At the very last minute...

... Easy Way Out was tapped to support headliners Ill Scarlet at an awesome club called the Foundation. Saying yes to such a request is certainly a simple task, however, executing a plan to follow through and actually make it to the gig can be a long and arduous experience. Especially when the show is way the hell up in Barrie, On.

Before I get into this tale of epic adventure, 2 things should be noted. A) this is going to be a long post, so you you may want hit "Print Screen" and take this into the crapper B) playing at the Foundation in Barrie, On. at 8:00pm on Thursday November 29, 2007 was one of the most electric experiences Easy Way Out has ever had the opportunity to be a part of. Thank you to our Barrie audience for making EWO feel so welcome and for making damn sure that we get invited back to play again soon. Cheers.

Back to the story already in progress...
So, sleepy eyed and surely recently relieved, drummer Mark Cesario checked the EWO MySpace account as he does every morning over a decadent bowl of Count Chocula. An email had been sent out from Panda Productions to a number of bands regarding a tremendous opportunity to fill in for a band that dropped out of an Ill Scarlet show. Cesario moved without hesitation, in fact the last sentence from the email hadn't even been read yet by the time he was dialing guitarist Mauro Cecchi... from there the ball of communication began rolling like a 280lb greased up ball bearing heading down hill on a clear patch of asphalt.

Within a half hour all of the members of EWO were on board. But, Murphy, that son of a bitch, decided to practice his stupid law for chumps and contact his next door neighbour, Dr.Obstacle, who felt the need to check in on our situation and mix things up a little.

Prognosis: one guitar in the shop (not such a big deal, we'll get you a loaner) and one set of FUBAR brakes (potentially life threatening, you probably shouldn't go anywhere today)

... uh thanks Doc but you can go to hell, we decided to get a second opinion from Sinsei Success, who told us "he who stand still, never go anywhere" .... what? So since we didn't understand any of that either EWO just said f**k it, we'll get there if it kills us.

Mark and Andrew, each traveling from different directions, went up on their own. Mauro went to pick up Jay in Markham and they both headed to Woodbridge where Reef was patiently waiting. This is where a vehicle switch would be made and all three would head up together in Reef's reliable truck. Dr.Obstacle was back again... this time with help from GridLoc, the Norse god of bumper to bumper traffic. Mauro and Jay were blocked in every direction. Then it began to set in; that same dark dampening feeling of futility a child feels when he realizes that the Easter Bunny ain't real, the Tooth fairy's a sham and that Santa is just uncle Chester liquored up on holiday eggnog sporting a red suit and white beard. In one graceful turn of the head, Mauro looked at Jay and uttered in a Stallone-Esq tone: We're takin' this shitbox to Barrie. Mauro called Reef, told him to "go on without us". Mauro pulled onto the shoulder of the 407, took it to the Bathurst exit and began traveling north.

Tracking the back roads until they were well ahead of the 400 traffic and maintaining a combative attitude towards the elements, Mauro and Jay finally rejoined the rest of EWO unscathed and reasonably unshaken. This would be the last trip Mauro's car ever made. Once we got home at the end of the night, it would no longer go into reverse and a few days later.... it died. May it rest in peace.

Sound check went well though...

... and the show... well that's a post for another day. Just getting there is an exhausting tale to recount.

The Dreaded Temper

Originally this Blog entry was going to be about Shoeless Mondays and it's benefits to the arduous road that indie bands travel... but through some miscommunication, Easy Way Out are not going to be playing Shoeless Mondays in December anymore. But we will be playing it in the new year, the post will happen, so watch for it.

No, instead, I've decided to blog about a plague on Indie bands the world over.

THE DREADED TEMPER!

We all have a boiling point, we all have that little devil sitting on our shoulder whispering little words of destruction whenever we are annoyed or frustrated...

...it yammers on and pulls at your medulla oblongata. Cutting away at the limited grip you have on happiness and contentment until... SNAP!... you begin barking and tearing down those around you.

I am one of the worst offenders. I have a ridiculously short fuse that gets lit randomly and regularly. The control I have over my temper is only as strong as my willingness to keep it at bay. But lately, frustration is holding my control hostage.

Every Indie band struggles to make a name for themselves, to get their music heard and to climb the rock ladder to great heights of success. But every misstep and every stumble aches through your body causing so much nagging pain in your heart and soul that, sometimes, control over one's temper becomes so bruised and abused that the bearer of this pain lashes out at those around them.

Such behaviour can be an incredible burden and strain on the relationships within a band. Often resulting in firings, breakups or plain old fashioned fist-a-cuffs.

I am the luckiest of all front men/co-manager/co-bookers/graphic designers/publisists in the biz. My most recent decent into maniacal anger was met with band mates trying to understand my emotional tirade, attempting to help me rediscover some level of resolve and coaxing my good nature to emerge once again through positive words, threats of laughter and unconditional friendship. Not one member of EWO took anything that was said personally. My gratitude as I write this is an overflowing cup of strength rapidly replenishing my good nature.

Above all else EWO is a family. Brothers who understand each other and who, frequently, cut each other much needed slack. EWO trusts the hearts of each of it's members. No matter what gets said today, each member of the unified whole knows that tomorrow; things will be back to normal and all will be forgiven. I am thankful for this every day.

Next Blog, EWO... Playing a benefit for PeTA? Whaaaaaaaaa?

An Interview with... EWO Drummer Mark Cesario

Mark Cesario: Kick ass drummer, loyal friend and harbinger of groove.

Easy Way Out was a 3 piece instrumental group for a long time before forming the current line up in 2006. What we're the biggest challenges trying to make a go of it instrumentally?

Oh yes, the good old days (sigh)... I'm just kidding. For the record we never consciously made the decision to be an instrumental band. We had been looking for a singer ever since day 1 and had always wrote our songs with the intention of vocals being sung on top however we were never able to find anyone that we gelled with until Jay came along. We really just jammed as much as possible and tried to come up with cool stuff and ended up cutting an EP more for ourselves than anything. So I guess the biggest challenge with being an instrumental band was trying to find a singer that would compliment our sound.

George Reefah appeared on your first EP, how did that come about?

Being one of our good friends, Reefah, would come by the unit occasionally to get drunk and jam it out with us. It was awesome!!! We were all lovers of hip-hop and thought that it would be fun to incorporate a rock feel to it. Anytime an artist can work with another artist who brings talent and experience to the table it allows everyone to get better so it was only natural that we write a few tunes for the EP.

Well the new lineup certainly seems to be working out well for Easy Way Out. The EWO bio says that you and guitarist Mauro Cecchi we’re childhood friends. How did you two meet?

Definitely, the new line up is a powerhouse and has been great to work with. It was a long time coming but worth the wait. Mauro and I actually met in Junior kindergarten and we were good friends up until my parents decided to move out of the area when I was in grade 5. Turns out that I ended up meeting another friend of ours from that same elementary school again in high school so by chance I think I might have seen Mauro at a couple of parties over the years. It was not until Mauro was hit by a car and bed ridden, for like 6 months, that we started hanging out more. It's unfortunate but that's what happened. I had just started fooling around on the drums and had told him that when he got back out of his bed that we would jam together. I never knew he even played the guitar. So we started jamming it out just the 2 of us for fun.

But the Drums were not your first instrument were they?

Nope, I started with the saxophone when I was 10 and played it for a long time. I've been thinking of picking it up again.

What drew you to the drums?

I've always loved the drums. The fact that it acts as the glue in the band and that their sound has the immense power to make your body move is what drew me to them. There is nothing like the sound of a fat kick and a warm snare. Another thing that really drives me is the emotion that it can bring to a song. I feel that when I play with emotion I'm at my best. It's also a good way to let out some aggression too!

Weather it’s TV, live, radio or just walkin’ by some kid playin’ the buckets on the street, what is the first memory you have of drums?

My cousin used to play the drums and he had this really shitty kit that he had set up at his house. Every time I was over I always used to play the only beat I knew. DOO-DOO-DA-BOO-DA-BOO-DA-BOO-DA

Sounds like something Fred Flintstone would have played. On average, how many hours a week would you say you spend playing the drums?

40 or so, I try to play for at least an hour a day weather it be on the kit or just practicing rudiments on my practice pad but sometimes I'll play upwards of 5 hours plus on any given day. It's all about discipline, like going to the gym, you have to keep it up on a regular basis to see results.

What’s next for Easy Way Out?

We'll be releasing, what I consider, our debut album in January so keep an eye out for that. The album is called "Steal The Show". Currently we've been playing as much as possible, working on making our show one that will leave a lasting impression for everyone in the crowd. You never know who's out there listening. We also have been writing some new stuff to keep things fresh. We don't want to play the same songs all the time, it gets boring for us and our fans.


Next Blog: EWO finally get a spot on Shoeless Mondays, what the hell does that mean? And what doors could it potentially open for the indie stalwarts?

EWO Rock the Coq on Halloween

Ah Halloween... the only day of the year that EWO could possibly play for the late great Rick James ... of course no one thought to take a picture of the funk legend and pop culture stalwart, so we have absolutely no proof. But we know the truth and that's good enough.

October 31st proved to be one of the most exciting days of 2007 for EWO. The group finally popped their collective "away" cherry, by making the arduous 45min journey to Burlington, get dressed up as a psychotic group of doctors and play the Legendary Red Rooster.

Presented with a fantastic stage set up, friendly staff, a great engineer and the kind of audience you wish you could take home with you, Easy Way Out immediately realized how blessed they were to be aforded the oportunity to promote their original Rock/Hip Hop sound in such a positive environment.

Mike (an incredible sound engineer to say the least)

Somewhere around 11:00, EWO took the stage and opened the set with a new tune "See what I see". As soon as the final notes rang out the crowd scrambled for free demos and the Red Rooster management presented the band with shots of Jagermeister. EWO then barrelled through the rest of the short set with the energy of an atom split in two. "Beat Down" and "New Age" received their usual positive reaction, "Relyin' on Reef" and "High Life" took them to the next level and the new prog/hop apocalyptic epic called "Genocide" left the audience eyes wide and jaw agape. Not ten minutes after climbing down from the stage, EWO was approached to return as early as Saturday December 8th.

Burlington really taught us a lot about "away" shows. Great clubs and open minded people are everywhere so watch out Peterborough we're coming for you next.

Next Blog: the first in a series of articles titled "An interview with..."

Jay Flores-Holz

NEW SHOWS ADDED

Upcoming Shows:
The Horseshoe Tavern - Monday Dec 03, 2007
***NEW***
The Legendary Red Rooster - Saturday Dec 08, 2007
Indie Love Fest @ The Reverb - Sunday Feb 17, 2008

Radio, Radio... The sound salvation

Repeat after me: "I, (state your name), will liberate myself from the vertiginous tether of the status-quo also known as the mainstream machine!"

Although, should mainstream radio ever invite EWO to their very elite private party for Jerks, we would certainly be remiss of the above statement and decline ever having uttered such damning wordage... our hypocrisy knows no bounds.

That said, if you're tired of the repetition and the monotony of mainstream FM, you have far more choice than you may realize. College radio is a refreshing alternative, Satellite radio offers a wide variety of themed stations... but probably the most under rated form of radio listening is on the web. Specifically Indie web radio.

I know, I know... "the sound quality blows, the streaming is never smooth, my speakers suck!"... For the longest time I thought the very same things. But as father time keeps on keepin' on, the technology improves and new amazing organizations emerge to improve on a growing trend.

Enter indielove.ca
Indielove.ca plays straight through your iTunes (other methods are also available). The DJ's have personality plus and play really great Independent Canadian artists from coast to coast. As for sound quality, get off your ass and buy a pair of decent speakers from Futureshop for $40 and you'll be golden... you cheap bastard!

Yes, EWO is currently on their play list, and yes we need you to request the tunes as often as possible. But our admiration for Indielove.ca reaches far beyond the realm of shameless self promotion. I have found other acts I truly love - Ninja Highschool and Drowning Girl are just a couple of great examples. So get online, there's no sign up, there's no charges and no hassle.

Next blog - Spooky Burlington!

Jason Flores-Holz

The CD artwork incident

OK, so we all know that artwork is subjective. Everyone has a very different idea of what they find aesthetic, grabbing or cool. Same goes when a band is trying to hammer out a clear direction for their branding or look n' feel. Which, in turn, will usually stem from the album artwork.

I am a graphic designer and Illustrator... this is how I make my living. That is to say that I'm pretty positive I know what I'm doing when it comes to design. However, I work far more effectively when I design by hand first, scan the piece and use Photoshop to take the piece to the next level. Being an artist with a classical animation background, my work tends to lean towards the cartoon or comic spectrum of illustration. So, using those skills, I came up with a graphic that I felt truly reflected our look n' feel and kept our theme in mind...

... wait, let me back track here for a second. I want to elaborate on the theme of the album cover before we continue. Easy Way Out did easily agree on the title and theme... We wanted to create a positive message that proclaims our sense of pride in putting on such a powerful performance that makes any show we play - our show... regardless of who's headlining. This philosophy or rather "mantra" has really proven effective in helping us tap into that extra energy required to give you 200% every time we play a show. The phrase we chose to title the album is "Steal the Show".

That said, the first design, in my natural style totally conveyed this message... and, I felt, also provided a much needed sense of humour to our look n' feel. Here's the original album cover that will not be on the CDs you will be buying soon:


"It's too cartoon-ey"... "It's too kid-ish"... "we're not YTV muthaf***a!"... (sigh) the look and feel I was going for was now thrown out the window and so I was sent back to the drawing board with a highly detailed brief. "Not so cartoon-ey, but maybe like a tattoo,... oh and grimy... muthaf***a!"

I then sketched up a tattoo-like layout, classic tattoo banners, 2 crowbars for a frame...


...and the boys seemed to like the concept. Although after my reaction over the decision to nix my previous album cover, one has to wonder if they were just trying to avoid a repeat performance.

It was time to start realizing our vision of the new cover. The boys had more direction for me; "Make it look grimy!"... "Make it look sick!"... "Put our picture on it, we ain't humble muthaf***a!"

The album went through many revisions, multiple spell checks, last minute editing and 3 proofs, but it was all worth it. Here's a sneak peak of what the album looks like:


I wish I had a release date for you. But the lack thereof will hopefully drive your interest into a frenzied salivating urgent rush of rabid want or need. I can promise, that as soon as I know when the CD release party is... so will you.

Until next you read...

Jay Flores-Holz
EWO

Indie-Pendence Day has arrived...

"Fear makes us jump into things that aren't good for us. If you're convinced you need a label deal to survive as a musician, you probably won't have a career. People get abused when they enter into relationships out of desperation, both in romance and in business"

- Daylle Deanna Schwartz "I don't need a record deal"

Easy Way Out is an Indie Band. There's a statement... I wonder, though, if y'all know what that really means. Indie Band... in it's most basic form, it's a band that develops a serious career in music without the help of a major record label either by choice or because... that's just the way it is... for now.

Being Indie-pendent also means more control, integrity and self education. It also means struggle, hard work and determination.

Nowadays, an Indie band has far more resources at their finger tips than ever before. So creating a successful career using those resources is far more realistic than it has ever been.

Improved technology allows us to record inexpensively, connect with a potential world wide fan base and create a buzz that supersedes the street.

That said, Easy Way Out, are declaring our Indie-pendence! We are proud to be a part of such a thriving subculture in North America. That's not to say that if a development deal came our way we wouldn't seriously consider it. However, for Easy Way Out, for now, dreams of super stardom are fleeting and unrealistic. Lets face it, statistics show that you have a better chance at winning the lottery or getting struck by lightning than being offered a deal by the majors.

Ah yes... a career in music.... actually earning a living playing original music. It's right there in our reach and Easy Way Out is gonna pluck that career right out of the Rock stratosphere and hold it tight against our hips.

With that, dear reader, it is with humble regard that we request your support. We'll make a deal with you, we promise to bring you new songs and new sounds every time we play if you'll spread the word. Tell everyone you know about Easy Way Out, bring all your friends and family to the shows, buy the album and play it in your car when you're giving someone a lift (yes the album is finished an it's coming very soon), invite friends on Facebook to join our group... be our buzz! There is only 6 degrees of separation between us all and word can travel if you give that word some life.

Expect to see a big difference in Easy Way Out... a proud Indie-pendent EWO!

Jason

Welcome to the Official Easy Way Out Blog. Should you choose to subscribe, or even just visit regularly, you will be ingesting everything from important EWO news to completely random rantings and ravings. My name is Jay, I am by far the nerdiest member of EWO and therefore I will be your Blog Host bringing you a more intimate and personal portrayal of EWO and it's members and fans... as well as info about folks we share the stage with... venues we play... the struggle of musical independence and much much more. That said... Thank you for subscribing and we'll see you soon.

Jay Flores-Holz
Easy Way Out