Running Red Lights

A Tribute To Amy Winehouse

2011-07-23T21:44:00.000-07:00

After hearing the sad news of Amy Winehouse's passing today, I spent some time listening to her songs and playing through some of my favorites. I was deeply saddened to hear the news. I was a huge fan and I always considered her to be a staggering talent. Really, that statement doesn't really sum it up. There was something special within her, beyond her incredible voice. Whatever it was, it made her the kind of singer that MADE you stop and listen when she sang. I think it was because when she sang something, you knew it was real, that she meant it, that she had lived it at one point. At least that's what I feel when I hear her sing. I don't know...I could probably go on all day about it. All I really wanted to say is that I, for one, will miss her. I had always been hoping she would make her way through these dark days and that at least one mind-blowing, gut-wrenching album would be the offspring of that time. Mostly, I'm just sad that she is gone. And that right now, so many people are spewing thoughtless, heartless comments around. They have no place. But I digress.

Here, I just want to celebrate what she left with us. For those of you that were fans, I hope this brings you some kind of joy or a memory, and I hope I've done this song some justice.

- kevin h.
running red lights

A WORD FROM IASO

2011-06-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

Since the launch of the RRL blog almost 2 years it's purpose has served primarily to navigate fans around the RRL landscape and to act as a mouth piece for my opinions, contemplations, creations and expressions. However, after 2 years of personal commentary I have decided to give away the floor. I will introduce her simply as Iaso, named after the Goddess of Healing. The world has been graced in every way with her light of positivity, imagination and strength. She has overcome tremendous grievances to be a rising star in the field of social work, social justice, interested specifically in counseling and facilitating rehabilitation for the mentally afflicted. She is currently finishing her studies in Human Sexuality at Ryerson University and was given the assignment of writing a reflection journal. She was kind enough to allow me to read the paper (which she ultimately received a grade of PERFECT) and I felt it was a piece that should be shared, primarily because I knew it might connect with those who have had similar experiences. Please keep in mind the paper is influenced by the subject of sex and sexuality and therefore may breach some levels of comfort. However, I hope that most people are open minded and liberal hearted enough to understand the intent and connect with Iaso's experiences. Her strength is an inspiration to me and I hope she can be an inspiration to you as well.

Reflection Paper on Select Dynamics of Freud’s Female Oedipus Complex
Written by Iaso for Ryerson University

By sharing aspects of my personal trials, it is my intention to illustrate select dynamics of Freud’s female Oedipus complex. I’ll start out by introducing myself and giving you a little background information on how I got entangled with a pair of self-destructive twins I’ll call Adam and Eve. I completed my HBSc at the University of Western Ontario in Biology and Environmental Science while playing the role as pacifier to my first suicidal boyfriend. After finally admitting defeat from this melancholic and sexless relationship, I advanced to an even more emotionally disturbed and complex character. I can clearly define this person as having Borderline Personality Disorder amongst other mental illnesses. He was abandoned by his alcoholic parents and put in training schools from the age of 10 where he was physically and sexually abused, as well as subjected to “experimental” Gestalt therapy and severe emotional and mental abuse. This man was 19 years older than me and as a young, naive woman fresh out of the gates I was compelled to “help”.
Now would be the perfect opportunity for me to touch upon my principal topic of discussion that I will visit again later, Freud’s female Oedipus complex. This older man, according to Freud, could represent my partially absentee father who separated from my mother when I was 8 years old. Studies suggest that at this early-latency stage, children experiencing parental divorce are more likely to develop psychological and social difficulties in early adulthood. This could explain my confusion and difficulties in choosing a mate. Possibly the struggles between my parents prior to their separation, during the phallic stage (age 3-6) of my development, caused a disruption in the completion of the female Oedipus complex. To complete the complex the girl must adjust her desires from her father to identify with her mother. Perhaps somewhere along the way I got stuck causing me to choose men who more closely resembled my mother.
For as long as I can remember my mother has battled depression and more recently was diagnosed with Bipolar II. At the time of my parents’ separation I clearly remember my mom’s threats of suicide. However in the face of her ongoing struggles, her brilliance and compassion enabled her to raise three girls on her own while completing both a HBSW and Registered Nurse Diploma. Maybe my yearning to “help” was my need for parental stability and quest to heal abandoned wounds. Still today, I champion my mother and grow closer to her with every insight into my own mental illness.
With great fear and apprehension I escaped the clutches of my mentally ill mate and his shattered soul. I gave back the many abuses and mental incursions. I failed alongside the judicial system to provide justice in his lawsuit against his training schools, abusers and her majesty the Queen. I felt great failure in my empty promises of unconditional love and an impending loneliness that promised no one will ever again know me like he knows me.
I was at my most vulnerable when Adam and Eve sunk in their teeth and for the next 2 years drained me until bankrupt, literally. I had known Eve since high school and had grown quite fond of her; however, I was wary of her self-destructive nature which had only just begun at this point. She had been around for my other relationships without judgment but my union with her brother was something different. She hated every girlfriend he had ever had and with delusion felt they were all taking advantage of his kind nature. It was true Adam was soft-spoken and friendly but his lack of loyalty, sculpted skills of manipulation, and willingness to corrupt had a track record.
Adam and Eve were junkies. For Adam, anything he could boil down was good enough to go in his veins. He had a history of convincing his girlfriends of the wonderful world of narcotics and this included me. Eve’s sociopathic traits were more exposed than Adam’s in that she could be anything you wanted her to be as long as it benefited her in the long run. Eve’s loyalty was always to her brother and vice versa. The relationship between the two was so bizarre that I still don’t know what they were really about so I can only speculate.
First of all there was a large boundary issue with them. Adam had his own condo and whenever Eve fell short in her scams she ended up there. I was spending most of my time with Adam and it became a frequent occurrence that Eve would bust in while we were having sex, sit down and start talking to Adam. Her sense of entitlement and lack of respect for me at this point put a damper on our friendship to say the least. Adam however was an enabler allowing this behavior to continue perhaps due to his own skewed boundaries. Adam would frequently and proudly tell me stories about his trips to the Caribbean alone with Eve and how strangers would comment on them as being “the best looking couple on the beach”. Weird! Finally, after always feeling like the third wheel in this relationship, Adam and I decided to go away to a cottage for a few days. On the drive there, just minutes after we left, Eve called crying and announcing that she had separation anxiety and wanted him to come back. These few examples of many have made me wonder whether I was witnessing a truly incestuous relationship that involved sexual relations or solely emotional incest. Since I have no evidence of the former I will focus on the latter using the female Oedipus complex.
In addition to never having a relationship that was more than a fling, having numerous abortions and miscarriages, and never experiencing love outside her brother; Eve was never able to have a vaginal orgasm. According to Freud, only after moving past the Oedipal stage is a female able to have a mature vaginal orgasm. However, evidence today disputes his theory. Eve would then illustrate that there was a dysfunction in the Oedipus complex and phallic stage of development. A more obvious dysfunction involved Eve’s penis envy. Eve was conscious of this penis envy in early adulthood and confessed to me that she longed for the power a penis would provide her. Eve’s father was not present throughout her childhood, leaving her brother to be the only male influence. Naturally, Eve developed penis envy and desire for her brother instead of her father. At this point to complete the Oedipus complex, Eve must turn her attention to her mother and her erogenous zone from her clitoris to her vagina in hopes of conceiving a son as the substitute for a penis. However, Eve’s mother was also often absent at this fundamental stage thus Eve became trapped in penis envy leaving her to continue desiring her brother. Usually the Westermarck’s effect would disable their mutual attraction but this emotional bond was strong from reinforcement as mutual protectors in an unstable home. And together they learned to cope by self-medicating and locking their fears and emotions behind their warped rationalizations.
The couple of years I spent using, scamming, lying and isolating, I grew hungry for a life of legitimacy where I was respected, heard, and supported. I wanted out as soon as I was in and as time went by I built the strength to leave. I up and left my hometown with no drugs to keep the withdrawal at bay, only pure will to escape the damaged people, the exploitation, and the dishonest person I had become. I don’t blame anyone for the abuse and dishonor that was inflicted upon me, for they suffer with the disease of addiction and a melange of mental disorders. Just like my mother, they are all trying to cope with life the only way they know how. As an addict, the ability to manipulate those around you for survival or to avoid withdrawal symptoms becomes the greatest, highly-developed of skills. Adam and Eve preyed upon me to get what they felt they needed to survive and so I did to others. My resentment has never exceeded my capacity for empathy and compassion. I say this with strong conviction and knowledge that I have always felt this way, except now perhaps with less naivety. This is a great strength that empowers my work and studies in the field of mental health and addictions today.
I’ve kept some contact with Eve since I left home. Adam and Eve were living in a crack house, from which I thankfully escaped, whose primary inhabitants were prostitutes, not excluding Eve herself. Eve was seeing a man who was 26 years her senior who ended up getting her pregnant. At 8 months pregnant and drug free for 4 months, their place was raided and the two of them were thrown in jail. She was let out to give birth and her son was taken by the authorities. This was devastating for her and she remained clean to try to win back her son. Sometime later her partner was released from jail and they were awarded custody. They now live together as a family. Sounds like a happy ending but I have my suspicions about the quality of their relationships. Nevertheless, finding a substitute for her brother in an older man may indicate that Eve is working through her Oedipus complex as she has shifted her desires for her brother to a man like her father. Having a son has allowed her to transfer her penis envy in addition to bringing her closer to her mother and the hope for developing a healthy attachment. Adam however still remains a black sheep and continues to use drugs to mask his demons.
When I left home I came to my Emerald City and started going to NA meetings, got a job and went into a rehab program at CAMH. A couple of days before the start of the inpatient portion of the program I had my first manic episode. After 3 weeks in CAMH ACU/GPU (where I was considered the happiest manic the staff had ever seen) I snapped back into reality. I was transferred to the AIM program on White Squirrel Way for a month where some of us were proud to be squirrely. Soon after returning home, I stopped taking the prescribed Lithium and Seroquel under the belief that I was misdiagnosed and my episode was a result of a rebound effect of hyper excitability of my nervous system from quitting the opiates cold turkey. No psychiatrist would listen to my concerns or offer alternative coping opportunities in living without medication. I found a job at a private club, a good mate, continued to be drug free and arranged to start back to school to study mental health and addiction. I was working 30 hours a week and going to school full time. This lasted a week and I was back in the hospital. My brain couldn’t handle the lack of sleep and motor-mind. My rapid incline to mania started at work and after maltreatment I was sent home alone, sick, and in a highly-vulnerable state to continue my delusional climb to Mount Olympus again as the happiest manic.
Inside the familiar CAMH ACU/GPU, I committed myself to fighting for mental health justice. I joined the Empowerment Council and filed a claim against my employer with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. My employer would not let me return to work in fear of my new “crazy” title. They said I was a liability and could be violent with their child and elderly clients (I’ve never been violent in my entire life). My employer responded to my claim after cordial negotiations and honored my requests for compensation of lost wages and to have all employees participate in training from the Ontario Human Rights Commission. Success! I continue to take medication for Bipolar I and seek out new recovery and social justice opportunities where I can. Along with my studies at Ryerson, I am taking a workshop on dreams, Mindfulness and oddly enough, Gestalt therapy. I also volunteer at the Gerstein Crisis Centre and work as an event coordinator with an early intervention team at Canadian Mental Health Association. I recently finished contract work doing non-material loss interviews for a class action suit against Toronto Community Housing. I had the privilege to gather valuable info about residents experiencing PTSD and an exacerbation of mental illness symptoms, from a 6 alarm fire that occurred at 200 Wellesley St. I hope my contribution to this legal case will provide justice for these impoverished people. My next venture may involve working as a peer counselor at CAMH and continuing my work in advocacy! Freud’s theories of psychoanalysis have provided me with insight into the personal trials in my life. Along with my ability to welcome change, they have contributed to my work in recovery and social justice.

Path of a Hurricane

2011-06-05T18:04:00.000-07:00

Controlling the speed at which conceit travels to the brain has never been an issue for RRL. History lessons have kept us partial to humility. Therefore, it is with modest pride and extreme gratitude I announce Running Red Lights as the 2011 winners of Kensington Sounds Annual Songwriting competition. Many many thanks to Adam Debevc and the staff of Kensington Sound for the distinguished privilege of the title. We look forward to stimulating our creativity in your renowned studio! As well, a big thank you to Nicholas Longstaff of West Queen West for nourishing talent and cultivating possibilities for artists who may otherwise not get the opportunity to be heard. Thank you to the Drake Hotel and Soundman John X. THANK YOU to performers Nilima Chowdury, Angela Saini and the Residents, Primitive Revolution and Jojeta. WOW! Perhaps the most diverse assortment of musical styles I've experienced in one night and ALL QUALITY. RRL recognizes the very narrow margin of which we managed to slip through victoriously. Much respect and love to our fellow musicians!

In other news, Running Red Lights is happy to announce our recent partnership with manager Allan Wells of Comino Productions. As an experienced and well traveled musician, Allans well rounded, unique insight and understanding will be a much needed asset to the RRL team. Welcome aboard Allan, we look forward to the climb!

Events coming in the near future include July 1st, Canada Day celebrations at the Trinity in Sarnia with our most loved band and dear friends The Brilliance. $5.OO cover includes a copy of our recent Orange release and two KICK ASS rock shows. Hot DIGGITY DEAL!

Running Red Lights first official music video is in the final stages of edit and will be ready for release by July. A Sarnia and Toronto premiere is in the infancy stages of preparation. Stay tuned for details.

Running Red Lights has experienced an intense surge of creativity over the last few months and we are currently in the demoing stages of recording. We are hoping to head into the studio toward the month of August with the intent of recording a full album. Plans are subject to change dependent on circumstances, however, we will be posting a number of teasers over the next few months for those of you needing a new track to add to your RRL collection. Some high caliber songs coming down the pipe line!

Thanks for support, love and happiness. Peace and Harmony. <3 Scarlett

It's a WRAP

2011-05-09T23:17:00.000-07:00

After a long 12 hours of hair fussing, make-up retouching, lint brushing, relighting and picture rolling, Running Red Lights in collaboration with Directors Kenny Wong and Jason Lupish, Camera Operator Erica Sherwood and Executive Producer Alanna Memme has called it a wrap on RRL's first official music video 'Runaway'.

Running Red Lights would like to once again extend a very sincere, warm thank you to our sponsors (in no particular order); Matthew Rennie, Maria Wrightman, Patricia Bennett, Nick Dochstader, Jenn Kohler, Chad Cote, Shannon Callahan, Karen Dufty, Lois Carter, Lionel Bennett, Jeremy Hendrikx, Galit Blumenthal, Ann and Chris Drury, Kelli-Ann Drury, Deb and Dan Howley, Irene Puzak, Aris and several anonymous contributors.

A very special thank you to the exceptionally talented, hair stylist extraordinaire, Miss Rose Huggett.

Also, thank you once again and always to the Malcolm family for allowing us to raid their treasured tickle trunk.

Thank you to Johnny Roccos in St. Catherines for providing us with locale and incredible cuisine.

Please keep posted for more behind the scenes footage and interviews, as well as a special message of thanks for all our generous sponsors. We anticipate a premiere and release by June. Stay tuned for details!

Behind the Scenes of 'Runaway' with RRL

2011-05-06T08:47:00.000-07:00

RRL - Runaway BTS (Washroom Break) from kenny wong on Vimeo.

WARNING: The following contains course language and lewd behavior. Viewers discretion is advised. Password to view the following is RRL

Hashimotos: Life as a Zombie

2011-05-02T21:26:00.000-07:00

Two attempted suicides. One arrest for uttering threats of suicide. A week long sabbatical at the St. Micheal's Hospital Psychiatric Ward. One discarded prescription for Prozac. Eight years of crippling anxiety attacks. One clinical diagnosis of bipolar disorder. 4, 380 hours of sleep per year. 8, 760 hours of immobilizing exhaustion. Unknown hours of missed work. Unknown number of memories unremembered. Unknown number of words, definitions and spellings, lost and forgotten. Unknown number of social functions unattended. Two failed relationships. Several failed friendships. Over 80 hours of Emergency room wait time per year. Unknown number of UTI's, kidney infection's and anaphylactic episodes. Unknown number of hours spent on the toilet. 300 dollars of antibiotics per year. Thousands of dollars of acupuncture, colonic treatments, vitamins and acne skin treatments. An unexaggerated million needle pricks. 20 gallons of blood drawn. One ultrasound. Unknown number of hours of absolute misery.

This was my life. Most days this continues to be my life, however, now I can say with absolute confidence that I am NOT crazy, I am NOT lazy, I am NOT complacent, I DO NOT have a mood disorder, I am NOT bipolar, I am NOT antisocial and I am NOT clinically depressed. I AM, however, one of the millions of people suffering from an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Quite simply, my body is attacking itself, in specifically it is attacking and causing gradual destruction to my thyroid gland. The disease has such an expansive range of consequences on the mind and body it often gets camouflaged as many other physical and mental disorders. More than half of the people suffering from Hashimoto's are either undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. My diagnosis took 8 years. I saw countless psychiatrists and MD's. When hypothyroidism was suspected I was refused a referral to an Endocrinologist by two different doctors. I was prescribed countless medications and vitamins to treat constipation, depression, anxiety, memory loss, iron deficiencies, fatigue and sleep deprivation. I have developed alcoholic habits to subdue my symptoms. I have withdrawn from my friends, from my loves and my life. The disease has robbed me of time, memories, happiness and simple pleasures. It has taken my spirit and left an empty shell.

Perhaps the most difficult and challenging component to the disease is trying to convince the rest of the world it exists. Unless you are a fellow sufferer, Hashimotos is impossible to understand and very difficult to clarify.

For the most part my physical symptoms are undetectable to the public. For whatever reason I have been unaffected by one of the major physical symptoms of Hashimoto's; weight gain. However, Hashimoto's affects each sufferer individually. Physically I am afflicted by bowel issues, menstrual issues, extreme sensitivity to cold followed by hot flashes, frequent illness including kidney infections and throat infections, hoarse voice, numbness and tingling in fingers, difficulty swallowing, enlarged thyroid, low body temperature, coarse skin, acne, dry hair, brittle nails, muscle cramps, heart pain and extreme EXTREME fatigue. I can often sleep 12 hours or more and will wake feeling completely ragged. Some days I lack enough energy to bath myself, dress myself or even feed myself. However and having said that, I'd much rather contend with the aforementioned than the malady of my mind.

One of the affects of Hashimoto's is parallel to that of aging. As you age, memory, concentration and the ability to process new information becomes challenging. Hashimoto's has made my mind forget. My long term and short term memory sometimes operates as poorly as an elderly with dementia. If I am asked to perform a task at work, 9 times out of 10, within seconds and steps on route to execute the task, I will forget what I was meant to be doing. I have forgotten the names of close friends and relatives. I have massive trenches of blankness when trying to recollect my past memories. Due to these bouts of forgetfulness I have disappointed and frustrated many friends, employers, co-workers, partners etc. I have been perceived as inconsiderate, uncaring and irresponsible. I have also shown symptoms of slowing cognitive processing. My mind frequently wanders without any clarity. I am unable to vocalize entire thoughts in an articulate and fluid fashion. I get stumped on words in mid sentence. I have forgotten meanings and spellings of words. Often it is difficult for me to understand or retain new information. I often feel dense and unintelligent. I also suffer from periods of extreme sadness and depression. I often withdraw from social activities, I am deficient of passion and enthusiasm. It is often impossible to get happy, regardless of the pleasures in my life. I avoid friendships and most conversations. Unfortunately I don't have a blinking light on my forehead signally 'Hashimotos' and many of these symptoms can be easily judge as character inadequacies. Some may believe and judge me to be haughty, snobbish and/or peculiar. Some that have encountered me in certain moments may think I am slow or dimwitted. Others may find me moody and irritable.

As an artist and vocalist I can't imagine a more terrible set of circumstances. Hashimoto's has stunted my creativity. It has made me indifferent as a performer. It has affected the quality and control of my voice. It has agitated my focus and moods in rehearsals and creative sessions. My once fiery passion for music, imagination, creativity and originality has been smothered and snuffed out. HOWEVER, there is a small piece of the old me left within, kicking and screaming, and she intends to fight hard to kick this thing in the ASS. As part of that campaign I felt it was very important for me to ventilate my feelings and thoughts regarding my condition to the public and to fans. This is partially an exercise to help me articulate and organize my own thoughts about Hashimotos, however, I also want to reach out not only to fellow sufferers but also to those who may be undiagnosed. If any of the aforementioned symptoms sound familiar, I strongly encourage you to request that your doctor do a blood panel of your TSH levels, as well as your Antithyroid antibodies. PLEASE. Untreated Hashimoto's can cause heart attack, coma, dementia, Alzheimer's, clinical depression and a number of associated autoimmune disorders.

Restoring thyroid function by taking thyroid replacement does not necessarily make symptoms go away. In fact more times than not, Hashimoto's sufferers continue to experience symptoms after medication is prescribed. Hashimoto's is incurable and little is known about the rhymes and reasons of the disease. The disease can park you in a repetitive cycle of depression and fatigue which strongly prevents you from taking the necessary steps to help yourself and relieve your symptoms. However and though at times it feels like a life sentence, I genuinely believe that with a little push from within, the cycle can be broken and sound body/mind CAN be revived. I believe that by experimenting with proper diet, nutrition, supplements, practicing relaxation techniques and regular exercise in COLLABORATION with regular blood panels and dosage adjustments, my symptoms can be relieved. I am desperately hopeful. I am currently seeking many avenues of help from my MD, my Naturopath, my Endocrinologist, my Acupuncturist, as well as educating myself by speaking to fellow sufferers and studying applicable literature. I intend to track my progress and keep you posted on my findings. Though I realize what works for me may not work for others, however, perhaps it may and it's worth sharing. I hope that by imparting my experiences, trials, failures and successes in achieving physical and mental restoration from Hashimoto's I will help not only myself but many others who suffer worthlessly and worst, silently without compassion.

I PROMISE I will get back to this subject in later blogs. In the mean time, if you are a Hashimoto's sufferer or believe you MAY be, please reach out to me. Sometimes a little comfort from an understanding supporter is enough to push our minds forward even when our bodies would rather wilt into the dirt.

THE BALLOT IS STRONGER THAN BULLETS

2011-04-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

I didn't choose to exercise my democratic privilege until 3 years ago, despite having reached the age of eligibility 8 years prior. Tragic. I was a self-involved, apathetic youth. I didn't understand the importance and power of my voice and worse, I didn't care. I DIDN'T CARE. While people were being left to starve to death on the streets of North Korea by a terrorist dictator who robbed them not only of food but also free thought, I casually allowed elections to pass on without any regard for my own wealth of freedom. While the oppressed were rising and fighting for the simple leisure of expressing a challenging idea, I was throwing my voice away like a fart in the wind. Freedom fighters of the world were proudly and bravely dying for the basic right to stand in line and mark their voice with a single stroke of a pen, a freedom that was my birthright, an honor I neglected for a hair cut and an afternoon soap opera.

Despite my intolerable shame over such arrogant neglect, I am fessing up to this truth in hopes that it may inspire Canadians, in particular young Canadians, to relinquish a few minutes of time, and VOTE in the next Canadian Federal Election. Hindsight is 20/20 and holy fuck I HATE that particular stock cliche phrase more than any other BUT it's right. I cannot stress enough how much I regret my youthful complacency. 'I can see clearly now, the green fog of youthful guilt free naivete is gone'.

In reflection I'm certain the inner dialogue of my young self with regards to voting probably sounded rebellious and helpless. 'FUCK ALL politics and politicians!', 'Voting is a futile waste of time', 'My single vote will not defeat the will of the corrupt and greedy'. (I can't imagine my inner dialogue was quite as poetic but it was probably as dramatic). I'm confident that these particular thoughts were and are the conclusions of many youths and Canadians alike. Though I cannot dispute that the Canadian government has failed and disappointed its people on many issues and though I cannot promise that a single vote will provoke immediate change, I CAN argue that WITHOUT your voice, those past/present and future whispers of change will NEVER become the shrieking bellow that is needed to move the mountain.

The voter audience in Canada is receding into their retirement, nursing homes and cemeteries. Statistics show a tragic decline in voter turn out and the last Parliament was selected by less than 60 percent of registered voters . If this downward trend continues Canada's government will be chosen by fewer than half of its citizens and democracy as we know it will fold into the pages of our history. VOTING MATTERS. I realize the Canadian electoral system is frustrating. The system needs to change. For example, when I go to the polls this election I feel inclined to vote strategically, however, admittedly, a strategic vote would be wasted because my chosen party will never win in my riding, (though could win overall if I was simply voting for PM). Canadian voters can quickly feel jaded and defeated with the electoral process. So why, you might ask, why vote? WHY? Because (without trying to sound like I'm quoting an Obama soliloquy) WE CAN. The act of voting is more than just a show of hands, it is an act of solidarity, it is an act of independence, it is an act of engagement and resistance. It is an act of freedom. We are a democracy and we live in a country that allows FREE thought. I know it may be difficult to understand how precious a thought may be, however, it is the one liberty of them all that we must protect. It is the first liberty to be taken in a tyrannized country and the single worst liberty you can ever take from any human being. I vote not only to fight for my voice as a Canadian citizen, but I vote to remind myself of my privileges and to honor those in the world whose freedoms have been disregarded and unwillingly taken. The WORLD can be a disheartening and gloomy place but until it sinks into its ocean and we all dissolve into bone and ash, we need to keep fighting, striving and trying for whatever piece of freedom we can procure. Otherwise we might as well bite the bullet.

The Federal Election takes place May 2nd, 2011. To register to vote or general inquires about where to vote in your area, go to www.elections.ca.

WHAT'S GOING ON? (A message for the HATERS).

2011-03-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

The well known adage 'words are like weapons,' in today's digital world seems less like an expression of empowerment and more like a literal translation giving license to every web surfer to belch hate to whomever the trendy victim of the moment may be. Sadly, there are no more bright WORDS of kindness, love or optimism that I, or anyone can articulate that will be more powerful than the lure of anonymous mockery. Even in writing these very words I feel a uselessness in their purpose and impact. I am powerless to stop the 62 million people in the world who would rather ridicule a 13 year old girl over a childish song than use their time and words to talk of positive change, of love, peace and understanding. 'How boring, how cliche'.

Social interactions over networks such as Facebook and Youtube have become more and more hostile and hateful. Squabbles erupt over any number of futile topics, primarily over the pop culture mediocrity that has plagued the internet. To be clear, I am not oppose to speaking out against prosaic dribble, I am opposed, however, to HATERS. There is a difference. A healthy debate over the injustice of 'artists' such as Kim Kardashian overshadowing sincere, struggling musicians has value and deserves conversation. It is indeed infuriating and we should expect and demand better. However, these debates quickly turn into a parade of hateful, spiteful, nasty, awful comments that have nothing to do with the actual issue.

I know that people would argue that today, more than any other time in history, the common people have an actual voice and that HATERS are simply those retaliating against blatant exploitations and mediocrity. Except today more than ever, mediocrity prevails. NOT because the big bad corporate wolf is controlling the seas, ensuring that only shit floats down the river but because WE the people continue baiting the hook and fishing for shit to hate on. All the big bad wolf has to do is take the actual dump and we do the rest. WE are fueling mediocrity and more so, rather than effectively challenging the issues and the roots that cause our frustration, we simply turn against one another. We misbehave like school children, stooping to name calling and savage degradation of each other. In this, we are united and while we believe we are using the power of our voices, we are simply active pawns in the elitist's game of universal mind control.

I want to have more faith in humanity, however, every time I log on to Facebook or Youtube or Twitter I am deeply disappointed by all the hate. The number of people who hope for the agonizing death of a 13 year old girl is nauseating. The number of people who cruelly demean admirers of Justin Bieber OR the number of people who cruelly demean those who are NOT admirers of Justin Bieber, is doltish. Some people accept mediocrity by challenging the 'opposition', asking 'how many youtube hits have you achieved? as if these numbers define greatness. The 'opposition' will defend their hatefulness by trying to disguise it as defiance against complacency.These kinds of feuds simply act as a distraction from positive, honest to goodness CHANGE and the very machine that we fight against would prefer it no other way.

I am sick. SICK with how poorly we treat each other. We are a judgmental, hateful people. Allow me a few examples from Facebook status's and Youtube comments I have read in my feed just in the past week;

'Well It seems like you have to look like a fag, dress like a tool, have 10 members in your band and SUCK BIG FAT BALLS to play at the JUNOS this year... nice... good job Canada. Im done with you'.

'Have a heart attack already Rebecca Black'

' Justin is a gay, ugly faggot'

I realize these examples target celebrity entertainers (and internet phenomenon's) and many people would argue celebrities should be willing to accept a certain amount of hateful criticism as part of the job description. This rationalization is bull shit. Choose your words carefully. Voicing your dislike over a song or artist is any ones right to freedom of speech but launching a full on assault, including defamation of personal character and death wishes is hateful, pure hateful. This kind of hate is poisonous to the very individual who speaks it, as well as our entire existence as a civilized people.

My fear is that the number of people that post and comment on internet material for the sole purpose of mocking it is quickly getting much grander than those who share good music, good art or important social commentaries. Hate has gone viral.

Is it all bad? Am I generalizing? Perhaps. Perhaps the artist within is persuading me to be dramatic. However, do I think the words and concern that I have carefully and thoughtfully composed and expressed here will matter to 62 million people who would rather watch a train wreak than be bothered with my ranting? Me? A nobody girl whose words are nothing but a distraction from enjoying the fun of hatefulness. I am out read, out numbered, out voiced and out powered by HATERS. If I want to have a voice in todays world I have to say something controversial, hateful, mean, narcissistic, shocking or crazy. So, in that case, my voice will stay a whisper.

Thank you to the those who have read to the end. I realize the end was a long time coming. In honor of kindness, love, peace and understanding, please take a moment, if you will, and find something nice to say about someone you prefer to hate. Acknowledge their good qualities. Post a video or a song that you love and has inspired you. Share a kind word with a stranger. Resist the urge to judge in haste. The air will suddenly taste sweeter, this I promise you.

FAN VIDEO FROM ST. PATTY'S DAY

2011-03-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

Running Red Lights would like to thank those who came out to our St. Patty's celebration at C'est What. Also, a special thank you to fan extraordinaire, Galit Blumenthal for capturing the show. Check out the some of Galit's footage below.

WISHES DO COME TRUE. THANK YOU.

2011-03-22T01:19:00.000-07:00

An alley ascended, turned and dead ended. A door opened. A door closed. I straightened up and smoothed my jacket and descended back down the alley to the beginning of another dead end. I was a foreigner struggling with a map in the center of an impersonal world. The world passed me by. It removed unwanted hair, changed status's, multiplied itself, arranged furniture and distracted its near extinguished consciousnesses with routine and episodes of 'Jersey Shore'. So I had thought. I was wrong.

After a little over a month of campaigning for donations (in support of the bands first official music video), Running Red Lights is so pleased to announce that we have SURPASSED our initial goal. Through generous donations from friends, family and RRL fans, the band has raised a grand total of $1595! I am BEYOND pleasantly bewildered. It has been my and the bands constant frustration to be limited in our opportunities due to financial restraints. My confidence in the generosity of others has been downgraded as I've become older and overall I was extremely doubtful the indiegogo campaign would work. BUT I WAS WRONG! (And so much for the jaded image I've been trying to uphold! lol! ). 'Thank you' is such an overused, lackluster phrase that it just doesn't seem fitting compared to the overwhelming gratitude I feel. However, for lack of a better expression, THANK YOU. Thank you to Alanna Memme for heading up the campaign and putting it all together. Thank you to Kenny Wong and Jason Lupish who have been working diligently on our behalf for several months now on various RRL projects (including writing, directing and producing our 'soon to be' music video). Thank you to ALL the donators; Matthew Rennie, Maria Wrightman, Patricia Bennett, Nick Dochstader, Jenn Kohler, Chad Cote, Shannon Callahan, Karen Dufty, Lois Carter, Lionel Bennett, Jeremy Hendrikx, Galit Blumenthal, Ann and Chris Drury, Kelli-Ann Drury, Deb and Dan Howley, Irene Puzak, Aris and several anonymous contributors.

The world (including myself) places a strong emphasis on human beings as a greedy and selfish lot. Perhaps this collective experience is really a kind of helplessness that is sublimated and lingers in our culture as a way to keep us from communicating and developing strong groups that could potentially change the world? Just a theory.

Point being, the world is rich in untapped selflessness, love, generosity and support. The campaign was a testament to the willingness of people to give, to lend a hand and encourage. I am so proud and so privileged. I hope that when it is time for me to stand up and support my fellow human I will do so with as much generosity and love as I was given. Thank you all so very very much. Love always.

PS. Stay tuned for video details and behind the scenes footage of the making of 'Runaway'. Also, those contributors with incentives will be contacted very soon and be appropriately compensated (with cherries on top!).

HELP!

2011-02-24T14:56:00.000-08:00

I was never a popular kid. Never the smartest kid or the funniest kid. In high school I was never invited to sit with anybody on the beloved and coveted bleachers (reserved for those with Guess Jeans and Tommy cardigans). School was all one big popularity contest that I was never qualified to win. I was too shy. Too introverted. Too clumsy. Too introspective. Too poor. I hated school. I hated feeling like a nobody. I was happy to graduate and leave my invisible shadow behind. THEREFORE, little could I have EVER anticipated that my entire future would one day depend on winning at popularity.

Running Red Lights is one of 8 trillion bands vying for the attention of a mass audience. Like it or not I am ass deep in a popularity contest. Odds are once again NOT in my favor BUT this time around I am looking to WIN and I need your help shifting the odds. Running Red Lights is NOT supported by record company investments or private investments. Running Red Lights is broke. Everything that we have built over the past 5 years has been through personal finances, generously given gifts of free services and good fortune. Due to the unpredictable nature of the music business, we have only held menial jobs for short periods, long enough to make ends meet and support the project. However, we do not earn enough to make any significant dent that would raise us to a competitive level. We need help.

So why us? Why help RRL? What sets us apart from the other 8 trillion bands and why do we deserve the attention of a mass audience? Unfortunately that is not up to me to decide. I can't offer you the right answer to that question. I can only tell you that RRL is a band of individuals that hurt, cry, laugh, dream, love, live and breath MUSIC. We are a band whose dues will never be paid because we refuse to become complacent. We don't take anything for granted. We all have narratives, some painful, and we are eager to share them with those who need to be comforted, consoled and cheered. We are eager to connect. We are eager to be somebody.

SO what's the PROJECT? In today's climate networking sites such as YOUTUBE have become a crucial part of exposing a band to the masses. Therefore, Running Red Lights NEEDS to create undeniable content, in particular, a MUSIC VIDEO, as a way of further exposing and introducing ourselves to the World Wide Web.

What's the MUSIC? We wanted our first music video to be a song that was most reflective of the bands overall brand. We chose a song called 'Runaway'. This song has yet to be released to the public. It is currently in mix and is expected to be released by middle March. 'Runaway' is a 'Thelma and Louise' story of breaking out of the cliches of a small town. Fairly typical story, however, this particular version is a direct reflection of my own experience as a thirteen year old child on the run from a life of misuse. It is one of the most autobiographical RRL songs that have been written to date.

What's the VIDEO? We have been so very blessed to have an extraordinarily gifted film team who have been working around the clock to script a treatment. I cannot reveal the specifics of that treatment but I can promise you it will be 'explosive' and entertaining, professional and competitive.

What's the DEAL? Again, we have been so blessed to have such a talented film team who are passionate enough about RRL to offer their services for FREE. HOWEVER, we still need plenty of rentals, equipment, wardrobe etc. A budget of $1500 has been proposed. We are asking for any small donation from $1, $5, $10 to $100. ANYTHING you can spare. We have offered a number of incentives ranging from house concerts to free downloads. Please take a look at the full proposal on www.indiegogo.com/rrlvideo.

In closing, I am not attached to popularity. I don't think a person should be judged on the the brand of their shoes or their number of Facebook friends. I myself am no social butterfly. However, I chose a career that relies on the support of a majority vote. In order for my band to survive we NEED to be known. Help us prove that little people can have big voices. In the very end it's not about being popular, it about connecting. Much love, Scarlett xo

RRL Vlog 16 - Pics w/ Duro The Third

2011-02-22T23:49:00.001-08:00

RRL gets snapped by the genius eye of Duro The Third

CRAZY CAT LADY!

2011-02-09T00:43:00.000-08:00

The biting February weather has made a sissy of me and I've been cowering from the cold for almost 3 days concurrently. I'm halfway through day 3 and I have concluded that Peaches is really a dog trapped in a cats body. The evidence is persuasive;

#1. Toilet water. Her favorite beverage. #2. She will aggressively beg for food and has on occasion ripped an unguarded sandwich from my fingertips. #3. She fetches. #4. She patrols the front door and keeps watch over potential security threats (primarily a neighboring cat by the name of Merlin). #5. Her nickname is Pooches. #6. Her steamers are the size of at least a Basset Hound or a Cocker Spaniel.

Of course, there is the possibility that she is a cross breed. She does seem to have a smug air of pretentiousness that is synonymous with the feline persuasion. She refuses to listen to commands or any instruction whatsoever even though I KNOW she understands perfectly. She enjoys grocery bags immensely and her favorite pass time is sleeping. Furthermore, she LOVES crawling into unorthodox spaces, such as a back pack or a kick drum. Sometimes she pretends to be a mountain goat by climbing to the highest summit in the room (usually the top of the Yorkville SM2P studio speakers). I have also recently discovered that she is strongly offended by the use of profanity, particularly the word 'fuck'.

Whether she is cat or dog, mountain goat or gopher, she makes these solitude days of winter less lonely. I love her very much.

I sat down in this moment because I was inspire to write a blog. I got distracted after watching Peaches maneuver herself into the pocket of my book bag which is meant to hold a laptop. Though I'm sure I meant to blog about something that had a little more 'depth', particularly since its been so long since my last entry, after much consideration I thought 'what could be deeper than my love for my dear Poochie Pie?'

Love should always be so simple.

Anyway, what was I writing about?

The Brilliance and Running Red Lights

2011-02-07T16:47:00.001-08:00

Check out The Brilliance (www.wearethebrilliance.com)and Running Red Lights collaborate on an impromtu version of 'Wake Up' by Arcade Fire. Some mis-sung lyrics, missed lyrics and unsure harmonies make for a fun and entertaining watch. Definitely going on the Blooper Reel!

RRL goes acoustic @ The Free Times Cafe!

2011-01-22T20:42:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to the wonderful Jen Bennett and her magical iPhone for capturing the 5 songs in this playlist!!

RRL LIVE in KINGSTON 'SOUR GRAPES'

2011-01-19T11:54:00.001-08:00

RRL LIVE in KINGSTON. 2010.

2011-01-18T10:07:00.000-08:00

RRL NYE behind the scenes footage

2011-01-17T11:59:00.000-08:00

JANDEK

2011-01-13T15:00:00.000-08:00

On these cold and miserable snow days I've reduced my travel to the few feet between my computer and the loo. The confines of this situation has produced 2 songs in 2 weeks, an herbal tea habit and a lot of pee pee. Also, quite unexpectedly, a change in direction. My weather vane has finally developed a mind of its own. I decided. My tongue has been trying to break free since I hog-tied it when I was 6. My spirit has been inside screaming at my backbone to grow a set. SO, armed with a brand new pair of big shiny balls, a dirty Rhodes, a Rickenbacker 12 string and an urge for telling truths, I'm headed UP. UP to the land where unpopular is popular and the words 'commercial', 'hook' and 'hit' are forbidden. I should probably clarify.

NO I'm not ripping off my drawers and flagellating into a SM58 (microphone) and offering it up as music. NO I'm not hopping on the Jandek crazy train headed straight to a counter job at O'burgers. I got a healthy injection of Pop Music growing up, so it stands to reason that it is in my DNA, branded to my genetic blueprint. I will always be a POP artist and I will always write as a POP artist. However, this time around I am going to do so without any trepidation that I might be rejected by the Billboards. In truth, though I salute ALL of my songs and songwriting efforts to this point, they are all, in some small way, tainted by popular influence. AH MAIS NON PLUS! I am going to be as carefree as a comma. Rule #1: Music should not be confined to boxes Rule #2: Music should never be listened to at low volumes Rule #3 Music should be fun. OFF with the arm bands, shiny pants and Bowie sunglasses. The choreographer can kindly F**K off and the guy named Captain Industries can SUCK IT!

Perhaps none of this will make sense to any of you. Yet. But it will soon enough and I hope that you'll enjoy the results as much as I enjoyed the process. Please stay tuned for 'How Your Silver Shines' and 'Don't Say That You Love Me'.

Meanwhile I have to pee again......

NEW EP AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD!!!

2011-01-01T19:39:00.000-08:00

Dearest RRL supporters and friends
There are no words to express our gratitude for the unbelievable success we have encountered this past year. Thank you. Our moment in the sun was absolutely brilliant and we will forever hold it in our minds and hearts for life. The new year brings exciting promise for RRL and we look forward to unraveling the possibilities.Happy NEW YEAR! May the next decade be one of love, tolerance, prosperity, happiness and peace. Much love to you all!
Sincerely, Running Red Lights (Scarlett, Kevin, Dave, Jeff and Josh)

*'Sour Grapes' and 'Music in my Head' are now available for download. Click on the link below.

GOLLY HOLY CRAP!

2010-12-26T10:15:00.000-08:00

5 days till New Years Eve and Running Red Lights first national TV appearance. Gulp! I am one part adrenalized, one part overwhelmed, one part proud, one part weepy and two parts scared shitless. The band gets 20 minutes of time that could potentially change the course of our lives forever. The pressure is weighty. Conditions are less than excellent. Dead of winter. Temperatures possibly hypothermic. Fragile instruments exposed to the cold will contract and lose intonation. Vocal chords will crack and dehydrate. Nerves will dangerously aggravate all the above. HOWEVER, in the face of it all, we WIN. We've been working toward a moment such as this for 5 years, we're grateful and we're READY. BRING IT ON. Whatever the outcome, this New Years will be the biggest moment of my entire life thus far. 40, 000 people/two million TV viewers. Double GULP! If ever there was a moment to seize it most definitely will be this one. I am so fortunate. Thank you to all the supportive fans, friends and family who carried us in the moments we couldn't. I will be holding you all in my mind on December 31st. Much love always, Scarlett

*Running Red Lights will be performing LIVE with Kardinal Offishall, Great Big Sea and Barenaked Ladies on Global TV December 31st at 8pm.

RRL Vlog 14 - Day 2: Orange Lounge Studios

2010-11-21T00:35:00.001-08:00

Day 2 of Drum & bass guitar tracking @ The Orange Lounge studios, Nov. 20th, 2010. Toronto, Ontario.

RRL Vlog 13 - Here's What We Accomplished In The Studio Toni

2010-11-20T01:35:00.001-08:00

Sheenans

RRL Vlog 12 - Prepping For Orange

2010-11-20T00:14:00.001-08:00

Preparing ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally to break ground on a new batch of recordings!!

SNAPSHOTS

2010-11-16T01:00:00.000-08:00

I love music. We go back. 1983. 8 years before my parents separated. My dad had a fair sized collection of 45's. Two songs a side. I remember the artist labels, in mellow yellows and oranges, black standard font, 'Dion and the Belmonts,' 'Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons,' 'Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers,' 'The Platters,'The Monotones,' 'Jan and Dean,' 'The Beach Boys' etc. Doo-wop mostly. Nonsense phrases sung by men with piercing falsettos. On weekends my father would rearrange our living room into a dance floor and bait us out with 'Twist and Shout,' 'Who Put the Bomp?,' 'The Book of Love' . I twisted. I shouted. I wiggled. I laughed. The kind of shrieking belly laugh that only little girls can pull-off.

AND THEN THERE WAS ELVIS. I grooved on Elvis. Hard. I had a near life-sized portrait of him hanging on the wall of the tiny room I shared with my older sister. I worshipped Elvis. Elvis was beautiful. Elvis was King. I got Elvis. I get Elvis. Elvis flunked high-school music. I flunked high-school music. Elvis was a trashy kid hillbilly. I was a trashy kid hillbilly. Elvis was shy. I was shy. My father told me Elvis was a junkie. I threw a tantrum and refused to speak to my father for almost a month. Elvis died with his head face down in a toilet. Heart attack compounded by drug use. Elvis was broken.

My mother sang. She sang in church. She sang in choirs. She sang at weddings. She sang at funerals. She sang in festivals and jamborees. She sang the Oak Ridge Boys, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Eddie Rabbit, Johnny Cash, Tanya Tucker, The Carter Family, Randy Travis, John Denver, Charly McCain, George Jones, Shenandoah, Marie Osmond, Alabama, Elvis Presley, Barbara Mandrell. She sang 'Dream a Little Dream,' 'The Rose' and Rainbow Connection'. She sang 'He' and 'How Great thou Art'. She played Country on guitar and Gospel on the piano. Together we would sit cross-legged in front of the tape deck listening to her latest favorites in Country music. She would cue me to pause after each phrase so she could transcribe the words to paper. She had a towering collection of binders; red, blue, green, purple. All full of hand written lyrics. Her penmanship was immaculate. She practiced routinely. The inside of her guitar case was a fleecy black and smelled of oil and leather. I started singing along age 4 or 5. I tried to match my mothers volume. I got schooled. I started to sing echoes and the harmonies I could find. 'I Fall to Pieces, ' 'Talk Back Trembling Lips,' 'Will you Lay with Me?'. My mother started taking me to her local shows. She costumed me in collared blouses, flower printed saddle skirts, bolo ties and cowboy hats. I was Gaspereau Valley's own hillbilly version of 'Shirley Temple' without the curls. My mothers reputation gleamed. I hated the bolo ties.

My Grade school music teacher Mrs Leslie had pale skin, soft, curly auburn hair and wore small rimmed glasses. She was overall kind looking. She smelled like Ivory soap. Her voice chilled and thrilled me. It claimed me. After school I would stockpile food and hole up in my room until supper. I would practice simulating her vibrato and try to replicate her tone. I would record myself on a ghetto cassette recorder and listen back. I cut my own Christmas album ala Mrs Leslie on a blank cassette and put it in my mothers stocking. I didn't know that her name would one day donate itself to future pages. I didn't know that her voice would betroth me to music. Mrs Leslie encouraged. She criticized. Lovingly. She convinced me to participate in the annual Kings County Music Festival. An occasion for competing schools to bear coveted colors. Gold. Silver. Bronze. A chance for me to hone my nascent performing talents. I entered the soloist category, ages 5-6. The music was predetermined and dreadful. I got stuck with a 'paint-by-numbers' song titled 'I Like Dogs'. The entire song was a breezy four lines of rubbish. I was a nervous wreak and completely forgot the words and the melody. I bombed. Twenty-five years later I can't get the damn song out of my head.

In 1983 the Mini Pops would cause a sizable stir in Canada. I hopped on the Mini Pops wagon with tremendous gusto. Popular music translated by freakishly beautiful prepubescent boys and girls. I ate it up. 'Fame,' 'Video Killed the Radio Star,' 'Message in the Bottle,' 'Morning Train (9-5)'. I started wearing my Sunday School leotards and my one piece bathing suit around the house. I sang into my brush and walked everywhere with a sassy swagger. I wanted to BE a Mini Pop. My wide-eyed kid-hood fantasies conformed me to popular culture and the same machine that I would eventually pooh-pooh. Time traveling to this particular memory forces me to reexamine my grown-up resilience to Brittany Spears and Justin Bieber. I get it. I can dig it. I was once a servant to the popular. It felt good. It felt guiltless. I am now a servant to fashionable hippie convictions. Now a days if I express 'pleasure' from fluff I feel shepherd into describing said pleasure as 'guilty'. Janet Jackson. Guilty. Madonna. Guilty. Mariah Carey. Guilty. Michael Bolton. Guilty. Ace of Base. Guilty. Shania Twain. Guilty. Rick Astley. Guilty. Boy George. Guilty. Wham! Guilty. Boys 2 Men. Guilty. New Kids on the Block. Guilty. My guilt bank is pretty full. I haven't made a deposit since JT.

Snapshots of my Wonder Years surface in random order. Church Performer. School Choir Member. Soprano. Caroler. Honor Choir Member. Scrooge in The Christmas Carol. Charlotte in Charlottes Web. CEO of Dance Club. Traveling Monkey. Kings County Music Festival Participant. Saxophonist. Hand Bell Choir Member etc. In school I stood out only as the loser with a big voice. At home I stood out only as a handy set of vocal chords. My skills transcended clique strictures but only until the show ended. Curtains drawn I would turn back into a shy, bucktoothed, pint-sized version of Cinderella. Nobody called me bright. I stood 2 inches tall most days. But I could sing. Singing was my immunity from full-blown loserdom. I started resenting my forte.

Summer of '93 I was withdrawn and pensive. I travelled to dark places. Paternal bonds had long been abraded. I was friendless and sad. I stole. I lied. I exaggerated. I put up roadblocks. I was shaping future material. I explored my body and my mind for answers. I found guilt and shame. I took comfort in Simon. In Garfunkel. I was a rock. I was an Island. I was looking for America. I memorized every lyric and gave S&G 24 hours of my thoughts everyday. I dissected. I plundered their words and reworked and recycled them as my own. I was snorting up the craft of songwriting. I needed MORE. Janis Ian. Jim Croce. Joni Mitchell. Bob Dylan. Led Zepplin. Carly Simon. David Gray. Eric Clapton. Bob Seger. Neil Young. Fleetwood Mac. Music turned blue. The minor chord encouraged self-pity. It was the perfect soundtrack for a complicated, lonely 13 year old.

Some shit went down in '95 and life got unglued. I ran. I was panicked and scared. I thought nothing good would ever happen again. I abandoned myself to wishful thinking. I landed on my Nanna's door step. The landscape changed but the narrative was iron-clad and undying. My soul was vandalized by teenage nobles keen on finishing me off. My high school music teacher failed me in composition and told me I had no aptitude for music. I started stealing my Nanna's smokes. I tried to drink my way into popularity. I was sucking in laxatives. I was skipping meals for days at a time. I wanted out. I pillaged my Nanna's medicine cabinet. I popped 15 Tylenols. I fell asleep. I woke up dehydrated and alive. The Music in my Head was gone. I wouldn't sing a note for six years.

Inhale. Fast forward. 15 years. 3000 miles. 20,000 indebted dollars of University education. A dozen addressees. A dozen jobs. 5 lovers. 3 faithful friends. 2 unsuccessful self-murders. An immeasurable tonnage of tears. 1 karaoke bar. 1 crucial conversation. The birth of Scarlett. The death of Nanna. 1 manager. 1 publisher. 2 producers. Too many egos to count. Running Red Lights. 8 No's. Zero Yeses. A bazillion gigs. A bazillion songs. Exhale. Present day.

I have strengthened my jaw. I can eat a punch without batting an eye. I've reconnected with my inner Mini Pop. I am okay with failure. I fit into myself comfortably. I have crashed the pity parties. I have impose limitations on my tolerance to bullshit. I have big feet and acne-prone skin. I am a better person by nightfall. I am absorbed. Vain. Goofy. Loving. Honest. Unforgiving. Obsessed. And I LOVE music. We go back.....we go forward.

RRL SIGNS A DEAL!

2010-11-07T16:51:00.000-08:00

TOO IRISH

2010-11-04T23:42:00.000-07:00

My parents named me Tammy Marie Flynn. We were poor. I ate Corn Flakes topped with unpasteurized cow cream for breakfast every morning and freshly hunted venison and potatoes for dinner every night. Our house reeked of incinerated lumber. I wore second hand clothes loused with the scent of moth balls. My mother co-signed my obsession with heartache and the blues. I inherited my father's loving nature. I was a timid kid. Bullies knew just how to pack the right punch and they would later become the source of my problematic issues with criticism. I was lonely. I was a poor girl, small town cliche with an unconventional future.

In 2003 I ditched the name Tammy Marie under the advice of my publisher. 'Too Irish'. I always hated my given name so I was happy to adopt an 'alias'. SCARLETT was cast along the 401 on route to Hamilton. Tammy faded into the past. In 2005 I teamed up with some fellow travelers, all searching for purpose and color. Together we failed to find the golden egg promised to us by the dream makers. We shrugged it off as bad luck and started mocking the machine that assumed our collapse. RUNNING RED LIGHTS. 5 years ago when the name was born it meant nothing but a collection of alliterated, tongue-rolling words. Today, it is a motto, a mantra, an aphorism for resilience, determination and commitment. It is a FUCK YOU to the gates of Atlantis, to the guards that refused us entry. WE SLIPPED passed the motherfuckers and HERE WE ARE. Signed to our first record deal. Standing on two feet (10 feet). Preparing to go into the studio next week and get started on the future sounds of RRL. I am proud. I thank the ceiling for open and closed doors. I thank Orange for an opportunity. I thank Josh for happy accidents. I thank Dave for selective faithfulness. I thank Kevin for his soft spot for broken pieces, I thank Jeff for turning the lights back on. I thank all the folks from Sarnia who blew just enough smoke our way to keep us motivated. I thank Clynt for his determination. I thank the Malcolms for their hyper-spirits and a good nights sleep. I thank every Fred Ann and Nancy.

Obviously there is no foregone conclusion. A lot of hard work is ahead. Failures are inescapable. Haters are taking off the kids gloves and getting ready to sucker punch at any moment. Critics are standing on their hills just waiting to satirize. In the end they may all have the last laugh. HOWEVER, for now this moment belongs to Running Red Lights and I'm just gonna go right ahead and ask, HOW DO YOU LIKE US NOW BITCHES?

Much love to all of our supporters and fellow dreamers. xo

TAKE IT. AND GO!

2010-10-04T22:28:00.000-07:00

Though I neglected to inform the internet, the band did in fact have a show in Kingston this weekend. The gig was a stately affair for a group of bright, young, up and coming movers and shakers from Queens University. An outstanding audience, sensational performance and a smashing, jolly good weekend!

Highlights from 'ON THE ROAD WITH RUNNING RED LIGHTS';

1. While Scott (honorary roadie/'tour manager') and Scarlett took a 'pause for the cause' at a Mcdonalds on route to Kingston, Kevin got himself kicked out of the parking lot by the Mcdonalds manager for leaning and texting against the van while wearing a gigantic Ronald Mcdonald head. When asked to leave Kevin replied jokingly 'but this is my HOUSE!!!' Cheeky! Cheeky!

2. Watching Adam (film crew) frustratingly yet ambitiously attempting to tie a bow tie by following a poorly designed instructional diagram he found on the internet. EPIC failure.

3. Adam sharing a hotel bed with an 'anonymous' member of the film crew and later admitting that he was completely naked under the covers. Adam had the quote of the night, however, it was VERY inappropriate and cannot be repeated here.

4. Dave wearing a Mexican style garment and parading the stage like a model (we assume it was yet another desperate attempt to woo Josh).

5. EACH ONE of Josh's beers mysteriously disappearing after just a few sips.

6. Jeff mimicking the record from 'Size Small' as well as the absolutely, appallingly hilarious dance moves of a former band mate from a previous band. (NOTE: In the future we hope to capture this performance on film for all to see).

7. Dave's inappropriate groping of Jeff

8. Kevin beat boxing and drumming while wearing the gigantic Ronald Mcdonald head.

9. Dave's disconcerting excitement over the prospect of sharing a bed with Jeff

10. Flatulence was an issue all around

11. The ongoing saga of Josh and Dave's bro-mance

12. Dave's disproportionate bowtie

13. Jeff's HAIR

14. Josh's HAIR

15. Anything and everything that Jeff has EVER said

16. Josh's epic floor performance

17. Michelle (honorary roadie and motivator) discovering she had been driving without headlights since the purchase of her vehicle three years ago

18. Sleeping 8 people in a hotel room that sleeps 4

19. The disgusting stench of beer, smoke and Fart coming from our hotel room the following morning

20. Discovering a mysterious can of whip cream on Jeff and Dave's bedside table the following morning

21. Adams disconcerting attempts to get Kenny (director) to snuggle

Glitz and Glamor, Glamor and Glitz! Stay tuned for EPIC footage and further updates from the road and the studio. Much love to you all and until next time, 'DON'T FORGET THE DEET!'. xo

BRUCE

2010-09-10T13:42:00.001-07:00

OK. Bare with me for just a moment.

Truth; I realize I am an unfit translator of a language I barely understand. I realize I articulate ideas no more creative or innovative then any artist before me or any artist to come. My singing voice will CERTAINLY never win the approval of any 'idol' judge and perhaps one day maybe even be the subject of mockery on many a Facebook, blog or Twitter page. I realize I don't have the kind of bravado or moxie Rock legends are made of. I am, relatively, forgettable.

NOW, this particular confession is not meant to induce compliments or assurance from my friends and fans. I am not trying to manipulate support by seeming overly 'humble' or annoyingly insecure. This is simply an honest truth. A truth that is important to recognize and acknowledge. Why?

Bruce Springsteen once said ' I believe the life of a band will last as long as you look down into the audience and see yourself and your audience looks up at you and sees themselves'. I truly recognize that my gifts do not reach the unworldly altitudes of the 'Gods'. HA! It barely touches the bottom limbs of a limber tree, however, if the price of such gifts glorifies me so high that it isolates me from YOU, then it's too high a price to pay. The audience is the lifeblood of my song, I am flawed as you are flawed and I'd rather be standing on the ground experiencing true, real moments with YOU then floating, observing above as a savvy interpreter with the voice of an angel.

Much love always, Scarlett (September 10, 2010)

RRL Wins This Year's YouDiscover's Summer Concert Series

2010-09-04T08:07:00.000-07:00

2010-08-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

Running Red Lights is currently recovering from the shock of WINNING this years Indiscover summer series. SO with considerable gratitude we would like to say THANK YOU to the Indiscover judges and crew, FANS, friends and family. We accept this honor with the respect and recognition it deserves and only hope that we can live up to the winning title.

The competition was absolutely fierce and when we got the win, we couldn't help but feel like we cheated a GREAT band out of the title. DRIVE FASTER, WORDpeople, PEOPLE YOU KNOW and INFRACT are all equally deserving bands and we can't imagine the torment the judges had to face to pick a final winner. ALL the bands were not only CRAZY talented artists but also wonderful people, which is generally rare in this very competitive, cut-throat business. PLEASE if you have a moment check them out and show them some much deserved love.

http://www.drivefasterband.com

http://www.wordpeople.ca

http://www.myspace.com/peopleyouknowmusic

http://infract.ca

The difficulties of life are intended to make us better, not bitter and so we must pay a bit of homage to the failures that have brought us to this moment. 'The only thing that overcomes hard luck is hard work' and we promise to seize this opportunity and work as hard as needed to make not only our dreams come true but also honor the people who have given us love and support from day one.

Much love from Scarlett, Josh, Dave, Kevin and Jeff xo

InDiscover Finalists.

2010-08-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

A bit of triumph news.

Running Red Lights have been selected as one of 5 finalists in the YOUDISCOVER concert series. We will be back in Niagara for a second time on
Friday, August 27th to perform along side of our competitors at Oaks Theatre. The show starts at 7pm.

I've been lucky enough to be involved in well over a hundred failures in my life! Lucky and thankful! I've been lucky to share many of those failures with a group of truly wonderful, talented people. Together we have survived and strived, failed and fallen but ALWAYS believed that we might eventually land in the lap of victory. Yes, I count my failures with graditude for they have taught me to respect and honor my moments of progress and success, however big or small.
Whatever the outcome and however it may or may not change the course of our career, we will be forever indebted to our friends, family and fans who have shown us an outpour of support that has been unpredented in our careers thus far. If nothing significant in the way of reward comes of this experience we will still feel like we have won! Lucky enough to fail and lucky enough to have found a way of life that I love and people who encourage me and give me the courage to live that life without regret. You are all the very best! This is not only our victory but yours as well and we hope that you will share with us in a rare moment of pride. SO much love!! xo

P.S RRL has been given the honor to have been put in a class along side of some brilliant, talented, gifted and wonderful folks. Congratulations as well to the other fabulous 4; DRIVE FASTER; WORDPEOPLE; INFRACT and PEOPLE YOU KNOW. Very best of luck to you all!

2010-08-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

RRL has had a fantastic week and we've been anxious to share our experience with you!

Last week we had an opportunity to perform in beautiful Niagara Falls, only steps away from the falls themselves at Oaks Park Theatre. We were honored to perform as one of the top 22 competitors of this years YOUDISCOVER competition. We made many new friends and shared the stage with a truly gifted band, DRIVE FASTER. We wish them the very best of luck! Below I've posted a link to our performance of SOUR GRAPES. Take a gander if you catch a moment. Thank you so much for all your support and votes! We wouldn't have made it to the finals without all the love! You can still vote if you wish @ www.indiscover.net. We are hoping to make the final 5 so we may need another little push!! MUCH MUCH GRATITUDE AND LOVE TO YOU ALL!

YouDiscover 2010 RRL Interview

2010-08-10T17:37:00.001-07:00

Here's some snippets of an interview/acoustic performance we did in Niagara Falls last weekend before our big show at the 2010 YouDiscover Concert Series!

WHERE'D YOU GO? WHY'D YOU LEAVE?

2010-07-28T23:04:00.000-07:00

If the question of our whereabouts has crossed your mind lately then please allow me to first apologize for keeping you in the dark. Running Red Lights is still alive and well, living in the shadows and preparing for our rebirth!

Though it seems like we may have sunk into the folds of Oblivion's pockets we in fact have been busier and feel more radiant then ever.

Firstly, Running Red Lights is pleased to have been selected as one of 22 bands to compete in this years indiscover competition (www.indiscover.net). Our online video of 'Secret Lover' featuring MC DavJ was featured as the 'most watched video' of the competition! A massive hug and sloppy kiss to all of you who took a moment to vote. We will be competing in the performance round of the competition at Oaks Garden Theatre in Niagara Falls on August 6th.

Secondly, Running Red Lights has recently returned from a week of seclusion in cottage country with a strengthened bond, renewed enthusiasm and an anthem of a tune called 'Biography'. Stay tuned for a sneak peek and hilarious video footage!

Third and lastly, Running Red Lights will be putting the finishing touches on our LONG AWAITED, HIGHLY ANTICIPATED EP! The recording process has been a very long, tedious one, however, we are relieved to be in the final stages. We promise to make the wait a worthy one!

In closing, I miss this. I miss YOU! I anticipate the fall to be a season of reconnection and welcomed surprises! Our summer show dates are near a close but we are lining up a number of Toronto and GTA dates for the fall and winter. The new band is shaping up brilliantly and only happiness will follow! Love you all! Scarlett (RRL)

Running Red Lights on inDiscover

2010-06-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

Running Red Lights on inDiscover.net

If any of you get the chance to, cruise over to the link above and vote for us at inDiscover.net where we recently achieved competitor of the week. You'll also be able to read a cool interview, watch a live video of Secret Lover and listen to some tunes!

UPCOMING SHOWS

2010-05-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

RRL still has a few kinks to work out with the website. As is apparent, our links above are not in working order, therefore, any important updates and shows will be posted on the home page for all to see and access until further notice.

Wednesday May 19th 2010 The Supermarket (268 Augusta Avenue, Kensington Market, T.O Ontario). NO COVER. Special Guest appearance by MC DavJ. Show starts at 12am. Opening bands; 9:45pm - Beekeeper (Devon Lougheed), 10:30pm - Use As Directed and 11:15pm - Robert Hedge.

Friday May 21th 2010 The Bier Market Esplanade (Esplanade, T.O Ontario). NO COVER. Show starts at 10pm.

Saturday May 22nd 2010 The Bier Market Esplanade (Esplanade, T.O Ontario). NO COVER. Show starts at 10pm.

Sunday May 23rd 2010 The Bier Market Esplanade (Esplanade, T.O Ontario).No COVER. Show starts at 9:30pm.

Wednesday June 16th 2010 Horseshoe Tavern (368 Queen Street West T.O Ontario). NO COVER. Show starts at 12am. Details to follow.

Friday July 16th 2010 The Bier Market Esplanade (Esplanade, T.O Ontario). NO COVER. Show starts at 10pm.

Saturday July 17th 2010 The Bier Market Esplanade (Esplanade, T.O Ontario). NO COVER. Show starts at 10pm.

Friday July 30th 2010 Paddy Flaherty's (Sarnia, Ontario). NO COVER. Show starts at 10pm. Details to follow.

Saturday July 31st 2010 Paddy Flaherty's (Sarnia, Ontario). NO COVER. Show starts at 10pm. Details to follow.

The REBIRTH of RRL

2010-05-10T21:43:00.000-07:00

Generally I blog only when I am feeling the need to release some angst or frustration and generally only when I can sneak in the time, which as of late has been nearly impossible (even as I type I am doing so at 1 in the morning sitting in the control room at The Orange Lounge listening to Dave tinker on the guitar). However, this evening I am neither bothered or frustrated. I am more content then ever and I wanted to express my GLEE with y'all and give you a bit of an RRL update.

My happiness as of late stems mostly if not entirely from the band. For those of you who are unaware, the band has gained three new members, Jeff Carter on bass guitar, Michelle Puska on keys and Josh Parrett on second guitar. This transition, though unexpected, has been a huge blessing. It has only taken us an exceptionally short time to get comfortable and already we have written two brand new songs together that might be some of the best RRL material to date. Music is FUN AGAIN! We are currently recording a new EP at the prestigious Orange Lounge Studios, set for release by the end of summer. The EP will feature new songs and a few songs that might be familiar. I have a sneaking suspicion the new EP might blast our former out of the water!

I realize that change can be sometimes difficult to welcome. The Running Red Lights that you know and love is no longer, however, if you give us a chance, I think the new RRL will grow on you rather quickly and lovingly!

Before signing off I just want to highlight a few important shows;

Wednesday May 19th The Supermarket (Augusta, Kensington Market) 12 am. We would LOVE to see as many friendly faces as possible. This show will be the first full set since the inception of the new RRL. ALSO, there will be a special guest appearance by MC DavJ! NO COVER!

Wednesday June 16th The Horseshoe Tavern (Queen Street) 12 am. NO COVER. Details to follow.

Friday and Saturday July 30th and 31st Paddy Flaherty's (Sarnia). We are hoping this show will be an EP release. Updates to follow.

I truly CANNOT wait for y'all to meet the new band. It's a special group and I've never been happier! Hope to see you soon! Much love, Scarlett

Finding drum sounds @ The Orange Lounge

2010-04-21T12:00:00.001-07:00

TURN YOUR SPEAKERS DOWN!!!

Till You Go To Sleep

2010-04-20T09:21:00.001-07:00

Sneak Peak of Running Red Lights new ballad "Till You Go To Sleep"

Meet our new bass player: Jeff Carter!

2010-04-14T09:20:00.001-07:00

How to drink a pint.

HOARDERS

2010-03-21T21:33:00.000-07:00

'People so fear the debt of death that they refuse the loan of life'

For the first time in my life, here and now, I am going to strip away the cloak of impressive vocabulary and empty metaphors and attempt (perhaps for the first time in my 29 years) to be truly and openly honest.

From the superb, infant light that began as my life to this very moment, I HAVE NOT LIVED. I have not had the courage. I have been so afraid of the risk that is necessary to GENUINELY LIVE that I have taken little to no chances in my life. I have waited. I wait. I never truly enter into my life but rather I preserve it, I covet it! I keep it locked away trying to craft its perfection, waiting for the moment when it is ready to draw breath and be extraordinary! Why? Because by doing so I delude myself into believing that I can control my own mortality. That the countdown to my death will only begin when I have decided to live. However by refusing to accept life as finite and death as inevitable where will I ever find the moxie to take the gamble to live authentically? It is death and death alone that makes life so precious.

In short, the reason that I have failed to succeed as an artist has little to absolutely NOTHING to do with the industry and EVERYTHING to do with my unwillingness to take risks. EVERYTHING to do my petty fears and my trivial concerns. EVERYTHING to do with my cowardice. I have wasted YEARS hoarding my music from the public, waiting for it to be absolutely perfect before exposing it to anyone. Embarrassingly, Running Red Lights has a catalog of well over 20 songs that have never touched the ears of anyone other then it's 4 members! All because of my trifling fear of rejection. All because of my reluctance to be criticized. All because of my unwillingness to take the chance that people might see me for what and who I really am; ordinary, imperfect and human. The realization of such waste makes me feel closer to death.

Having said all the above, it is with great apprehension that RRL has decided to release some unheard material. Strictly DEMOS ('demo' being the word we artists use to excuse imperfection). It is time I give these creations life; I can hoard them no longer! Please visit our myspace if you are interested in hearing our recent releases. There will be many more in the days that follow. I will also keep you posted on what to expect in the year ahead for Running Red Lights. It will be a year of big transformations, personal growth and great music!

'It's best to use all of life. Leave death nothing but the dregs, nothing but a burnt out castle'.

I have a lot of unlived life inside of me and it is my hope that I will find courage to let it out, to find fulfillment, to weed out the unimportant and focus on filling the space between now and death with true happiness and great risk. I hope you will all join me in living! Love Scarlett

****Yalom, I., 'Momma and the Meaning of Life'. 2000

FIREFLY COLLECTION (EXHIBIT 1)

2010-03-01T13:53:00.000-08:00

Somewhere in the murky waters of your mind exists memories, exceptional and unspoiled. Tiny crystals sparkling like April raindrops through the darkened sewerage of pain and life forgotten. Free from malice, envy, greed, grief, pain, guilt....durable and simply perfect. Me? I remember December. I remember the calloused touch of my mother's roasted skin on my shivering ankles as she battled to remove my winter-drenched shoes. I remember the dank smell of my grimy-gray woolen socks inhaled inside the belly of my billowy white boot lining. I remember the dirty snow, packed and kneaded into perfectly round formations of ice, clinging to the bottom of my snow pants like the prickly head of a burdock root and melting down between my naked, prune kissed toes. I remember the sweet flavor of sweat and snotty goo oozing from my nose and settling on the edge of my swollen tongue that rested atop my wind chapped lips.
December. One of the billions of moments trapped in my subconscious like a firefly in a collection jar. The memory grows old, as I grow old, and still a certain feeling of renewed childishness curdles in my tummy at the faintest waft of a winter breeze.
A friend among enemies, these moments invite themselves into to my consciousness unexpectedly, provoking an expression so honest I blush at the realization of my exposure and openness. I see similar expressions creep upon the faces of strangers; fellow transit riders gripping the metal posts of an overcrowded streetcar, weaving and staring seemingly vacantly into the distance. Suddenly a smile. In this moment of unencumbered happiness I would love to breath the air that occupies the space between this strangers lips, I would lift like a balloon!

To be continued.....

TAYLOR! TAYLOR! TAYLOR!

2010-02-04T21:36:00.000-08:00

Forgive me, I am not generally one to involve myself or my opinions in the happenings of media and popular culture 'but doth I must protest!'this frenzy that has erupted over Taylor Swifts infamous Grammy performance. Perhaps my two cents is not as valuable as the two cents of Pariz Hilton, or Bob Lefsetz, or any number of the bloggers and media moguls in the world, but I'm gonna offer them regardless, why? because I'm an IMPERFECT pop singer and I can only IMAGINE the agony that that poor girl is enduring and will have to endure for the rest of her life.

We are talking about a VOICE. An instrument inside a human body. The MOST difficult instrument to control, to tune, to manage and to predict. Lets be a little forgiving here and really look at her situation with an open heart. Lets break it down into categories.

#1. First there are vocalists that have trained, very strictly, and VERY early in their lives AND also have been blessed with amazing tones (i.e Celine Dion, Michael Jackson...and yes, Lady Gaga). These voices are well oiled machines. These people are masters of their instruments. They have also had the good fortune and welfare to be trained early enough for it to count and by some of the best vocal coaches in the world.

#2. Second there are trained vocalists that have perfect or relative pitch but ZERO tone. These vocalists will most likely be background singers all of their lives. They can hit the notes perfectly, blend well but will never stand on their own.

#3. Third there are singers that are naturally gifted, no training, great ears, great control, great tone. Stevie Nicks would fit into this category.

#4. The fourth and final kind is the singer that is NOT trained (and if so only in later years and a very small amount), nor has a lot of control (FYI tuning issues are generally ALWAY's due to difficulty with vocal control and has NOTHING to do with poor ears), however, this category of singer has a GREAT tone. This is Taylor Swift and almost 99.9% of pop singers. Again, 99.9% of ALL POP SINGERS. Gwen Stafani, Katy Perry, John Mayer, Avril Lavinge etc. These are not vocalists that are particularly 'strong' vocalists. They are simply naturally gifted with a beautiful, unique tone. I have heard each of these artists sing out of tune on various occasions. So what should we expect from these pop singers? Certainly not perfection! Taylor is not in category #1 and NEVER will be. She's not in category #2, cause we all know she doesn't have perfect pitch but she's got TONE. She's not #3 cause she's not naturally gifted with perfection. So again, what should we expect? She's not trained! Not freakishly, naturally gifted! NO what she is is a POP singer. Not a MASTER of the art! Very very few are masters and may I point out, amazing technique and vocal control doesn't make a star.

**It's unrealistic to expect every successful pop singer to be flawless when the VERY NATURE OF THEIR STYLE is raw and untrained. Yes, even GRAMMY winners.

I watched Taylor's Grammy performance a MILLION times and she sounded fine when she was singing her songs, a little pitchy here and there but certainly nothing to write home about! It was only when she started singing 'Rhiannon' that she got really pitchy. Taylor's songs are not melodic marathons. They are appropriate to her ability as a singer. Rhiannon on the otherhand is a TOUGH song, a REALLY TOUGH song. She was singing way outside of her ability as a singer. Her ears are fine, it's her vocal control! Her vocal chords are not accustom to those melodic phases. Taylor songs are no where near as challenging as 'Rhiannon' and her vocal chords don't have the training or the muscle memory to make the adjustment! Not to mention that there are MANY factors they are employed when talking about an instrument so vulnerable as a voice. NERVES can affect vocal control (she was performing at the GRAMMY's with STEVIE FRIGGIN' NICKS!). ILLNESS. HUMIDITY (or lack of). POOR MONITORING. STRESS. POOR SLEEP. The list could go on for days. We can't pretend to know the physicality of her vocal chords or any other circumstance associated with this event.

So she couldn't sing 'Rhiannon'! So she had a less then perfect performance in front of a million 'flawless' viewers and peers! So now she deserves to be stripped of her Grammy and paraded around in the media like an impotent dog? Not many singers can pull off Rhiannon, let alone a 20 year old teen pop/country singer. A POP GRAMMY winner to boot! Oh GOD forbid! (cause every one that possesses a GRAMMY has sung in tune every single moment of their musical career)! Moreover, as terrible as Taylor may have sounded singing Fleetwood Mac, Stevie didn't sound much better singing Taylor Swift. These are clearly two singers that are so totally different, both lyrically and vocally, that it was a ridiculous idea to pair the two.

Also, why is it that female singers have to be perfect or damned to hell? I have NEVER once heard any one scrutinize a male singer, or male musician for that matter, this badly (so badly that it would ultimately end their careers). I heard a live LP of Leonard Cohen the other day and it was so bad I laughed out loud! Bob and Neil as well. And give me a break! Call these guys what you want, poets or whatever, it's still POP music...and yet when they sing every one thinks the pitchiness is endearing and artistic! How many Grammies has Leonard Cohen won?

If the academy expects all Grammy winners to be world class vocalists then they should expect to hand out a very very small number of statues, if any at all. Music is not about who can hit the high notes, or who has been financially or circumstantially fortunate enough to be trained to have excellent vocal control and pitch. Music is not about technique. It's not about vocal Olympics, or crazy licks. Music is FEEL.

There are plenty of great singers out there but only a few that make it as far as Taylor, why? Because it takes ALOT more then just a good set of pipes to sell 10 million records. She writes songs (or presents songs or whatever the hell you want to argue) that relate and connect with people on a very personal level. A LOT of people. How many of you 'perfectionists' can say the same? Perhaps her daddy is a rich man who wanted to see his baby make it to the top....and maybe he could buy her a seat at the table but he couldn't buy her the love of 10 million people. Taylor did that all on her own. Bad singing and all. It's a damn damn shame the scrutiny and ridicule she is facing. It will bury her. All for a couple bad notes.

'This is the world that we live in; I feel myself get tired' (The Killers)

* Dead Soul Rising

2010-02-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

As I backstroke through the last few years of my life, swimming slowly through passages that I cannot chart with certainty, I am shaken by the absence of passion. The kind of hunger that grows in your stomach, up your chest and to your brain; a fierce pin prick that makes your teeth clench in hot determination. The kind of yearning that drives you to California with your fingers pressed tightly against the steering wheel of a dusty, old van with blistered tinted windows and a radio that never stops playing 'Don't Stop Believing'. Yes, that kind of passion is a thousand rivers away, floating downstream with the girl I used to be; if only I could slip into her eyes and find my way back?

So many times over these last couple of years I have cursed the 'bad luck' that made me fall in love with song. Unlike the work of a carpenter or a doctor, music is poorly rewarded work, failing more often then succeeding. Artists labor under a murderous sense of glorious self-delusion and when the bubble bursts the passionate heart starts to slowly melt like an ice cube sitting in a cool glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. We are brought face to face with the madness of what we are trying to accomplish and we are suddenly aware of the sound, the 'click,' click,' 'clicking' of the clock running down. I have had the dream; I have felt the magic spell of imagination and I am mortal once again. It is this mortality; the mortality of my dream that I mourn so deeply.

The young dreamer stumbling home from parties and chasing unfetchable boys; moving into cheap apartments with a single suitcase and experimenting with love and self-expression, she turns 30 in September. Damn! Where has her 15 minutes gone? and what relevant matter stains the pages of her life? She has robbed herself of time in her attempts to out run it and now it's snapping at her heels like a savage blood hound. She is tired. Exhausted! Her soul has been broken like a wild horse by her own monstrous ambitions and she is in desperate need of a revival.....

The wind is changing. It blows south, toward the warmth of a summer evening. I slip off my skin, heavy like a winter coat, and step into the breeze, naked and fresh. The sun is up and the world looks ugly and yet beautiful, 'like a deer running from the hunter'. Time has no meaning. I have all the time in the world. I think I will strum my guitar and picture the smoky coil of an October bonfire.

*Title courteousy of Sang Kim.

Dave plays a good guitar!

2010-01-24T20:00:00.001-08:00

Dave plates a good guitar! For once.

NEW CYMBAL FOR KEVIN!!

2010-01-24T02:00:00.001-08:00

Kevin gets a new cymbal!!

Running Red Lights EP Available on iTunes...finally.

2010-01-17T17:27:00.000-08:00

After a long wait, our EP is now available HERE on iTunes. Despite all of Apple's ingenious marketing and product finesse, they seem to have had a difficult time spelling H*****e...on the dance floor.

-Dave

Ages 17 through 29

2010-01-04T12:45:00.000-08:00

I left Nova Scotia in 1998. I buried the axe in the Gaspereau Valley beneath a landscape of Mountain and River. I burned my bra and abandoned my crutch on the New Brunswick border. I filled my pockets with poker chips and bet them one by one on beginnings undone. I changed my name and fancied myself a poet, pretending to understand Faulkner and Bukowski, trembling over men with expensive words and broken hearts. The only diamond I was ever anxious to wear was the one in my eyes; the kind that loses its shine at the bottom of an Ativan bottle. Summers pass and the diamond grows wild beneath the Dandelions. All my songs of burden failed and I of cannot run any more. All my songs of triumph failed and I cannot run any more. All my songs of love have failed and I cannot run any more. I smile now not because I am happy but because I understand.

THANK GOD FOR BROKEN HEARTS

2009-12-05T16:48:00.000-08:00

Thank God for broken hearts. I have lost at love many many times and whether the termination was of my own ruling or otherwise, the pain has always been the same unbearable, overwhelming tug that makes you feel like you've been swallowed into gravity's mouth. The sadness collects in your throat and feels like a dispenser full of gum balls. You feel like the weight of the world has rebelliously been thrown off of Atlas's shoulders and has landed squarely on your own. Your stomach feels empty despite it being full. For the first while all you can do is cry as you watch your relationship play out like a home movie in the screen of your mind. Your friends will advise the same every time; they will all chant the same typical slogans, 'you deserve better, 'plenty of fish in the sea, 'he was no good'. Meanwhile, though you know they all mean well, you just wish they would go away and let you be the mess that you are. So why in God's name am I so grateful to suffer such a horrible condition as a broken heart?

Logically you would assume that the more experience you have in heart break the softer the blow will feel each time. You expect a broken heart to be like a virus that you eventually grow intolerant to, but FORTUNATELY, this is never the case. Every broken heart hurts just as much as the last and no matter how many times you promise yourself 'never again,' when Mr. Cupid shoots his bloody arrow there isn't a damned thing you can do but fall helplessly back into the 'love pit'. If you're lucky.
A broken heart and all of the accompanying symptoms are welcoming signs that you are still in the game. The act of 'feeling' indicates the your heart hasn't been crippled to the point of no return. A numb heart is far worse then a broken one; even shattered glass can be carefully, over time, reassembled, however, there is no recovering from paralysis. The moment the cold breezes in and permeates your scorched heart your problems extend to a lot more then just losing at love.

It is around this time of year that I am reminded of the story of Mr. Grinch. A pitiful excuse of a creature with no more love in his heart then poor Mr. Ebeneser Scrooge. As the story goes, Grinch was once a lovable 'Hoo' whose heart, after having it numbed by the cruelty of the intolerant 'world', eventually shriveled into nothing more then a crumb. Fortunately Grinch's heart was reawakened by the 'spirit of Christmas' and he now lives happily ever after in the fictional pages of a child's book. However, in the real world, it takes a little more then a circle of children singing Christmas carols to arouse the spark in a heart of stone. Lucky for Grinch, his heart came back from the dead, but not all of us are so fortunate. So the next time someone breaks your heart, though I know, firsthand, how dreadful it can feel, be thankful for the dispenser of gum balls in your throat; hold on to Atlas's world for a little while and thank God for a broken heart cause I swear 'it's far better to loved and have lost then to never have loved at all'. Hurt for a little while; resent, begrudge, HATE even, but never stop feeling. Never stop loving. Love is the only thing worth hurting for in this pain ridden, lonely world. I love you Dad and Pat, Deb and Dan, Baby Kieran, Julian, Pat and Karli, Mikey, Rosemary and Keith, Peaches, Dave, Andy, my dear Kevin and last but certainly not least, all the RRL fans that have been my guiding light throughout the years. Merry Christmas to you all! xo

VideoBlog5 On The Road Again

2009-11-26T23:49:00.001-08:00

Toronto to Sarnia. No heat. Just blankets and coffee. And The Killers Live From The Royal Albert Hall! We'll be ready to kill it once our toes warm up.

SOUL SPARK

2009-11-18T15:32:00.000-08:00

When the veil is lifted and the reality of the world is revealed, there still remains a brazen tiny spark that desperately treads the surface of our blackening eyes. The same spark that made us believe in Santa Claus; the spark of hope that makes us believe that what is broken can be fixed and that somewhere beyond the ugly truth is a beautiful possibility. Eventually, however, like a Chinese lantern cast into bitter waters by the cold hands of time, slowly the spark disappears into the undertow and with faith lost, we heal to the numbing darkness.

MY spark, though it continues to frantically fight the merciless currents, it is drifting further and further away from the shore every single day. I can no longer visualize a landscape other then the one that I can see with my naked eye; dirty, mean, angry, sullen, violent. Gone is the ability to see yellow behind the black. I've lost faith that I can change the world; that I or ANY ONE can write a song that can illuminate the darkness and heal all that is broken. Frankly, my hope and inspiration is fading and I don't know how to get it back. Though I'd like to believe that I am simply in a typical creative and emotional slump my disheartened heart beats with an aloofness I have never felt before. In my attempts to be inspirational and write inspirational, uplifting music, I am lately discouraged by an alien voice in the back of my head that screams 'what's the fucking point?' What's the point when I can't even rise to the surface long enough to be heard? When my expressions are simply corralled into a crowded swimming pool to float aimlessly, hoping that the man with the pool skimmer will pluck it out before it gets sucked into the filter with all the other rejected voices. And suppose it does rise for a moment, the ears of the world are so fickle and habitual that whatever impact is made is quickly forgotten. When the influence of someone as inspiring as John Lennon is fleeting then what hope do I have to make any difference? Yes, I realize how self-defeating this all sounds and I realize that I am, after all, only human and big or small, any attempt at positive change is worth pursuing, however, there comes a time when the task seems too daunting and maintaining sanity wins over progress. As well, the world is disappointing; people are disappointing and perhaps a small part of me believes that we don't deserve to be saved. There is an awareness of 'the real world' that has recently gotten the better of me; the world has broken my heart over and over and over again; people are callous, ruthless, judgmental, unfair and unfeeling. They have used the innocence of my passion and desire to humiliate me. They have deflated my optimism, my confidence and my spirit. They are selfish, self-serving, inconsiderate, greedy, egotistical and mean. Lastly and mostly, they are uninspiring. So now what? What happens to an artist when the inspiration is gone? How do all of the billions of hopeless souls make peace with the dark? How do I keep myself from becoming just another set of vacant eyes wandering the earth purposeless? What do I do with the melodies floating in my head when my voice is no longer inspired to sing? Who am I singing for and why should I risk baring my heart to a world that will schedule my failure the moment I succeed?

These days I see the rainbow of color in the stream that flows along the concrete gutters as nothing more than pollution. Gone are the days when a fractured coke bottle had the potential to be a creative treasure. These days all that remains for me is the smallest of sparks and if a breath of fresh air doesn't blow soon across my smoldering embers it's tough to predict how productive I will be as an artist. I'm hoping that tomorrow I will feel differently; that I will awake and my lungs will inflate and fill themselves with a brisk air of renewed optimism. That when I roam down the residential Sunday streets, counting the houses in placid rows, I will once again see an empire rather then a crumbling dream. I'm hoping the next time I'm greeted by a friendly face I won't see the obvious underlying resentment or ingenuousness behind their smile. I'm hoping that the next time I'm given a sociable hug it will feel more like a gesture of sincere affection and less like a popular formality. I'm hoping that when I watch a child swirl in the dirt with their naked feet I won't see the inhibited, withdrawn adult that is growing in their shadow. I'm hoping. I'm hoping today for more hope tomorrow, which I know sounds so cliche but it's really the only optimistic, positive statement I can muster for now....

*The title of this blog was inspired by the song 'Soul Spark Revival' written by Kevin Howley

CAMARADERIE

2009-11-08T14:47:00.000-08:00

With my beloved Peaches nestled in her Sleepy Pod and the murmur of the car engine humming like the inside of a pregnant belly, I am desperately struggling to stay awake as me and Kevin make our way home to Toronto after a triumphant show in Sarnia. It's been over a week since my last blog so I am desperate not to doze off, leaving only an encrusted stream of drool across my shoulder to show for what could have been a productive 3 hour drive. Besides, I have lots to write (or rather gripe) about this week.

Camaraderie. Goodwill and lighthearted rapport among people that share a common bond. In this particular case I am talking about camaraderie, or lack thereof, amoungst musicians, most specifically, bands. (*Before continuing, let me first say that I have worked with and played with many wonderful bands and the following is generalized). It has recently been my experience that camaraderie may be a dying ideology within the music community (if it ever existed). I seem to be having a growing number of unpleasant encounters with bands that are FAR too competitive and ego-centric to share the stage or even a common space with 'rival' bands. Yes, it's perfectly natural to be competitive, after all the odds of success in the music business are fierce and in order to rise to the surface you gotta be better then your challenger, however, a shitty, cut throat attitude is NOT the best defense and quite frankly may be your worst enemy. The music business is cut throat enough among the corporate hounds; we should be coming together, looking up at the stars from the trenches TOGETHER and sharing the burden of the struggle. Mi casa es su casa! In an independent world where bands can no longer count on agents or promoters, we need to rely on each other to organize and campaign our own shows. Every headliner needs an opener or two; every opener needs a solid headliner with a strong show and a following. This model isn't changing! One band shows are delusional...even at the highest level. If you get an opportunity to play with a great band with a solid following, it is most certainly not in your best interest to insult or mock them as they perform in front of fans (who, BTW, are the exact same people that watched your show earlier and are still deciding whether or not your worth investing in). As well, it's not in the headliners best interest to taunt an opener, cause life can be funny and one day you might just find yourself looking at a billboard with their faces on it. 'The people you meet on the way up are the same people you will meet on the way down'. Therefore, in your glory, if you are mean-spirited to your fellow colleagues then certainly don't depend on their help when you find yourself face down in the gutter.

If I sound a little raddled then I apologize, it is just that I make a very conscious, sincere effort to thank and appreciate every single band I have ever had the privilege to share a stage with, at any level, and it pains me when the courteous is not only NOT returned but has been replaced with obstinance.

In closing, I want to say that there most definitely has been bands that I've played with that are not only exceptional musicians but exceptional people, 'The Joys' stick out as one. I want to say 'Thank You.' 'Thank You' when we were the under dog for giving us an opportunity and 'Thank You' for your kind spirit. As I mentioned above this particular blog entry generalizes, however, there are many exceptions. To those exceptions, I say 'Thank you, thank you, thank you, and I would consider it my honor to share the stage with you any time'. <3

BEAT THE WORLD

2009-10-29T16:52:00.000-07:00

*The following was initially handwritten in between the confined empty spaces of a '24 Hour' newspaper.

Far away from the warmth and comfort of my room, my Snuggle Bean, my Peach and the convenience of a computer keyboard, I am now 5 hours in to what is expected to be a 13 hour shift on the set of a dance movie titled 'Beat the World'. The set? A gutted, abandoned warehouse I grimly imagine as once being the unfortunate scene of a plutonium spill. The ceiling tiles are fat and bloated with contaminated air. The wasteland of violently draped pipes and wires remind me of images I've seen on TV of the tortured bowels of the sunken Titanic. The cameras are pointed central toward a strategically, dimly lit stage that is shrouded in a spooky, 'Thriller-esque' mist. The scene? A world wide dance competition featuring the best hip hop dance crews from around the globe. My role? One of 500 screaming/adoring fans standing in a huddle held together by orange pylons and a barricade of 'security'. The temperature that started at a bearable chill has now gotten uncomfortable and I desperately want to go home. What am I doing in this God forsaken situation? Guaranteeing my survival for another month (paying the Universe it's dues?). Yes I am an 'extra'. Hollywood wallflower. But don't feel sorry for me, matters could be worse. Aside from the cold this job is total bananas!

ANYWAY, side-tracked as usual.

Last weekend the band played our first show in London in almost 2 years at a place called the London Music Hall Lounge (not to be confused with the London Music Club). For those that were there and have seen us in the past, the show may not have been particularly memorable or impressive. For one, as the only pop act of the evening, we were awkwardly sandwiched between 3 male fronted punky/rock bands. The show was open to all ages and the mix of literally, 'all ages,' created a vibe that I can only describe as unique. Also, the quality of the sound was slightly compromised as changeover was quick and hurried. BUT, all that aside, it may well just have been my favorite show of the year! Surprised? Even as an adequate writer I cannot fairly describe the exhilaration I feel as a performer when the audience unites as one in a shared moment and connects with me on a sentimental level. 'These are the moments I wait for all my life'. This particular show marks the first time that I could actually, PHYSICALLY feel the genuine out-pour of emotion bleeding from the audience. My body shuddered in waves of excitement! (I am cautious in using the 'O' word but it may have to do as the most accurate description that I can currently think of). Honestly, the ambiance of my surroundings were totally inconsequential; I could have been performing in a shoebox.

In these fleeting moments the audience feels close; as close to a family as any I've ever had. I am overcome by a sense of security and comfort; my inner most thoughts and fears safely protected in their hearts. In retrospect, I confess I sometimes feel a sense of guilt in taking so much pleasure and offering only a song in return. I can't rightly put my finger on the circumstances that made the audience at this particular show so warm and wonderful, but it was truly awesome!

'Things are not always what they seem'. As the front woman of a rock band I may 'seem' to be the star and the focus, however, without an audience to guide me and lift me up I am really, simply just an empty vehicle; a voice without direction. SO today's blog is really about showing my gratitude. To the audience in London and ALL audiences I have ever had the honor of baring my soul to, thank you for letting me in, thank you for letting yourselves out, thank you for entertaining my obsessions! Big Kiss!

If only life had an operators manual......

2009-10-20T20:18:00.000-07:00

If only life had an operators manual......

I've been staring strenuously at my computer keyboard for approximately 20 minutes. The markings of both sadness and creative frustration carved into my forehead like an uncoordinated map line. Words have escaped my mind. 'Escaped?'. This expression suddenly strikes me as funny. I envision 'words' crawling, face down through the tunnel of my ear drum, dressed in orange jumpsuits and clutching onto lassos. 'Porcelain' and 'Chestnut' bolt to Vancouver in search of Margaret Atwood, 'nothing, ' 'to,' and 'say' are apprehended and placed back into my custody. Ah, my brain; the Alcatraz for expressionless vocabulary.

I'm stalling.

Yes. If only life had an operating manual. A simply written, user-friendly handbook. Today I would turn to the page that explains how to work peacefully and amicably with my partner slash 'partner' (*refer back to page 1 '10 Simple Rules of Life'. Rule #8 'NICK-AY-ON BUSINESS ROMANCE-AY'). I kid. God love my sweet-heart, he's truly the best and I regret nothing. BUT it is extremely challenging at times ('times' being this evening at 1 am) to find the balance between work relationship and intimate relationship. The business of music is constant; one long infinite day that ingests every thought, every decision, every movement, every hour, every second. Under normal circumstances, an intimate relationship is a pleasant, necessary distraction from this absurdity, however, in my case, (in 'our' case), the artistic neurosis is shared. Sharing not SIMILAR goals and ambitions, but rather EXACTLY the SAME goals and ambitions. No sturdy, grounded hand to slap us in our mad faces or take us out to dinner, talk of the weather, talk of ANYTHING but music. No temporary releases or distractions from the stresses of a shared career. So yes, sometimes it gets a little hot in the kitchen and 'Head Chef #1' and 'Head Chef #2' (I'll let you decide which is which) have a 'bit of a go' at each other. Surprisingly, not as often as one might presume, but it does happen and so, it is at these moments that I need that GOD DAMNED MANUAL!!! Because, to be completely honest, rather then sitting here with you writing my 'Dear Diary,' I'd REALLY like to be snuggled beside my sweetie half-way to sleepy town. BUT instead (because neither of us possess the life skills or maturity to be rational) I have to wait 8-12 hours for time to resolve the issue; spend the night 'proudly' sulking with my torso edging the furthest side of the bed HOPING he might sleepily drape his arm over me in the middle of the night so I can 'accept' this gesture as an apology so I can then move back into my usual, nightly, 'little spoon' position. HA! Sound familiar anyone?

Anyway, it is getting to be that hour and I should really brush my teeth and just get on with my sulking. Nothing really said or accomplished this blog around, though I feel A LOT clearer then I did when I initially sat down (2 hours ago!). Let me conclude by saying that I am happy. My life is not perfect but 'perfect' is not life. I accept the ebbs and the flows as motions necessary in bringing balance and intrigue to my life. As for you, my lovely, you are a horses ass (that expression looks much funnier in print then it sounded in my head) but I love you, as usual.

An Empire Build to Last

2009-10-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

The truth is I am simply no longer motivated to become 'first fiddle' band extraordinaire. It's not that I have been disheartened by the overwhelming obstacles or shaken by the gold miners who want to reduce music to transparent garbage for the sake of profit margins. It's not that my ambitions have changed or I have 'grown out' of some silly childhood fantasy. No. Music continues to be the vision. However, well away from 'Wimbley Stadium' and well away from '15 minutes', in an old rented band house in Toronto, Ontario, I've concluded that perhaps my empire is not made of gold, but rather, pencil stubs and paper napkins. Valcrow and XLR's. Rhymers and pop screens. 8pm blogs and 11am rehearsals in an unfinished, asbestos infested basement. Perhaps my empire is not what's to come but what is already here. An empire created from the purity and honesty of music. Music is, afterall, what I love, what gives me hope and satisfaction. Music is what excites me, challanges me and awakens me. Quite honestly, my attempts to reach the highest rung in order for my music to be validated has been a total buzz kill. Standing on a gigantic, stinky empire of corporate exploits shouting, 'I'm the king of the castle' is no longer a compelling dream. SO I am refocusing my energy back to music. My success will build as it is meant to; one rehearsal at a time, one show at a time, one fan at a time, maybe one blog at a time. Whatever the pace, I know that if I ever thrust that victory flag into the illuminated soil, my foundation will hold steady as a rock because it will be built on the strength of peserverance, hard work and MUSIC. An empire build to last! I think that was the dream all along.

God of Carnage

2009-10-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

Whatever it was that was done to you
Maybe the day of the school fair
When you came home tugging on a paper mache dinosaur
And dad, who ought to have his hands clasped in praise
Asked you why love never lasted
Then blamed your mother for not knowing how to make fire
Whatever it was
You oughta take a pill
And deprive your heart of its 'entitlement' to pain
Stop contaminating every space with your unresolved issues
And intolerance of happiness
and your indifference to love
You weren't the favorite child
What else can I say?

You're like a wax figurine
Fixed in the posture of the last time you felt nothing
Outside the window they are building a house
I see a two story high, Victorian style detached dwelling
You see a crumbling dream

What the blog do I know!!??

2009-04-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

Ok. So imagine me sitting here, crosslegged on a gray, moth-eaten swivel chair, in my one window Toronto basement apartment, surrounded by mismatched hand me down furnishings, beige Berber carpet that has suffered as many spills as Dave on rollerblades, enough gear to buy a one way ticket to the moon and blankly staring at my computer screen with the kind of tortured eyes you might see on an expecting father trying to assemble a baby crib from IKEA. My computer skills are only marginally better then those of my cooking, which is why, until now, I've avoided such 'intricacies' as widgets, links, gadgets, doohickies, forums and yes, blogs. So today is a special day for me as a burgeoning computer connoisseur and cyber-social butterfly. Yes, I'm popping my 'blog' cherry. I had been trying to repress the irresitable urge to fight the growing age of cyber communications, being the 'old soul' and out of touch, stubborn fart that I am, however, I've since come to embrace the possibilities and simply couldn't pass up on the opportunity to yak senselessly about senselessness and ofcourse, shamelessly self-promote my fabulous band.

Band Updates. Fans should expect our very first newsletter within the next couple of weeks so I won't 'prematurely ejaculate' by sharing our sensational news just yet, however, as you can see, we are finally trying to get our web shit together; blogsite, website, Facebook, youtube, mailing lists etc etc etc . (Which, as I mentioned, is not my forte in the least). We are currently sketching logos (as though we all have marketing degrees), sifting through fonts and templates, as well as trying to telepathically hear the communal thoughts of all the 'cool, young' hipsters who might one day buy our music (if only we have the right t-shirts!). As you can imagine, the process is slow moving. Anyway, more to follow. This is Scarlett from Running Red Lights (shit, maybe I should have started with that), signing off until next time. Mucho Love.........

Septembo

2008-09-03T22:08:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. This is Dave just wishing you a happy start to September. We've just recently revamped our Myspace page so be sure to check it out! We are back in the studio around the 7th to finish up keys, guitar, and background vocals on our upcoming release which should be due out sometime this fall.

I just started this blog..so I guess this first post we have christen it: *Andy pulls out and pisses all over the computer screen*

later folks,

dave