part, and figured out what goes where. With out further adieu then, there is the finalized track list:

An Introduction
Henry is Close
Love
Pickett
Paper and Ink
Intermission (Taking it Back)
Dreams
Killing Me
Quakies
The Gates
Miles and Miles

If you have heard us play in the past year or so, some of the tracks might sound familiar but for the large majority, they are new songs that only Allyson, my wife Jess, and my walls have heard. Granted, the whole notion of the album is to create something that is more than music, which we are. There will be some sort stories, fitting art work, a featurette and bonus tracks, but the above list is the heart of The Ghost and The Guest. Things are looking up.

Jake

Weekly Playlist

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:45:40 PDT

So I am seeing Thrice next week and thus have been listening to them quite a lot. Let me tell you, Artist in the Ambulance is an awesome album to run to. Fast and hard enough to keep you going but full of enough detail and intrigue to keep your mind on the side ache that has been building for a mile and a half. It's a few years old but it is my recommendation this week. Great album.

Jake

PS- This is my favorite Thrice video. It's wonderful. Teppei is playing a tele. Awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbAjxltPmuI

Free Art Show

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 10:01:25 PDT

We are playing a free art show put on by Steven-Henager College this weekend called Silhouette. Here is the info straight from the source:

The AIGA Stevens-Henager Salt Lake City Campus Student Group is proud to present Silhouette 2010. Silhouette is a community art show, and the perfect place, and time to get your art shown, or just to enjoy the summer. We will have music, poetry, community art, food, and the promise of a good time. So bring your friends and lets get this summer going right!

Outside line up:
4 PM kiss me, kill me
5 PM Shift & Shadows
6 PM Eric Ethan

Inside line up:
4 Whitney Blayne
5 Kole
6 Deepti/Jacob Isbell
7 Paulie
8 The Sweater Friends (that's us!)

Facebook event link: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=140453459302366&ref=mf

The show is located on Vine Street at 383 W. Vine Street in Murray, UT.
Learn more at http://silhouette2010.tumblr.com/.

Hope to see you there. Remember, it's FREE!

-Jake

Utah Arts Festival Pictures

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:09:29 PDT

I just wanted to share a few pictures from the Utah Arts Festival last weekend. Enjoy.

sigh of relief

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:48:37 PDT

The point of this post is two things and I am not going to waste any time getting to them. 1- Thanks to everyone that came out to our Utah Arts Festival performance. Even if you just caught a song or two on the way through the plaza, it was very appreciated. 2- I am so glad it is over. Believe it or not, Allyson and I still have day jobs which make playing in our little band possible. From my point of view more specifically, I work and am in my senior year at the University of Utah. Finding time to play music is a priority to me but when I have a novel to read, an essay test and a research paper all due two days before a show that we have tried to play for three years, life can feel a little bit heavier than usual. I mentioned to Allyson on Saturday that I feel like I have had this weight on my shoulders that past two weeks and only now can stand up straight, metaphorically speaking. It was fun, it was worth it but that feeling afterwords was just as good as the anticipation and the performance itself.

Thanks for giving me those "musician moments" that really make the day to day seem a little less mundane.

Jake

5 Tracks

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:17:38 PDT

So Jake and I have decided to start a reoccurring feature on our blog. Every week one of us will share 5 songs from different artists we are digging at the moment. Since it was my idea, I get to start. Here are the 5 tracks I’m digging this week with a little explanation why I love them.

1. Of Men and Angels – The Rocket Summer. This track is off of The Rocket Summer’s album of the same title (Of Men and Angels). I really have loved this whole album but this song makes me hit repeat a few times when I hear it. A fast paced piano intro that builds into an almost acoustic (organ and rhythmic clapping anyone?) chorus. Love.

2. Bust Your Windows – The Glee Cast. Okay let me start this out by explaining I have never actually seen Glee but I am a sucker for a good cover so I download the music. I’m not sure this counts as a cover for me, I’ve never heard the original song, but the emotion and passion in this version won me over with the first line.

3. 21 Guns – American Idiot (Original Broadway Cast). I watched the Grammy’s this year for the first time in a very long time. I was wowed over and over by the performances I saw. This one took my breath away and I searched every week for the music from the Broadway cast to be on Itunes. Green Day says they originally wrote this song for a female voice. I believe it after hearing this.

4. Be Good Until Then – Butch Walker. It’s no secret Butch Walker is my musical idol. This song embodies my favorite kind of Butch Walker music. Simple, raw, emotional, honest and guaranteed never to blow up and be the next big single. It may not appeal to the masses but it appeals to me. If I had kids, I would sing them this song every night before bed.

5. Stand Too Close – Motion City Soundtrack. This song will get stuck in your head before you even get the chance to learn the words. I don’t know how else to describe it other than saying it’s just delectable and addicting.

So there you have it. The 5 tracks that get added to all my ipod playlists every time I make one. The songs I crave listening to while I’m at work (is that just a weird me thing or do you get cravings for songs too?).

Arts Festival

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 22:51:21 PDT

Just a quick post about our Utah Arts Festival performance on Friday at 5 PM.
We were picked as one of the bands to see by the Salt Lake Trib.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/entertainment/49782970-81/stage-plaza-rock-pop.html.csp?page=3

Hope you can take their advise and come on out :)

Jake

across the pond

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:07:41 PDT

I came across a new music site the other day that is actually pretty cool. It is called Gogo Yoko and it's the creation of some dudes in the UK (video interview with the creator here). The basic idea is to allow musicians to sell and stream their music directly. All the proceeds go right to the band. Kind of cool huh? (video here about the site). Right now the site caters to the Euro Zone listing prices in euros but they have plays to expand globally. You can make play lists of songs you like and stream them if you make a profile.

Well anyway, we are up on there. http://www.gogoyoko.com/#/artist/thesweaterfriends. If you like the site enough to make a profile, I invite you to "follow" us on there. Every little bit counts. It seems like a cool enough site for music lovers. 10% of full album sales goes to UNICEF, which is neat.

Jake

Producers

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:11:53 PDT

I came across an interesting blog post the other day in my Google Reader collection of indie music blogs. It was a short piece speaking to the effect that if we all become musicians, if we all create music and put it out there to buy, who will there be to listen? As technology brings a better and better band to my finger tips via looping, processing and recording programs, where will all the "musicians" go? This small little post sparked a great deal of thought as I am past of this music machine harnessing the vast reach of cyberspace to share and distribute music. I do not however feel that this hobby of mine has turned off my ears to wanting to hear other people's music. In fact, if anything, it has done quite the opposite. I listen with a different ear now, one of a critical nature, dissecting a recording or guitar tone, appreciating talent that is not simply a digital sound image, and craving something more than the ever growing generic brand. I listen to learn, taking elements of other genre's great songwriters (cough, Thursday, cough cough) and applying them the best I can to my creation. I listen also as an even more solidified music lover, having dabbled in my own music and standing back in awe of what others can and have done.

I planted a garden tonight outside my front door. Among Jess (my wife) and I's many motivations for doing so is the simple idea that we want not only to be consumers in this world but producers as well.

We all have something to give and to gain by the sweat of our brows.

Jake

Ghost and the Guest

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:49:43 PDT

I couldn't be more excited with how this next album is shaping up. It is so different from all of our other albums. A few of the tracks are songs Jake and I have been playing for over a year and the rest of the tracks I had not heard until Jake emailed me the roughs a few weeks ago. Jake has blogged a bit before about how we don't really see each other in person a lot. We rely on the internet for the majority of our creative process. This album has been no exception to this rule and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I think this process adds a big portion of the charm and wittyness people always tend to highlight when they are talking about The Sweater Friends. We don't see each other a ton, we don't get to play our music together a ton. When we are up on stage playing, I feel like I'm just hanging out with my friends.

When it comes to new music, the same novelty is there. I'm always so excited to sit down at my computer and listen to Jake's ideas. This album was no exception, we've been talking about the story and songs forever. Now getting to hear the storyline with the music is so exciting. I love the new tracks and can't wait to put this album together.

Allyson

Intro Lyrics

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:20:41 PDT

As we draw closer and closer to recording the new album I have been going through and finalizing the lyrics. It's funny how many times I haven't realized that I'm singing something different than what I have written down. The good thing about that is the words usually fit the rhythm and melody better, the bad thing is that they lose meaning and make very little sense. Our brain naturally want to make things smooth and orderly, which is a really good thing except when I sing something that is way out in left field simply because the syllables fit nicely. Lyrics and meaning are so important to us and can be blamed for a lot of our success I feel. Anyway, here is the opening song to The Ghost and The Guest. I hope you like it.

you can't tell what it's like
til the feelings arrived
cause it's hard to listen and not just hear

there's lessons to be learned
in someone else's burns
but we'll always be here and never there

cause the words were more with the melody
and the notes were more with the chords they weave
and they don't know just how they motivate me

you can't tell what it's like
til the darkness hits the brights
and you squint like little kids
when their mom turns on the lights

cause they can't see more than the sting
and they don't know that the morning,
the morning, it breaks like a wave

there's got to be something closer
something closer than I can see
there's got to be something bigger
something bigger than you and me
there's got to be something realler
something realler than I can be
there's got to be something better
something better just to hear my plea

Yeah, there are a couple words that might not be "actual" words per say but you get my drift. So, well thought our lyrics, check. Fitting music to glue the whole thing together, check. Singing in key with out any sour notes? That's where we are headed. Hard work will get us there (and by us I mean me because Allyson is already a great singer).

Jake

formspring.me

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 18 May 2010 10:02:29 PDT

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/sweaterfriends

Different

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 18 May 2010 09:56:15 PDT

You know, sometimes it's more important to be different than the best. Practice is important, hard work is important, developing talent is important but a breath of fresh air in a stagnant room stands out. That's really the attitude I am going into recording The Ghost and The Guest. Now, that is not to say that I am not wanting perfection in my playing and singing, for in fact I want our musicianship to shine like it hasn't before, but with just the two of us we ofttimes find ourselves constrained with just where a song can go. I can tell you right now, there will be some additions to the album that are more than just guitar and vocals but they will be light and on our terms.

I'm pretty excited.

Jake

Giving.

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Fri, 07 May 2010 10:43:24 PDT

You know, it might be a little strange for me to post a video of someone else playing the guitar and singing but this video is a little different. It is of one of my heroes, a man by the name of Rocky Votolato. Allyson actually introduced me to his music years ago but after getting hooked by his wonderful and powerful songs, I learned that Rocky is just as cool as his songs. If you ever get the chance to see him play, I would highly recommend it...

Anyway, Rocky is donating 10% of his latest album's earnings to a group called One Day's Wages. He explains more about it in the video but I think it's a really neat thing that has a lot of potential.

Jake

Cinco de Mayo

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 05 May 2010 12:49:43 PDT

You know how I have spent my Cinco de Mayo so far?

I finished the rough tracks for The Ghost and The Guest.

It's a very nice feeling. I would share some of them but the quality totally sucks and I don't want to put a bad taste in anyone's mouth already. I must say though, some of the songs that I recorded a few weeks ago and listened to again today surprised me how much I like them. It's defiantly a different album for us but I like where it is headed.

Jake

PS- Have you heard the new New Pornographers album? It's great.

Part of Portia's Scene

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:42:23 PDT

Our pal and long time supporter Portia Early is featured in In Utah This Week.

Read the article here.

Notice in the last section of the Q&A entiled "What are five songs we need to check out right now?", who got included :)

Thanks Portia. We love you.
Check our her show on http://utahfm.org/ !

Jake

PS "The best is when I get to tell a band that they get to play Utah Arts Festival". We can relate.

Podcast Feature

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:09:53 PDT

The Sweater Friends have been featured in the latest edition of the Linescratchers Podcast.

http://www.linescratchers.com/?p=595

Swing on by and have a listen!

love you all.

Jake

11 and counting

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 21:32:26 PDT

Well with the end of spring break here and the roughs still coming the official count is up to 11 songs. I spent a good 3 hours on writing and recording yesterday and in the middle of laying down a track I played something a little wrong... but it sounded good. I kept playing that wrong thing until I liked it and 20 minutes later track 11 was added to the layout, lyrics and all. Songs are weird like that, they just... come. And for me, it feels like they are never as good as that first time I play them. Luckily this time I had a mic and lap top next to me.

Almost done. Well, with the stuff we have to do before we actually get started.

Jake

Spring Break!

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:47:27 PDT

I thought I would give you all my view of Spring Break thus far. I am going to finish doing the rough takes for The Ghost and Guest this week! Six down already. I want at least ten songs, but there are a few others that might make the cut or replace one of the others. I really don't know how to choose. Maybe I could post some of them and get your feedback... yeah? Maybe? I dunno. These rough takes are exactly that, rough tries of songs that are still in the writing process. But... I'd love to know what you think. I'm on it...

I like these posts where I pretty much have a conversation with myself.

Jake

Muse Music and Texting Club

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:01:15 PDT

Big thanks for everyone that made it out to our show in Provo last week.
We just had such a great time.
The band Music About Nothing that played right before us was awesome.
Check them out.
In case you missed it, here is our final number from the show.

Also, we have started a new texting club! It's free, great and since we are at the reigns you can rest assured that we won't spam you. I would suggest that if you sign up you have a texting plan thru your mobile carrier (there won't be any charge from us to join but standard text rates do apply).

Black Leather

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:14:36 PST

You know what today is?

Today is the first day that I've worn shorts to class since like September. Maybe even longer. Let me just say, it's awesome. So awesome. Growing up in Utah you'd think that I would like the snow and everything it brings with it but in all honesty I hate it. I don't like being cold at all. In fact it's quite the opposite. Getting into my hot car on a July afternoon and feeling the heat of my black leather seats is great. Call me nuts but I like it.

Anyway, I was just so excited to wear shorts today that I felt the need to tell the world.

Jake

2 new shows added!

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:58:21 PST

Provo and Salt Lake! Use the widget bellow for more info.

Album Update: roughs and why I love the internet

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:55:17 PST

There it is, The Ghost and The Guest in all its glory.

Well, sort of. I have the basic structure down and the work load broke down into a nice like checklist to get everything production ready. The plan (we'll see with school) is to have rough tracks recorded for the entire album by the end of this coming week. From there I'll send the mp3's to Allyson and the rest of the team in order to start getting a feel as to how we want to proceed (ie- tracking, tone, additions, etc). The nice thing about this release is that we have been playing some of the more important songs live for at least 6 months, giving us a better idea as to how we want them to sound recorded. (as opposed to Dear Abbey which came together pretty quickly).

The internet is going to be key in making this album, much like past Sweater Friends endeavors. Ally and I live about 40 minutes apart making face time a luxury. Being able to bounce ideas and what-not off each other at anytime of the day is so cool. I love you internet!

Maybe I'll share some of the rough tracks if they doesn't suck to much... maybe.

Jake

A Call to Sweater Arms

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:02:21 PST

We are part of a contest this week sponsored by Windows 7.

http://www.reverbnation.com/playlist7?artist_id=42601

Basically, our "The Last Pirate Song" is available for free download until next Monday morning. If we are among the top 7 songs by the end of the contest we become a featured band on ReverbNation and the Windows 7 music site, pretty cool huh?

All we are asking is to go download our mp3. That's really it.
Thank you for helping out!

Jake

formspring.me

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:06:41 PST

What was your favorite new song or album from last year?

Common Existence by Thursday.

Thursday albums for me are a lot like hot tubs. Not that they are full of interesting bodily fluids or are synonymous with bikinis but rather they take a bit to get use to. Think of that sting that you get as your pores hit the hot water, the slight burn open initial contact. When I first heared Common Existence I thought "what the wtf is this?". The mix was different, the music was different, Thursday was different. But... it grew on me until that was really the only CD I played in my car. It's brilliant. It's everything I want music to be. It's deep, layered, smart and never seems to get old.

Thursday is not for everyone but let the sting wear off and I promise you, you won't want to get out.

Ask me anything

formspring.me

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:59:14 PST

where do you see the Sweater Friends two years from now?

On top of a pile of money.

Just kidding. We've actually been a very goal oriented band since the beginning and I feel like that is one reason we have found success (the others being work and luck). We have plans to release an album this year called "The Ghost and The Guest" that has been in the works for a year and a half now. I've put a ton of thought into this album and have very high hopes for it.

In two years I would like to have people look at the Sweater Friends and say "they are musicians". Not to loose any of the charm or wit that we might bring with us to shows butt to add musicians to that list, be more than performers.

Ask me anything

Linescratchers and Playlist Seven.

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:48:24 PST

Let's face it, there are a lot of places to stream, place and discover music on the web. I pretty much put our music where ever I can hoping for that random impersonal interaction that might lead to a new fan. Some of these sites are cool, some totally suck. Linescatchers (a blog about LDS musicians that don't play "LDS" music) is one of the cool sites. Not only because they reviewed our EP Dear Abbey with high praises but because it is just a well run and thought out website/podcast. I know their are a few people working on the site now but Arthur, the creator of Linescratchers, is a super cool person. I've become quite picky about service and public relations after working for a Credit Union so long and Linescratchers is as up to par as you can get. Read our review at http://www.linescratchers.com/.

Another site we use a lot is Reverb Nation. We run our email list and most of the web content widgets we use through RN (in case you were wondering), which is nice because it allows us to update one place and have it spread all over the web. Anyway, I received a message today that next week we are to be a part of their Playlist Seven promotion. Basically, our of a pool of 50 or so artists, if we are in the top 7 for downloads next week we get a bunch of stuff. I'm always a little leery of online stuff like this but we'll see... I'm down for some promotion. I'll let you know when I know more. Our Reverb Nation site is http://www.reverbnation.com/thesweaterfriends (big surprise huh).

A lot of words

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:56:36 PST

So, looking over our blog I realized there hasn't been much real... blogging lately. I'm sorry. It is so easy to get into the habit of posting something and automatically thinking that everyone will find it relevant and important. More content, less "blah blah we have music and you can buy it"...

I talk a lot about music. Lately, that talk has been around Rise Against, of all people. Maybe because of all the CD's in my car, they are the one that my wife can stand the best but anyway, I really have grown to like their Appeal to Reason album. Lyrically, it's an incredible collection of thoughts and commentary. Even their flat out protest song "Hero of War" is wonderfully crafted regardless of whether you agree with it or not. The guitars are not as strong as The Sufferer and The Witness but still very Rise Against with octave-chord-lead-melodies that take me back to high school. The album has depth that others in the genre lack. Makes you think. I like it.

Anyway, it's nice to have an outlet for my music dissecting.

Jake

Every Song. Every Album. You choose the price. Really.

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:55:47 PST

We have had such an awesome out pouring of support the past few weeks. A chance to play at the Sundance Film Festival and our performances at the Orion Music Festival have left us feeling incredibly lucky. Well, it's our turn to give some back. From now through the 14th of February get any music the Sweater Friends have released at the price that works best for you. No minimum.

We love you. This is just proof of that.
go to http://thesweaterfriends.bandcamp.com or just click below.

-Jake

Dear Abbey on CD Baby!

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:35:08 PST

Just a little F Y Izzle.

Jake

Videos from the Orion Music Festival

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:26:07 PST

Jake Banter

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:09:44 PST

Downloads for Haiti Relief

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:14:38 PST

Our music distributor is donating $1 for ever album download or CD sale for the next 2 weeks. All the proceeds will go to the Red Cross and Mercy Corps, a Portland-based relief. (Read the whole story here). I know some of you might already have our full length release "Everyone We Know" but if you don't there couldn't be a better time to get it than now. Our CD Baby site is http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sweaterfriends.

If you know anyone that might enjoy a Sweater Friends' album for a good cause, spread the word. Make a difference!

Jake

Orion Performance Review

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:00:45 PST

Chase from the Daily Universe said some really kind things about our performance Monday night. Here is a bit of the article:

"As quirky as they are clever, The Sweater Friends have an honest sound some will disapprove of and others will connect with."

"The Sweater Friends’ music is raw and unpretentious, with sparse acoustic instrumentation and call-and-response style vocals. Sounding like a mix between The Moldy Peaches and a stripped-down version of The Hush Sound, the songs are delightfully chaotic with imaginative lyrics and arrangements."

To read the whole thing click here.

Jake

Orion Music Festivus

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:35:19 PST

We ended up having a really fun time at the Orion Music Festival. I say "ended up" because we were not really sure how things were going to play out after some changes to the festival order and line up. I'm really grateful to Allyson for be level headed and not the more i-just-want-to-say-screw-off type of person like I was becoming because of the changes.

I'm sorry to anyone who was not able to come Monday night after the time changed but for those who did I think you heard one of our better performances (I guess practicing does work). There was a big snow storm that night and the power went out during Us and Them but it being an acoustic act we just kept going. It came on maybe 25 seconds later but it was just a neat moment.

We made some new friends from Texas who loved our sound and lyrics. It made me happy to hear because we take those things pretty seriously. Pay off is always nice.

Anyway, no Robert Redford but our weekend in Park City was nice. We were mentioned in Salt Lake City Weekly, The Salt Lake Tribune and The Daily Universe if you are interested (the last one is the most in depth for sure.)

we love you!

Jake

The Ins and Outs of Dear Abbey

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:19:54 PST

So I've had a request to talk a little about how we made Dear Abbey a reality and I am more than happy to oblige.

The tracks are both new and rehased songs that have been kicking around for a while. The title track, "Dear Abbey", and "This Time" were actually songs I wrote years ago. In fact, "This Time" was written around the beginning of the last decade as one of the first songs I ever wrote. My wife heard an old recording of it and suggested that we bring it back. Allyson replaced and surpassed my adolescent vocal styling, making the song much more than I thought it could be. "Negative Value" was done for a language theory class I took last semester. "Sinners in the Repentance Club" was a tune we messed around with when the band first started but never really came together until a few months ago. Finally with "Ginger Snaps", when I have suggested to Allyson that she write a song she has yet to disappoint, the same goes with this tune.

Recording wise, these are bedroom recordings but they sound pretty not-bedroom if you ask me. We actually did most of the vocals in Allyson's living room which has an awesome vaulted ceiling giving great natural reverb. The guitars were recorded in my brother-in-laws bedroom, who has recorded us from the start (and is probably one reason he was around enough to fall for my sister). We know that no release will ever be perfect but we really try to improve upon the past and I think Dear Abbey does just that. A lot of effort was put into the imaging on this release, or where everything stands stereo wise. Listen to the EP under headphones and you'll be able to tell the difference it makes. The imaging is what made me excited about Dear Abbey. You'll have to let me know what you think.

We are currently getting the EP ready to distribute through the CD Baby music network. CD Baby is a powerful tool for indie artists and a great way to get your music on iTunes, Amazon, and other places. The EP is on Bandcamp right now though, which I think is the coolest place to sell and download music on the web right now. They don't take any fees, you can post music instantly, and there are tons of options as far as bonus material and pricing goes. The pros use it too so it is legit, like one of my favorites RX Bandits. Check out all the artists that use bandcamp here. I know I might sound like I'm from their ad agency but I just really like what they are doing.

Anyway, I hope that gives a little insight into our new EP. You can pick it up, along with the rest of our music at http://thesweaterfriends.bandcamp.com/ for low prices set with lots of love. There is even some free Sweater Rock there as well. Thanks for supporting independent music!

Jake

PS If you have anyother question feel free to ask :)

It's done! Dear Abbey ready for download!

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:53:01 PST

Get our new EP Dear Abbey on bandcamp!
&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://thesweaterfriends.bandcamp.com/album/dear-abbey"&amp;amp;gt;Dear Abbey by The Sweater Friends&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;
I think it turned out wonderful. I just wanted to give a great big thank-you-internet-hug to Ben Woolley and Nate Call. Ben mix and mastered the ep making us sound like the rock stars we are in our minds. Nate was kind enough to make some awesome artwork for the release. We really couldn't have done it without you.

I stayed up late getting it out there. Lots more to come but head on over to our bandcamp site (which is awesome) and pick up a copy!

Holiday Covers: Cut From the Team

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 09:14:50 PST

Holiday Cover: The New One We Know

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:14:26 PST

Holiday Cover: Hark the Harold Angels Sing

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:52:24 PST

NEW SONG AND NEW MUSIC VIDEO

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:31:40 PST

I used this for a creative project last semester and it turned out pretty good. The song is from our forth coming EP Dear Abbey. The EP will be done sometime next week. Until then, enjoy the video!

Jake

Holiday Covers: Vivir Sin Aire

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 15:51:03 PST

You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_np-RxRanuU

Holiday Cover: Away in a Manger

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 15:49:29 PST

You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpjjNRm0ju4

Holiday Covers: Tinfoil Hats

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 15:43:42 PST

Remember, there is still time to get in a request for our Holiday Covers. Reply to this post with your song or let us know however you like!

You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Admt-cccJa0

Jake

formspring.me

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:29:46 PST

When did you first start to play guitar? Who inspired you to play the guitar? Who are some of your "guitar heroes?"

I started playing guitar in sixth grade. My grandpa played piano in a dance hall band for years and wanted me to learn something. When I didn't take to the piano he gave me a guitar he had in his garage. I took lessons for two years but didn't start to really love it until I ventured out on my own and started to play what I liked.

Who inspired me? I was a dorky kid. Really. Anyone that has every thumbed through my old photo albums can attest to that. The guitar became both a haven and a much needed confidence boast. I felt home in my skin when I was simply in my room with the door shut playing for hours. I would sometimes even fall asleep on my floor with my guitar still strapped to me chest. I guess the emotions that the guitar both brought and convey inspired me to keep playing.

Guitar heros. Chris from The Living End has had a huge impact on my playing ever since I started trying to play his stuff in junior high. I grew up on Led Zeppelin, CCR and Jimi Hendrix so I'd have to put them in there too. More recently Choi and Matt from the RX Bandits and Rocky Votolato. Chris from Saves the Day has affected my song writing a ton as well.

Ask me anything

Ask Us Anything

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:01:54 PST

So... maybe I spend too much time on the internet but I just really like it. This is a kind of cool little site that I found via twitter. Ask us anything and check out the other question on our little page.
&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.formspring.me/sweaterfriends"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;http://www.formspring.me/sweaterfriends&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Jake

Holiday Break Covers

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:07:40 PST

Finals have been pretty busy but when I wake up on the morning of the 18th I will be free from school for over 3 weeks. I'm excited. Accordingly, I want to have a little fun with you all over the break. The plan is to record a cover song for every day of Holiday vacation and post it on our You Tube page. I already have some ideas of songs from some of you but I don't have near enough. That being said, what would you like to hear? I'm down for anything. You can email me at thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com, post on our facebook page, tweet, comment on here, or even text/call me. Hopefully Allyson and I can find some time to meet up and collaborate on this.

So... let me know.

Jake

Dream.

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:50:59 PST

I had a dream last night that I asked Allyson to practice and when she got here I realized I had to teach primary so I couldn't jam anymore. She got mad. Argument insured. The band broke up.

I hope our actual demise is this cool.

Jake

PS This is intense.

Dear Abbey Cover Art

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:08:24 PST

My long time friend Nate offered to do the cover art for Dear Abbey and it has turned out awesome. I couldn't be happier with it. Thank you so much bro.

As far as the music itself, things are coming along great. I have heard rough mixes of everything and really like the direction it's going. There is one track that still needs... something. I dunno. We might have to stray a little from our traditional 2 guitars/2 vocals setup but we'll get it. A big reason we decided to do this EP was to test the waters before investing the time "The Ghost and The Guest" is going to require. Like everything, we are learning, or at least trying to. I dunno. I guess we'll just have to put it out there and see what happens. You have to go out on a limb to find the fruit, right?

Love ya.
Jake

Dear Abbey Coming Soon

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:28:28 PST

Jake

Vocals. check.

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:27:19 PST

We were out pretty late last night but the vocals are recorded! YAY!

Jake

PS Don't wear corduroy pants while recording. Loudest fabric ever.

SweaterCast- EP Preview

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:07:29 PST

Hear one of the songs off our new EP! The song is called "Sinners in the Repentance Club". I really hope you like it! Let us know what you think. Also, I revamped the format of our SweaterCasts, be sure to check out the new intro and exit.

see it on YouTube here

love!
Jake

First batch of t-shirts is done!

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:28:49 PST

Well, it's taken a few afternoons but... we have t-shirts!

Check them out on our online store here.

My wife Jess helped me finish up our first real batch of them yesterday and they look great (as you can tell from the photo). You can get one online through our Big Cartel site, at any of our performances or by simply asking Allyson or I.

We love you!

Jake

The Orion Music Festival

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:35:32 PST

Whenever I read "The Orion" I think of "The Onion", but no we are not playing at a made up news agency, we are playing a really neat music festival the week before Sundance in January. I've gotta say, I'm pretty stoked about it. Our EP will be out by then too!

If you'd like to learn more about "The Orion" you can go to http://orionmusicfestival.com/ or read a recent article about it here.

love- Jake

Halloween

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:31:30 PST

My sister made this pumpkin, pretty neat huh? Halloween was pretty good, thanks to everyone who came out to Allyson's house on Friday. And even bigger thanks to Allyson and Shad for letting us congregate in their home.

Allyson and I had a fun time playing in our costumes (though I forgot I had a tail on and kept wondering what was hitting things when I moved). Anyway, hope your weekend was awesome.

Jake

free music+fighting cancer=good

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:21:29 PDT

Hey everyone,

I've become a nerd about music and the internet. I think there are so many cool ways to find, share and create music thanks to the world wide web. I recently stumbled upon a site called gimmesound.com, which hosts mp3's for free downloading. The cool part about the site is that they donate a portion of their ad revenue every time a track is downloaded. They also allow the artist to pick where the money goes out of a list of legitimate charities they have collected.

The Sweater Friends
FREE MUSIC DOWNLOADS

I posted a few tracks that you might already have, but you might not (Us and Them, an unreleased version of Filo Sophia and a live recording of The Last Pirate Song). Head on over and check them out. With every download money will be given to the American Cancer Society. We hope to post more songs on the site but for the mean time, enjoy what is already up.

we love you (except you, cancer)

Jake

KOLT News

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:29:23 PDT

Here is a fan feature made for Cottonwood High's KOLT News program. Thanks Chloe!

This was actually filmed while we were doing some recording for the new EP. I can tell you there will be five songs in total, three new ones and two from our high school days that we have revamped. I am really excited about how it's turning out (especially Ally's new one I heard for the first time in real life last night, it's awesome).

I do not have an exact release date but judging by how quick things have been coming together, it shouldn't be too much longer. At the moment, we are planning a fully digital release (iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon, the whole deal...) which should speed up the process and keep the price at the most "sweater-friends-we-love-you" level we can. Because we do love you.

Jake

PS- We have tons of videos on our YouTube channel, show some love and rate them if you get a chance :)

Music for life?

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:42:13 PDT

It took me marrying a man that has little passion for music to realize its daily impact on my life. It’s not his fault, he’s basically tone deaf so I understand it just doesn’t sound the same to him (how else could he like country?). It’s amazing to me how someone can say something (anything!) and it triggers a song in my mind.

For example while I was in California last week riding on the freeway. I saw a sign for Santa Monica and for the next twenty minutes I couldn’t get Everclear’s Santa Monica out of my head. Is that song particularly descriptive of the place? No, it could have a million other titles but because of the title and a random sign, there it is in my head.

It’s like the entire time my husband and I spent in Atlanta on our way to Miami last month, I couldn’t get Butch Walker’s Atlanta out of my head (both ways).

Oh Atlanta please need me
Like I needed you
Let your sweaty embrace open wide
Cause Atlanta I’ve fallen
Like most people do
And I need all your ground to survive

Through the lyrics of a song, the place becomes so much more, even if I never leave the airport. I have a constant soundtrack going in my brain as little things trigger notes and lyrics to come out from the random corners where they’ve been kept for that exact moment.
~Allyson

Music Video: The Last Pirate Song

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:32:16 PDT

With a total cost of $4.88, I think it turned out pretty good.
Thanks Sam.

Click here to download it for free in iTunes (iTunes will open automatically).

Jake

Words.

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:13:24 PDT

You know those pairs of words that are found together so ofter that the sounds from one bleeds into the other? I don't know why but I have been thinking about them lately. Here are just a few:

The Smorning
Saving Spawns
Jack Samanakin

Can you all think of any others? There is really no reason for this other than my thinking about how people talk while I'm at work. Just sayin...

Jake

New News

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:34:11 PDT

We started this blog with the plan to include you all in on the writing and recording process. Though it has turned into much more than that, we are excited to say that things are starting to happen. That is why I wanted to take the time to announce just what we have been working on.

As many of you know, we have performing new songs from what we call "The Ghost and The Guest", but while we have been working on this, other new songs have popped up that don't quite fit with where "The Ghost and The Guest" is headed. For this reason Allyson and I have decided to do a smaller project before complete the one previously mentioned. Yes, we are recording an EP.

I will omit the title of the EP for now, but that will come shortly. As for the content, we plan to release a version of a song I wrote when I was 16 with Allyson singing my original part (puberty kind of put it out of my range but I think it sounds better with her anyway). With this, we are also weaving some recent events that have impacted us into the songs and overall theme of the EP. Needless to say, we are wearing our hearts on ourselves like usual and hope you all enjoy what we produce.

Keep an eye out for sweatercasts and updates that are soon to follow.

Jake

Thoughts: For the benefit and enjoyment of the people.

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:18:25 PDT

I had a very random road trip with my wife last week. Not random like we did not know we were going somewhere but random as to where we went. We ended up in Southern Cal, South Central Utah and some dinky Nevada casino towns along the way. Though Disneyland was wonderful and I grew a new appreciation for $20 rooms at places betting on you gambling, I would like to share a little about a night we spent in our tent, camping on the green grass of an apple orchard in Capital Reef National Park.

The rocks were so red. The wind was so sweet. The apples tasted better sharing them off pioneer planted trees with jumpy deer. The stars were brilliant, I got this strange feeling like I was gonna fall right in when I looked up. I am just so grateful that these beautiful places haven't been defiled with expensive mud bath or the golden arches we find on every corner.

I feel as though nature is something pretty important to our psyche as human beings. We need wild places, gentle sounds and solace that can turn off our constant internal conversation. In June, Jess and I found ourselves at the Roosevelt Arch which marks the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Everyone that passes through it drives under the following statement: "For the benefit and enjoyment of the people."

Our National Parks system really is America's Best Idea.

Jake

Sweater Friends

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 15:52:16 PDT

As time goes on, I have found that our band's name seems to become more and more appropriate. When people ask me where the name came from, I never really have an answer. It was just an idea, floating around in my mess of thoughts. In reference to memory, someone once said, "one dull pencil is better than two sharp minds" and so it is with my creativity. I managed to text Allyson the name, plucking it from metaphysical confusion and giving a physical presence in the world. I'm sure I've had countless other band names occur to me but we became The Sweater Friends for no good reason other than it just came to be.

Since then, however, we have found lots of good reason to be called such. With our first few shows, the whole "sweater just friends" became apparent, or in other words, the idea that Allyson and I are just old friends and find a lot of joy in that. Later, Portia Early wrote in Salt Lake City Weekly:

The Sweater Friends is an appropriate band name. I would absolutely picture them wearing sweaters sitting in front of a fireplace at Stein Eriksen Lodge playing their guitars. Hmm … I’d call it cozy … sweater rock! (http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/)

Last night I found another reason why our name fits and the reason is you. We had our second Sweater Roast of the summer, consisting of free food and free music. There were so many faces that meant so much to see. I can't think of a more enjoyable evening involving our band, for me at least. Thank you to everyone who came.

Growing up, I struggled socially, as I'm sure many others have experienced. The hardest parts of my day were not books or assignments, but lunch or free time during P.E. That is why I consider myself a rich man, because of the love and good I have found in friends. It makes me a little emotional to think about.

I wrote in our song Dirty Thumb "I built a moat around this place, so no one can leave". This song is about you, my friends. Give it a listen here or with this play button. &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://thesweaterfriends.bandcamp.com/track/dirty-thumb"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Dirty Thumb by The Sweater Friends&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Jake

That's no moon...

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 00:42:07 PDT

So I've had a Star Wars relapse. I don't know if it is my love of the Lego Star Wars Wii game, the fact that I got the old trilogy from my buddy Ben for my birthday, or my reconnecting with the Star Wars card game from when I was about 10. Whatever the reason, here I am, sitting up alone on a Saturday night watching Luke duel Vader in the Cloud City at 1:22 am.

Man, if I was about to be frozen in carbonite, I don't think I could pick better last words than what Han said.

Online Merch

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:06:22 PDT

We now have an online store to buy our homemade merch. Of course, you can still get our stuff at shows (t-shirts will be $6 online instead of $5 like when we play to absorb the site fees) but this gives everyone a chance to be a part of the Sweater Friends.

You can go to http://thesweaterfriends.bigcartel.com/ or use the widget I made bellow. Tell your friends! Thanks!

Jake

24 is just another one of those ages.

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:46:36 PDT

On this day, 24 years ago, my mother and father welcomed me to planet earth. In accordance with my two dozen years as a living breathing human being, I thought I would give you my current 24 favorite things on my iPod, in no particular order.

RX Bandits "...And The Battle Begun"- Wonderful Album. Even though they have a new one out it just made me remember how much I love this one.
The Get Up Kids "Ann Arbor"- They are coming in September and I'm super stoked. This is my favorite song of there's, hope they play it.
Our SweaterCast- That might sound conceded but they look really cool on my iPod's screen. Try it if you haven't.
Harry and the Potters "Save Ginny Weasley"- I'm rereading the 7th book because it is just so good.
The Killers "Spaceman"- I'm a big Killers fan and loved this song so much that I used it in a video about my dad that I made him for his 50th birthday.
The Living End "It's For Your Own Good"- Every now and then I remember how much I love this EP. Chris from The Living End is a big reason why I play the guitar.
One Man Army- I catch myself humming these guys songs way more than I would think.
Thursday "A City By The Light Divided"- I love Thursday. I know that might sound a little weird because I play in this acoustic group but this Album is really everything I wanted an album to be before I heard it.
Arcade Fire- I make up music videos in my head when I listen to songs. I don't know why, I just always have. Arcade Fire makes for the best ones.
CD Baby DIY Podcasts- I know, I'm a music nerd. It happens.
Nacho Libre- Under these clothes is a man, and under the man, a nucleus.
Rise Against "The Sufferer & The Wittness"- Never gets old.
Rocky Votolato- Anything Rocky has put out I've just eaten up. I can't think of a cooler thing that opening for him. Maybe someday...
Aimee Man "The Forgotten Arm"- My wife showed me Aimee and I was hooked instantly.
The dent on the top of it from being dropped when I help a guy push his car. I guess that's what I get for trying to be nice.
Beck- I've listened to a lot of Beck lately. I've even got my mom into him.
ELO "Mr Blue Sky"- People called this devil music when it first came out. Ha.
Les Miserables- Summer road trips usually involve listening to this.
The White Stripes "Hotel Yorba"- If I was Conan O'Brien, I would have had them on my last Late Night as well.
My Pictures- It's a great time waster to have all my photos from the past like 6 years on my iPod.
Newsies- I wonder how many people have seen me singing this at the top of my lungs in my car.
Shuffle- bringing stuff I didn't even know I have on there.
Little Britain Season One- Compliments of my sister Sam.
Arrested Development- What have I always said is the most important thing? Breakfast? No, family.

Jake

Sweater Friends Shirts

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:51:07 PDT

After a lot of work and a few failed attempts, I finally got it right. Ladies and Gentleman, we have shirts...
I'm really excited they've worked out. These are handmade by yours truly. I used a leaf from a tree I've always like in front of my folks house for the design. I have several different colors thus far (my wife liking the red the best) but they have all turned out pretty well.

The coolest thing about the T-shirts is that because we make them, WE CAN SELL THEM FOR $5!!!

I am working on making them available for purchase online but for the mean time you can get them at our shows (Aug 15th BBQ for sure) or ask either Allyson or I via email, comment, text message, carrier pigeon, phone call, facebook, face to face, etc... You could even shout at us on the street, we respond to pretty much anything.

We love you so much that we are doing $5 t-shirts.
That's a lot of love.

Jake

Road Trip Music

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 09:08:15 PDT

There’s nothing like a road trip to get my creative juices flowing. My husband and my friend Jen and I took a little trip down to Zion this weekend to hike the Narrows. During the ride home I caught myself listening to my music differently than I do when I’m running around town. It kind of made me miss my commute from Salt Lake to Ogden every day. I got so much good music listening in during those two hours in the car a day.

You know the kind of listening I’m talking about. Not just the -I like this song, I’m going to sing along listening. The kind where you notice the throaty sound the singer made on that word and how it brought a whole new meaning. Or how the guitar riff is so simple yet tells its own story along with the words. Or maybe how the really simple harmonies joining with the chorus give the lyrics definition.

One of my favorite moments of listening to music in the car is when you’re just getting on the freeway and the road is a little louder. You can’t exactly hear the music as well and often I can’t even tell what song is playing but my mind hears a few notes and fills in the rest. I wish I could find a way to capture those moments, I think I would write a lot more songs if I could. The songs I hear in between the notes of another.

Allyson

Hello August.

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:31:20 PDT

With so many sites to place music on, sometimes I forget everywhere I have put our music on the internet. Every now and then I get an email from a British site where you can upload music and get it reviewed by other musicians. The idea is to earn points by reviewing other people's music, which you can then trade in for money or something like that. As you can tell, I haven't given the site much attention, the internet sucks enough of my life and it's not that appealing to me. Since our music is on there, however, we get a song review every week or so.

I have never given the reviews much thought, having gone through them maybe three times, but what strikes me is how black and white they can be. I'll read one talking about how our voices are too American or our lyrics don't make any sense but then the next post will say how well we use our American tones or how meaningful and strong our lyrics are. I would post a few but copyright won't allow for it. Anyhow, it's just interesting to me to see how different people's opinions can be about the same song, or even just the same guitar riff. What is a "good" song? Maybe this gives insight to the idea that a good song is whatever sounds good to us.

Anyway, I'm excited for this month. Our new album (which you hopefully find "good") is coming along and we'll most likely have the foundations of the recording going here in a few weeks. We have another free BBQ show, this one in Salt Lake on the 15th. We also have some very cool performances in the works so keep an eye out.

Jake

PS- Happy Birthday Dad. And Grandma :)

SweaterCast 10- Santa Monica

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:37:01 PDT

Jake covers a favorite summer tune. What's one of yours?

"The Jig" on singleoftheday.com

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:13:46 PDT

Yet again, the song we wrote the night before our first show is making headlines. This time on Single of the Day, a music discovery blog by Jody Whitesides.

You can check out the story along with the song here.

Big thanks to Jody and the kind words we received. Browse around the rest of Jody's site, there is a lot of good music to find (365 days worth a year).

Jake

The Why and How.

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 23:18:40 PDT

The why is pretty important in life. I have realized lately that being able to explain why I think a certain way or choose a particular action is pretty key in putting my heart and soul in to whatever it may be. If I can remember why I am doing something or living a specific way, hard times or struggles are met with understanding and calmness. A lot of times we can be our worst critics but knowing our purpose cuts any criticism down, even if it is internal.

I play in the Sweater Friends because it makes me happy to do so. Allyson and I have always said that we would keep the band until it was no longer enjoyable but writing and playing music has become such a part of me that I can't see the core aspects of the band ever becoming a burden. I create music because it allows cope with stress. I create music for piece of mind. I create music to analyze my life. I create music to express those intangible parts of my being. I create music to communicate the things that I feel need more than my words to describe. I create it for freedom, for joy and the benefit of others (which may not seem selfish but I feel great when I make others happy, so in a way, it's really selfish).

My music is here because of completely selfish reasons, for I would not put the time, sweat and work into to it if it wasn't fulfilling. I just wanted to let you all know how much it means to me and my physique to have this. Though the why is found in my utter enjoyment, the how is based in you. Thank you.

Jake

The Ghost and The Guest Update 1

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:52:00 PDT

Both Allyson and I are getting more and more excited about our new album, set to record here soon. We are going at it a little different than past sessions but we will keep you up to date and involved with the process.

This album is different because the core events shaping the songs are fictitious. Since my first song at 15, I have always tried to have my lyrics say something from my heart. Events, reactions and people from my life have always been at the center of my music's theme. Every song I have ever written, no matter how abstract it may seem, has some personal validity and meaning.

"The Ghost and The Guest" is fiction. It follows a man, who we know as Pickett, living in the American west sometime during the mid 1800's. Along with the songs, the story line is driven by a collection of short stories filling in the events of Pickett's life. These stories will be sandwiched between the tracks, creating a melodic novel of sorts. The music will need the printed word and vice versa.

This idea came about from listening to "The World" on NPR. Maybe six or so months ago I fell in love with hearing people's stories from all over the world. I thought it would be fun to make album of stories interconnecting somehow. This thought gave way to the creation of the character Pickett and how he dealt with some pretty awful things that still happen today. Maybe one day I'll tackle my original idea but I like where this has taken me and likewise hope you will enjoy where Pickett takes you.

I guess, in a different way, it's still from the heart. When I read, I am always in the story, whether it's Harry or Doctor Grant or whoever. The same has held true for writing this. It has been fun so far to place myself into the event and try to express it in a way that will help you be there too. Though "The Ghost and The Guest" has emerged from my imagination, I feel as though it will come out just as personal, if not more.

Always with love,

Jake

iTunes winner!

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:11:13 PDT

Thanks to everyone that took time to enter our iTunes contest. Our winner is krushjudgment with the review:

"This makes me want to create music. That's a good thing."

We would love to get you the winner your prize pack. So, if you are krushjudgment on iTunes please email us at thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com and we'll get you your merch (which includes a set of Sweater Friends pins, a hand made hemp Sweater Braclet and Sweater Friend stickers).

Thanks again for helping us out, it really means a lot.

Jake

An Old Friend. (Why We Like the Music We Like)

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:32:52 PDT

I came to the realization that my music taste is quite nostalgic.

Well, maybe not so nostalgic as to say that I tend to like what I know. I came upon this idea after buying the new RX Bandits album last week. After listening to it a few times, I just wanted to hear "...And the Battle Begun", their previous release. Not to say that I dislike their new one, for in fact when I last bought their "latest" CD I just wanted to listen to the one before that. It's just a vicious cycle finding play time on my iPod.

Ask anyone that knows me and you'll find that I talk about music a lot. I have found through hours of conversation that I am not the only one who experiences this music taste phenom. There comes a time with an album, if you put in enough effort, of a bonding point, or rather a moment when you like what you did not necessarily like before. All my favorite albums have gone through this run around and it makes me wonder why. Is it familiarity? Is it strengthening some sort of path way in my brain? Does is suggest that with enough time spent with any song, I'd like it?

Case and point, A few semesters ago I had to write a paper about the movie "Legally Blonde". I picked it to be different, not because I liked the movie. I ended up watching it three or four times in a week and pumping out five or so pages analyzing the effect stereo types have on us and how this was illustrated in the movie by Elle Woods. Well, I ended up really liking the movie. I tend to like music I can pick apart, do I like the movie because I picked it apart?

I suggest that music can be like an old friend, which unlike people, doesn't change. Isn't a friend so much better than an acquaintance? Isn't an evening out or a new job better after the awkward phase? New music can be wonderful and exciting but sometimes, hearing a song that I can play the drum fills on my steering wheel, can't be beat.

Jake.

Sweater Sale! Now through July 24th!

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:30:59 PDT

We just started using a cool service called Bandcamp to sell our music. Bandcamp offers us a musicians complete control over how our music is sold and gives you the listener a variety of download options to choose from. You can find our bandcamp site here. To kick things off we are offering "Everyone We Know" for $4.00 and single tracks for $0.69. The sale will last until the 24th of July. Check out our header on there that took me like 2 hours to make as well (I use an open source photo editing program and I totally suck at it).

Check out the cool graphic equalizers when you stream a song, I like them a lot. You can even just click on the "download" link on the player below to get you started.

Our music is still available at other places like iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby, but we're excited to come across a place that allows us to sell at the prices we want. We love you! Go take a look at this new SweaterSite ASAP because the crazy-cheap-prices won't be there for long.

http://thesweaterfriends.bandcamp.com/

Jake.

PS- I know how you can be leery of buying things from new sites but we aren't the first people to starting using Bandcamp, there are lots more, check it out here.

PSS- I never have seen American Pie but from what I can tell, the site and the movie are not affiliated. Or even friends.

SweaterCast 9- Fishing Pole ("Jake, Stop")

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:12:30 PDT

Jake rekindles an old friendship in new and exciting ways.

Proof that we love you. Free sweater tunes.

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 16:37:18 PDT

Hey everyone.

We now have two free downloads available on ReverbNation for simply joining our email list! The songs are "Us and Them" and an unreleased version of "Filo Sophia". Plus, the widget bellow allows you to get them without even leaving this page. Tell your friends!

We love you! (this is proof)

Jake.

What the last.fm?

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:26:15 PDT

As proud members of the CD Baby family, we are blessed with the opportunity to have our music placed on a variety of internet locations via CD Baby's distributing. I was looking at our account last night and noticed we are now featured on last.fm. It looks like a pretty cool service, similar to Pandora in that it is an online radio source. They are based out of London which would explain the reference to their lawyers as "stiff-lipped limeys without any sense of humour" (http://blog.last.fm/) on their official blog.

Having just found our profile on last.fm, and like most Sweater things, it is a "work in progress". Our profile site URL is http://www.last.fm/music/The+Sweater+Friends. I would love any feedback or ideas you might have about the site and service, as it is fairly new to me.

I will say one thing though, I used to use a Firefox add-on for last.fm that I really liked, which you can find here, allowing for a small addition to your tool bar that controlled radio service. It made it so that I never had to go to a certain site for free streaming music and found it very easy to listen to the music I wanted to based on artists I liked. I think I'll bring it back now that I have multiple reasons to use it. Cool stuff if you are nerdy like me.

Jake.

Side note: http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/ is my favorite tech blog (really the only tech blog I read) and is always my favorite part of the drive-home. Yay for Omar Gallaga!

Heat Wave. A Poem.

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:28:26 PDT

Broken house on Highway 30,
blackened wood, rusted hinges,
gagged windows laughing like clowns teeth.

The fields and I wonder why.

Who called you home when they called it quits?
Was it a man with a gray hat and rough pants?
Who ate his eggs at your breakfast table?
Maybe he was strangled by a passerby,
or simply by the passing times.
Maybe he was called to war by a draft letter and came home with a duffel bag and discharge papers to find the highway dust an inch think so he just stayed on the straight heat wave of a road out of there.

The fields and I wonder why.

Maybe you're left over from the Depression,
or just there to depress.
Maybe you're a product of pioneer hands,
or simply pined for company and open ears.
Maybe you're holding up a family tree,
or holding up a development.
Maybe you are poverty,
or at least my feeling there of.

Maybe you're happy,
I doubt it though.

Happiness is all it's cracked up to be.

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:02:11 PDT

I just got home from our show at The Boing! Collective. I think I can speak for the both of us when I say that we had a wonderful time. The show went great, we meant some awesome new people, ran into an old friend named Crystal, and had the privilege of performing in front of the most attentive and interested audience I can remember. We even got to play for a beautiful little girl named Ariel and my cousin Jazzy came! It was just a great show.

It is extremely interesting for me to meet people who derive happiness in life by very different means than myself. Tonight at Boing!, I was surrounded by happy, friendly people who thought in ways foreign to my own. I did notice, however, that these bits of happiness were places I too have found, only by other paths. Love, kindness, being good to others, music, family, sense of community. These are feelings and ideas that make up a good chunk of who I am, what I want to be, and what I value in life. I came to a lot of these conclusion through personal experiences guided by my religious faith and study. I am sure that there were some people at the show tonight (this is just an educated guess) who came to these precepts by a path quite contrary to mine. Now, this is not the first time I have found similarities like this among people with other ways of thought but it really stuck out to me tonight how similar we all really can be.

When I was pondering whether marrying my wife Jessica was the correct move, my friend Ben gave me a good piece of advice by sharing this idea: Life is simply a journey along a foot path. As long as you find someone who is going the same direction as you, about the same speed and enjoys the same flowers along the way, you'll be happy. Now, it is pretty important to have strong compatibility with a spouse, but meeting people like those I met tonight improve both of our journeys. We enjoy the same flowers and though our directions might be different, how we want to get to our respective locative may not be very different at all.

Deep down inside, we all want to be loved. We need it, crave it. It is awesome to get that from places that you would not really expect. I guess that goes to show what my expectations do for me, which is just hold me back.

Jake.

Sweater Rock on WSU News.

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:09:34 PDT

I just stumbled upon this cool news clip featuring us! Thanks Shay Bonney!

Jake.

SweaterCast 8- Jellystone

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:23:22 PDT

Jake spends some time in Yellowstone N.P. and Grand Teton N.P. with the fam and buffalo.

Love

Jake.

Phone interview with Linescratchers.

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:09:00 PDT

So last week I had the really cool experience of doing an audio interview with Arthur from Linescratchers for his lastest podcast. We had some time zone issues but nothing we couldn't handle. You can hear the conversation here. You can also subscribe to Linescratchers via itunes or rss. Do it! It's pretty well put together and interesting stuff, if I do say so myself.

Jake.

Show this Thursday! We'd love to have you...

"I'm so hungry, I could eat at Arby's": A Moral Dilemma

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:00:38 PDT

About six weeks ago or so, a coworker of mine told me that Ardy's had free food on Wednesdays. I went, got a free sandwich with purchase of a drink, and was a leaving when the nice manager mentioned to me that I could get another free sandwich by completing the survey on the back of my receipt. It looked like this:

A few days later, after doing the survey, I went and redeemed my receipt for a Beef 'n Cheddar (which doesn't sound so appealing but it is pretty good). On my way out, I noticed I was given a near identical receipt with the same questionnaire offer on the back. Sure enough, I called in and got another freebee code, opening the door to endless free sandwiches form Arby's.

Well, the receipt expired before I went back but today I did the Wednesday Freebee, got another survey, and completed it. Now, the dilemma is this: is it moral for me to complete the survey and get sandwich after sandwich? When I do call in, I really try to be honest with my answers. The service is always superb, way nicer than other food places that my body probably doesn't want me to eat at either. I'm not starving or anything like that but freebee lunch is still cool.

There is no such thing as a free lunch, and I know my time answering the prompts to the electronic lady is compensated for with the free food but is endless surveys and sandwiches moral? Is it okay to skew the results? Exploit a loop hole of a company that in turn might be exploiting others, themselves? Maybe I should just go veggie and stop feeding the cruelty of the factory farm meat industry anyway, but that is a whole other topic. I've probably thought way to much about this but that's just what I do.

SweaterCast 7- iTunes Review Contest

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:51:23 PDT

Jake makes an awesome discovery and a special guest pops in to talk about our iTunes Review Contest.

We Love you!

Jake

P.S. If you haven't entered our review contest, click here and our page will open in iTunes.

200 Meter Mark.

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:30:59 PDT

So, here in Utah we Celebrate Pioneer Day. It's on the 24th of July and is awesome because it's like getting two 4th of Julys (spelling?) in the SAME MONTH. Anyway, there is a 10k being held in conjunction with the Salt Lake Marathon and I've decided to participate. I used to run a lot and think it would be fun to get back in shape. That being said, today was day 3 in my training routine. I'm not gonna lie, it's hard but I'm am not really going for speed. I'd like a decent time but really I just want to get through the six some odd miles.

Well, like I said, I used to run a lot. Almost ever day for four years to be exact. I loved it. Being able to be active as long as I wanted to when I wanted to, it was great. Man, like going to shows back then, I may not have been the toughest kid in the pit but by the last band I was still going strong when others were against the back wall. Anyway, I don't know if any of you run but there is this feeling... this feeling that I felt tonight that I have not felt in a long time. I had done about two miles at the high school track behind my house and was half way around the last lap I was to do when it took me by surprise.

When I ran before, kicking the last lap or so just became natural, so tonight, when I hit the 200 meter mark, I just took off. That is when the feeling came. It is the feeling of going fast. You can feel it in your arms when the elbows sort of lock in a pumping position and your wrist give back and forth from the weight of your hands. You feel it in your heels, when they hit the track and the rest of your foot rolls with them. You forget about you're short of breath, you forget you're midsection is queezy and pinched with a sideache, and you feel your body going fast.

Well, I dunno if an on looker would have thought I was going fast but that's not the point. I felt fast and it was wonderful.

Jake

Last Night On Earth.

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:00:01 PDT

So last week I was doing the dishes and listening to Pandora when a thought occurred to me: If I had one night left on earth, I would spend it playing my guitar. Naturally, with those I love around me but it has become a necessary part of my being. Random I know, but fast forward a few minutes and I came across a knife in the dish pile with cheese stuck to it. I began to scratch it off with a scrub brush we have and WHAM, it slips. Next thing i know there is blood in the water, on the floor, on the counter, on the toilet, and all over the roll of toilet paper that I'm trying to wrap my bleeding index finger in.

I called my wife telling her to watch out for the homicide scene in the kitchen and waited for her to come home. After finding where we could go with our insurance that we had never used, I ended up with 4 stitches right where I hold my guitar pick. Ugh... I sure hope it heals quicker than the two weeks the doctor said. I guess this is what I get for trying to be a good husband.

Jake

Iranian Elections.

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:54:44 PDT

So, the past few nights I have stayed up into the early hours of the morning reading the Internet protest and update from what's going on in Iran. Their election was stolen from them and they have decided to take it back. I've been surprised at how attached I have become to a few people on the other side of the world relaying 140 character messages at a time. Real time updates from a real life lie effecting millions of people.

There have been students killed, students my age, taking similar classes, thinking similar thoughts, reading similar things, with the same wants and likes as myself. Though twitter is simply a collection of short statements, these people have made it so personal. Whether or not someone can place themselves entirely in another person's shoes is debatable but I have felt their fear, their hope and their outrage to a larger degree than I could have thru other media sources.

There have been many links shared by the Iranian twitters as well. Photos, videos and blogs have been accessible to the world that otherwise would have been very hard to find. This Boston Globe story has some very powerful pictures of the movement thus far:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_disputed_election.html

The giant conversation that is twitter has opened allowed world into the lives of the Iranian people. It is different than reading an article or a book or watching the evening news because it is happening now. Tweets are posted instantly, so we are connected to the "right-now" on the other side of the world. Twitter has made Iran feel like my next door neighbor. It has made me involved, at the least on an emotional level.

Just search #iranelection on twitter and see what is being said.

I send my best wishes and prayers to those fighting to be heard. You have friends around the globe now and we are watching.

with love,
Jake

Hike School.

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:13:27 PDT

As many of you know, Allyson and I have been friends for a very long time. I was looking at the YouTube page of another dude who grew up in the neighborhood with us and came across a movie that we all made for our high school film festival. I thought it would be fun to share it. So without further ado, I present for your visual enjoyment, Attack of the Flesh-Eating Subterranean Bog-Monster.

Yes, we really did take last.

Jake

Sweater Contest!

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:08:03 PDT

Hey!

We have been so grateful to everyone who has commented on "Everyone We Know" in iTunes. You have been such a big help in spreading the word about The Sweater Friends. Though we have had some awesome reviews, we think we can do better...

So here is the deal, we are having an iTunes review contest! Here is what you need to know:

1. We are looking for the best and most creative review of our album on iTunes.

2. To review, simply sign on to iTunes and search The Sweater Friends. Click on our album and bellow the the Customer Review box, in the middle of the page, is a link that says Write A Review. After that, click a star rating (out of 5) and write your review in the provided area. Reviews take a day or so to post. iTunes offers some suggestions on writing a good review on that page as well.

You can go directly to our album in iTunes by clicking bellow

3. On July 18th (2009), we will log in and choose a winner. Think outside the box! Though we are looking for creativity (being creative people ourselves), don't let that stop you from trying, the best review will win.

4. As a prize you will receive a Sweater Friends Merch Pack, including a set of Sweater Friends pins (3 in total), a hand made hemp Sweater Braclet (complete with part of Jake's guitar string), and Sweater Friend stickers.

Winners will be notified via the internet (myspace, facebook, whatever). We will post the winning reviewers iTunes login (this will allow for confidentiality). We will mail or deleiver the prize pack, which ever is more convienent.

Any questions? Just ask! We love you and hope to hear from you in iTunes!

Jake

SweaterCast 5- New Stuff Live

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Thu, 07 May 2009 21:41:09 PDT

New stuff from the sweater friends!

Also... We got a killer review from City Weekly.
You can read it here!

love- Jake/TSF

SweaterCast4- World Food Program

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:39:22 PDT

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
-Martin Luther King Jr.

The Sweater Friends gladly donate 10% of all music sales to fight hunger thru Friends of the World Food Program.

Pitch in with us at www.freerice.com.

SweaterCast 3- Happy Birthday Braden

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 21:41:34 PDT

Come along with us as we sweater rock out buddies party.

Love, as always,

Jake

Frequent Flier

thesweaterfriends@hotmail.com (The Sweater Friends) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:28:35 PDT

Hey everyone, how's things? I hope you are enjoy the spring feeling in the air, even if there is snow on the ground still like here in Utah. We are really looking forward to this show. Such a great combination of fellow artists, venue and time of year is not normally found. We hope you can make it!

Tickets available here at 24tix.com!

We really love you.

Jake/TSF

The Sweater Friends

Goodbye My Friends

Pickett: the new free single via uRECORDS

My Life on Public Broadcasting

Studio Update: Oddities

The man behind the photo

Companion Journal

The Ghost and the Guest website

Lessons Learned

Arcade

bloggering

Studio Update 1

quotes

Thanks Guitar Center Dude....

POV

Lost in Translation

I'm cold

I Heard there is a free Sweater Friends holiday song...

Viinyl.com

Inspiration

Songwriting Interview with Jake Part 2

Songwriting Interview with Jake Part 1

A Problematic Ballerina

Ally's Music Picks

Free show at the University of Utah

New Photos!

Music Videos

Radio Appearance

Nice to meet you

Music we enjoy

Dinosaurs Love The Sweater Friends

falling

A Good Cause

Sweater Friends TABs

I guess it's kind of like cheese

By comman consent

Video Blog: An Introduction

Album Chat with Larry and Sara!

Favorite Duets

The Ghost and The Guest track list

Weekly Playlist

Free Art Show

Utah Arts Festival Pictures

*sigh of relief*

5 Tracks

Arts Festival

across the pond

Producers

Ghost and the Guest

Intro Lyrics

formspring.me

Different

Giving.

Cinco de Mayo

Part of Portia's Scene

Podcast Feature

11 and counting

Spring Break!

Muse Music and Texting Club

Black Leather

2 new shows added!

Album Update: roughs and why I love the internet

A Call to Sweater Arms

formspring.me

formspring.me

Linescratchers and Playlist Seven.

A lot of words

Every Song. Every Album. You choose the price. Really.

Dear Abbey on CD Baby!

Videos from the Orion Music Festival

Jake Banter

Downloads for Haiti Relief

Orion Performance Review

Orion Music Festivus

The Ins and Outs of Dear Abbey

It's done! Dear Abbey ready for download!

Holiday Covers: Cut From the Team

Holiday Cover: The New One We Know

Holiday Cover: Hark the Harold Angels Sing

NEW SONG AND NEW MUSIC VIDEO

sigh of relief