"Chinese Hand Drum"

"Chinese Hand Drum"


You're the journey 

You're the dance

You're the song of a distance lands

And you call to me

Your laughter fills my heart

Like a kite in Bejing park

Waving to the earth

So I swing my arms like a Chinese hand drum

Beating the wind with love's great cadence

Singing so loud, I ain't got no breath left

And I dance so hard, I can't feel my feet

I'm a feather in the wind blowing to the east

Where the sun comes up, the sun comes out for me

You're the fire

You're the sea

You're the wisdom in my dreams

Will you sing to me?

Oh, come in waves

With soul and grace

Like a newborn summer

Then I'll swing my arms like a Chinese hand drum

Beating the wind with love's great cadence

Singing so loud, I ain't got no breath left

And I dance so hard, I can't feel my feet

I'm a feather in the wind blowing to the east

Where the sun comes up, the sun comes out for me

"Cincinnati"

"Cincinnati"

We're pioneers

With every hope and every fear

We're seven hills and seven years

Into finding one another here

The streets are lit, Over the Rhine,

We'll paint this town wedding dress white

Love and trust are revving cars

On the boulevard

We burn like the dawn 

We're vagabonds

Slowly drifting into one

To mend what came undone

To have, to hold, to love 

Rebuild our hopes and watch them grow

Towers tall, morning stars

Burning in our hearts

We'll light this town with the two of us

We burn like the dawn

Shedding skin

Shedding life

What could've been

All the while

Shedding skin

Shedding life

What could've been

Well, it was yours all the time

We burn like the dawn

**I think community revitalization is a really important part of being a human being; I think it is one of the ways we can bring heaven to earth.--Quinn

"Phoenix" and "Rebirth"

"Phoenix" is the first track of Rebirth and kind of serves as a bridge between the two projects (Death and Rebirth).  It's the only instrumental track of our concept record, and it's a combination of acoustic guitar and some very cool beats; it's the crescendo of a soul dying and living again.  Historically, the phoenix is a mythical crimson bird that lives from 500 to 1,000 years, and near the end of it's life, builds a nest, consumes itself in fire, and from the ashes is born anew to live again; a symbol of eternal life.  It is said that it's cry is one of the most beautiful songs ever heard.

Following "Phoenix" is "Rebirth"

"Rebirth"

Spin the dial

Time is on fire

Come eventide

In the kiln of life

Kerosene,

I got a bridge

You got a match for me?

Hurling soul

Jack knife into the depths of 

A renaissance

Bless this mess

With solluting guns

Never thought I'd see the day 

But the day is won

Rebirth is upon us

Rebirth us upon us

And start, stop

Start, stop

Start

And I come out swingin'

**Rebirth is never an easy process; in fact, it can often be excruciatingly painful and messy.  I imagine it to be like a kiln or even childbirth maybe. Obviously, I will never give birth to a being myself and could never understand that kind of physical pain, but I have certainly felt the "contractions" in my heart as I have died and been born again every day.  It's that starting and stopping and starting again that makes change a war inside for me.  I always feel like I come out swinging.--Quinn

"Black Woods, White Beach"

You get our live e.p. here:  http://afterlifeparade.bandcamp.com/

We've decided that periodically we're going to release the lyrics of each song on Rebirth right here as a teaser for what is to come starting with "Black Woods, White Beach" and then working back from track one on through.  We may even give you a little tidbit about the inspiration for each song.


Let it begin...

"Black Woods, White Beach"

Pain, past, quick sand

Eyes meet your hand

Never want to go back

Never want to go

Never want to

Black woods, white beach

Ship, mast, come sail east

Never want to go back

Never want to go

Never want to

Oh, Oh, Oh

Never have to go back

Never have to go 

Never have to

Oh, Oh, Oh

**Although lyrically cryptic, this song is an abstract story about healing.  I took a lot of the imagery from a favorite short story, "The Most Dangerous Game," and sort of put a different spin on it to communicate what it is like to get "stranded" in the past, to be rescued, and then to be given an invitation to a better or new future (the east).  I feel blessed more times than I can count, to have found myself in a dark place, to be set free by the truth, and then to sail away never to go back to that black wood.--Quinn

Afterlife Parade Live

Pregnant Pause

There is a quiet in the Afterlife Parade camp right now.  It is a confident sense of anticipation about the steps we are about to take.  We are, first of all, incredibly humbled by the overwhelmingly positive response we have received from people, blogs, and radio stations about Death.  I think I feel the most encouraged by how many people get what we are trying to do and are finding comfort in this last batch of songs; it is always neat to know what different people take away from listening.  Dialogue always tends to create a deeper understanding or at least, I think so anyway.  We very much believe in these songs, and we are proud to know that you do too.

Living with Death and letting it breath while we've been in the process of recording, mixing, packaging, and eventually releasing Rebirth has felt like a valley in a sense; I suppose it should.  We are living with the ultimate question of how well it will be received.  There is almost a sort of “death” in that.  We've created expectations or desires about our sound, and we certainly want to live up to those, and yet we want to make way for something new and unexpected too.  To me, Rebirth is not as much a departure as it is a progression in sound and a set up for the future.  Also, “I” has become “We” in this album cycle because Afterlife Parade is a band and will always be and “our” sound will change as members contribute over time.  That is so exciting to think about the sound of a band evolving!

We have been practicing and practicing, we have listened and listened again, and then practiced more to make sure we communicate the sound of these two projects to the fullest.  The summer will find us releasing a single (on June 8), playing a handful of dates, releasing a couple of live videos, practicing some more, releasing Rebirth (on August 8), and planning and playing a slew of dates in the fall (hopefully).  Thank you for embracing us and these songs—we are happy to share them with all of you.  We hope you'll join us in song as we grow and march together.

Cheers,

Quinn

P.S. Can't wait to introduce you to Tony Clucas, Drummer/Percussionist Extraordinaire! 

Video Shoot

We just a finished a video shoot that we are super excited to share with all of you.  We were pleased to work with the likes of David Ogle, Jeremy Stanley, and Jonathan Frasier on production and set designer Brandon Eller.  Stay posted for more details on the release.