Fistful of Punk Buried in Snow

This January has certainly left its mark in my brain. The cold, the snow and the music. It seems to have been an historical year for the combination of cold and snow, but I do recall that we had similar circumstances about 10 or 12 years ago. In Mid January, we finally started to see temperatures above -10C for the first time in weeks and there was easily 1 meter of snow in areas around the farm. Not from snowbanks - from natural snowfall and drifting. Some parts of the livestock fence was completely buried in snow. The snow and cold certainly takes its toll on the body, making all the chores seem just to require more effort and energy, causing sore and tired muscles, aching bones and end-of-day exhaustion.

Snow to the top of the fences

The Music however is a different story, almost 180 degrees opposite. We have been recording new songs for a couple of months now. Warm, airy and powerful tracks that beg to be listened to. Back in December I spent several hours working on a drum track for 'I Want What You Got', a speedy Rock song with a fistful of punk. Lots of snare licks and cymbal crashes keep it moving and building from the first flam to the last double-bass roll. I can't wait to hear it mixed and mastered.

 February and March continued in the same vein as January: snowy, cold and exhausting. March 4th marked the official beginning of 'kidding' season with a set of twins from a doe named 'P' (because she's was so small when she was born). The next ten days were hell-on-wheels as the count increased from 2 to 150 kids. We barely found time to sleep, eat or bathe. With the cold and blowing wind, we made sure all newborns were dried and nursed before leaving them with their moms. It made for long days and some that continued into the next. Glad its over for another year.

Before the madness of March, I had time to increase my music library. There are many musicians and bands that didn't catch my fancy when I was younger but are important for their contributions. I should have been listening to and practicing songs from Yes, Jethro Tull, Weather Report, Tower of Power, and Little Feat to name a few. Each of these bands featured very respected drummers whose technique, creativity and song structure were impressive and should be studied by budding drummers.

The younger Me behind the younger Lance