dog days of summer

I am not going to lie. I can smell fall in the air and I have been wishing away these dog days of summer. I am not the kind of girl to not embrace the moment. But the sun has been beating down to the tune of 90 degrees here in Nashville and every time I feel a tiny breeze it makes me long for October. And today we are almost there. A little closer to labor day weekend and a little further from summertime. Leah and I have been working on our record, writing, recording and backwards and forwards again. I kind of sound like Willy Wonka! My childhood crush. (Who wouldn't wanna be the companion of a man who owned a candy factory!)

Anyway, back to Coldwater Jane. It has been amazing. I feel lucky. To get to work with Leah, who is this beautiful, honest, and extremely talented songwriter. She takes nothing that concerns making music with a grain of salt and everything wholeheartedly. Which is an amazing quality when it comes to being an artist. She has had many cuts, and yet has decided to be in a band with me. I am honored.

And Kevin and Wayne our producers and co writers are so extremely talented. They have taken every song to heart. And seriously crafted what we are doing sonically. Their list of credits is astonishing, and I feel grateful to have them take time out of their substantial careers to help begin ours. Our label has been amazing. I mean really amazing. We are the luckiest girls in Nashville. Truly.

Yet, here I am wishing away summer. I am so excited for you to hear this music. I hope I can post some on our myspace soon. Oh, we have a twitter and facebook set up now so if you have those please look us up. I will post links below. There are studio pics and video and whatnot on our facebook.

I guess that's it for now. It's Sunday, I just ate a giant turkey burger and quite frankly.. I need a nap!

Peace & Love,

Brandon Jane

twitter.com/coldwaterjane

facebook.com/coldwaterjane

myspace.com/coldwaterjanemusic

here.

I'm sorry it's been so long! When I tell you all that has been going on I am sure you will understand. In order to get there, I guess I should start here. When I was 13 years old I made an independent gospel record. I spent my teenage years in the family band, touring from church to church  in a van singing and playing. Tearing down and putting up a PA system, homeschooling and traveling for the pure joy of music & the dream of a record deal one day. As a kid I could tell you who played on each and every record and even who ran some of the labels. I love music, I even love the music business. I moved to Nashville when I was 17 and have spent the last 10 years of my life writing songs and playing music. I have played for too many labels to count, written with some incredible writers, and even been a sideperson of sorts. Been knocked down, gotten back up, been knocked down again. Always loving music. Always with the dream of getting a record deal. The last time I picked myself back up was over a year ago. My sister and I decided to start a band out of the sheer joy of playing together. Kind of like when we were kids. I have talked about "Coldwater Jane" in this blog. It has been such a pleasure creating this music with her.

14 years ago I became an artist. 

Two months ago I got a record deal !!!!

Coldwater Jane signed to Universal Records in May and we are thrilled! Our record is supposed to be out sometime next year. We have been writing and recording and working nonstop. I look forward to keeping you abreast of everything going on. But more than that to encourage you, do what you love and don't give up. I know it sounds cliche' but I am living breathing proof dreams really do come true. We have a long way to go. But no matter what happens in the future, or all the heartache of the past. It was worth it!

Happy to be here.

Brandon Jane

 

baby birds on tax day

There is a baby bird in a nest outside our window!!! It's mamma has built it's home in the red Christmas wreath I refuse to take down on the other side of our front door. It has been so cool to watch this little blue egg turn into a bird, and my goodness birds grow FAST!!!! Although, there was a brother or a sister yesterday and I don't see him/her today... hmmm... I hope the big one is just sitting on the little one!

I adore spring. I love new beginnings and I love that without winter, spring really wouldn't mean the same thing. I certainly wouldn't appreciate it as much. I think people are kinda like the earth. We recreate ourselves and thank God, quite literally, we live in a world of second chances. Within reason I guess!!!! If you don't pay your taxes you may not get too many second chances. 

I like how an accountant I met recently put "tax time". It is our chance to be grateful for the right to free speech, nice highways, relatively good police protection and freedom to worship whomever or whatever we please. All made possible by our tax money & Uncle Sam.

As a self employed musician married to another self employed musician tax time is a ROYAL pain in the butt but today I am trying, to be thankful. And keep checking on the baby bird and hoping the big one did not sit on the little one for too long!!!!

Happy Tax Day.

Brandon

Coldwater Jane

I'm listening to Joni Mitchell sing "Chelsea Morning" and can't help but wonder, is this about Chelsea in NYC or about a girl named Chelsea. Either way, it's nice.

I have been working .... relentlessly over the last say... 6 months, since September... on a record, at least the first half, with my sister Leah Crutchfield. Our band is called "Coldwater Jane". Which came from my husband and I driving over Coldwater Canyon in Los Angeles and my middle name, which also happens to be my mom's middle name as well as my great great grandmother Martha Jane, who, according to family legend was pretty close to a saint. We wanted something that sounded like all the 70's music we love so much!!!

We have written 5 songs with Wayne Kirkpatrick and Kevin Kadish, that have tried to chisel out the core of what two 20 something sisters are. And I hope they come across as honestly as they were felt when we wrote them. We started tracking back in October and Wayne & Kevin have co-produced the most perfect front half of a record Leah & I could've imagined. 

So now the songwriting, at least momentarily, is done.. and the recording, the overdubs, the vocals have been sang and sung and comped. I sit here awaiting the final mixes which I heard yesterday at the studio, and they sound beautiful. I am so proud and really elated. We have worked so hard, and put so much heart into this and I can't wait for people to hear it. Don't get me wrong I am terrified as well. It's like sending your baby to kindergarten. Not that I know what it's like, but every time I finish new music I imagine that this is as close to what that must feel like as I can personally relate to.

I will be posting it on our myspace in the coming week!!!

I read a book about a year ago, "Cure for the Common Life"... and the author said find something that really brings you joy, so much happiness it doesn't feel like work.  And this does.  Say a prayer for Coldwater Jane!!!!

brandon jane

Waking up to Love

Hello Friends on this frigid January Morning... 

There is an awesome song that just came out yesterday Kevin (my other half) wrote with our dear friend Shanna Crooks & Trevor Rosen that is being featured in the new Johnson & Johnson Clean & Clear Commercial called "Wakin up to Love". Totally Worth the 99 cents and going to I Tunes to download. I think it is featured on the pop music page as well.

So, support emerging artists and spend a buck on some good music.

Much Love & Stay Warm,

Brandon Jane

,

Panasonic, may she rest in Peace.

This won't be long... Just thought I would say....My television just went out. Our beautiful, big, panasonic Christmas present is officially toast, for reasons unknown. Other than the fact that it just decided to go to TV heaven and make us miss the newest episode of "Lost" I am wondering what is I am loosing. Maybe I will have a conversation with a human being after 7 pm now and not just sit on the couch sending people to voicemail while being so caught up in my "stories" I refuse to talk to any living breathing person. Am I alone? Am I the only one who gets caught up in the 20 degree weather with a love affair with the television? 

So, all 40 something inches of plasma reality... rest in peace Panasonic. Rest in Peace.

(Let's hope that warranty I bought is still valid?!)

:)

Brandon Jane

A pep talk for me

Stress. January. The cold. The economy, the people loosing their jobs. Is January driving you as crazy as it is me. If I have to hear another conversation, another news report, another person say we are "On the verge of another Great Depression" I am gonna scream!!!!!! 

Maybe it is bad. Maybe we are in a recession. Ok, we are. But... you know...maybe we are on the verge of a new beginning too. At the end of something that was fat, and arrogant, and over the top, and on a credit card none of us could afford. Maybe we are at the dawn of innovation. And cars with better gas mileage, and people who live within their means. Maybe this isn't the end of the world as we all know it.  Maybe it's the beginning of something better.

So, instead of the winter blues stifling my creative spirit. Making me wanna sit on the couch and facebook all day long...I'm gonna change my thinking a little. Cause like Bob Dylan said "The times they are a changing". There is a season for everything. And don't forget ...... it may be darkest before the dawn, but after the winter.... comes the spring!!!

Keep your chin up.

Much Love and much better music in the interim.

Brandon Jane

Listening to:

Simon & Garfunkel

Concert in Central Park