latest mailing list update

Since I don't send out e-mails to my mailing list more then 3-4 times a year, I thought I'd share this one with the blog viewership. In Denver today. riding out the home stretch of the Fall tour. I've been very busy since middle August and am looking forward to a little consistency with where I sleep, starting late next week and on through the holidays, when being home matters most.

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Hello and Happy Autumn! You might forget about me, since I don't send out that many updates throughout the year. But as the year winds down, so do the remaining HighMay performances. I'm in the home stretch of solo shows for the next 2 weeks (in Wichita, Denver, Boulder, Wyoming), and I have one final, big HighMay full band engagement back in Detroit on December 30th.

INTRO
I just took some time to sift through all of my old e-mail list signup pages, and make sure that I've added a lot of the new sign-ups for this Fall. Hopefully I typed in all of the e-mails correctly. A lot of times, the hand-writing is too messy, what can you do? I just want to "WELCOME!" the new sign-ups, and give everyone a big thank you for supporting HighMay music as I don't actually force people to sign up on my e-mail list. Sometimes I'll just write someone (another artist/musician) a personal, individual e-mail, and not only will they NOT respond to my e-mail, but they will just add me to their e-mail list automatically. I think this is rude, and I only enter the e-mails in my system of people who write their own names down at shows. As always, you can reply to this e-mail with "unsubscribe" in the subject line and I can remove you, especially if you don't remember ever signing up in the first place... maybe my music put you into a trance and you blacked out and signed up in haste... it happens, and no one here is judging you.

ALBUM NEWS
In actual news, I wanted to mention that, upon my return back to Detroit after these shows coming up, I will be swiftly attempting to record the final couple of tracks for the album (yes, the same album I have been talking about since 2009 - yup, that one). I can't wait to finish - not only because of my enthusiasm for creating quality music - but just because of the long time it's taken to fine tune this collection of songs with full band arrangements and the producers of course. This is my first ever album recorded under the guidance of producers (and damn-well qualified ones at that) - and it shows. As soon as this album is done, I plan to launch it for free streaming on bandcamp.com. You all will be the first that I notify. So right around the new year, be on the lookout.

WANT TO HELP DECIDE ON NEW MERCH ITEM(S) ??
I'd like to get a little bit of feedback from anyone who is interested (if you love throwing your two cents in, even when NOT asked, this one is for you!). I would like to develop my merchandise a bit. For years (since 2002-2003 is when I started out - do the math people), I have only had modest merch offerings. No t-shirts, no hats, underwear - nothing cool like that. Although there are still some chaptsticks, and frisbees laying around in someone's garage/storage... If anyone has any input as to a specific item (not so much a design, but just what item would be cool to design/develop) to sell, that would be great. I got an idea from a girl at SUNY-Canton one time... she liked the line in one of my songs 21st Birthday, "I ain't got many leaves left on my tree." So I thought that might be a cool quote to put on a poster/hat/tee, something... So if you have an idea, just shoot it over to me at jjatto@gmail.com and I'll try to compile some ideas. Thanks!

REMAINING SHOWS - 2011
Tuesday, November 8th - Riverside Perk - Wichita, KS (800PM)
Wednesday, November 9th - Wichita State Unviersity - Wichita, KS (1100AM-12:30PM)
(AM) Thursday, November 10th - Metro College of Denver (downtown) - (1100AM-1PM)
(PM) Thursday, November 10th - Lion's Lair - Denver, CO - (900PM)
Friday, November 11th - Laughing Goat - Boulder, CO - (800PM-900PM)
Tuesday, November 15th - Northwest College - Powell, WY

*(Potential) Album Release Concert (HighMay FULL BAND - Plugged in)
Friday, December 30th, 2011 - Pike Room - inside Crofoot (Pontiac, MI)
Advance tickets can be purchase through HighMay directly ($6) or online at http://www.thecrofoot.com/events/1690.html

OUTRO
Well it's been a really great year in terms of shows. There have been some great ones, and of course the occasional bust. As I did secure quite a few shows this year, I must admit that after about 9 years of cracking the touring whip, it has been something that I am realizing may have to come to an end eventually. I love touring and performing and driving, and filling my cooler with ice, and gas station cappucino (don't worry, I don't drink THAT many). Alas, I have rolled over 31 years in age, and as much as I love spending my hard-earned money on gasoline and bags of ice, and water, and way more oil changes, and tire rotations than anyone should ever have to provide, I think that, about a year from now, I will have to tone it down with the touring unless something breaks. The level that I have been touring with, in terms of mostly exposure and budgets has been quite a struggle at times, and the struggle has been pretty consistent itself. I am currently really amping up my energy on putting together as massive of a tour schedule as possible for late Winter and into Spring 2012. Come Summer, however, and the subsequent Fall, I will definitely have to focus more on the Detroit area/midwest performing and try to establish some stability on a personal level. A lot of times with performers, you only think of them as having the entertainment facet of their lives, but everyone has a personal life, and people like me are fortunate enough to have amazing families, and great friends, which I often times miss out on. It's not about the missing out, it's about missing out on a great occurrence in lieu of a show that might not have been worth it in the long run. Obviously it's not a money thing. I have never played music with the intention of making a bunch of money, and if the past 9 years has been any indication, I definitely would have toned it down a long time ago, because I have never made money touring, only spent it - which I have been happy to do. Now, looking back at almost 10 years since I graduated college and started this journey, I am wondering if I am behind a bit in the game of life. I don't regret any of it, and the reason I can come to this realization now is that I have given it such a run the past 8-9 years, that I feel I have really fought the good fight to the best of my abilities, with essentially minimal-to-no help of any kind. I have been booking, writing, performing, producing, managing, promoting this musical project on my own since inception, and just can't justify continuing on with these results. I need to sustain a personal life at home, in Michigan, and shift my priorities a bit in the future (the next 6-8 months).

Again, I will be putting forth all I can muster in terms of booking a steady and massive Winter/Spring schedule. So I hope to meet more people like you all along the way, and provide you all (and everyone else in the world) with a great album. So it sounds like a conclusion of sorts, and we'll have to just see how life plays out. But the point here is, thanks for signing up on the e-mail list, because just a little scribble with a pen has been enough for me to always say "I guess I should keep touring, because someone out there is interested." Believe me, I know how to take a hint, and if my first ever tour (in Fall of 2002) was a disaster, I might not have tried another, ever. But someone in Oklahoma, or Winona (MN), or Massachusetts, or Virginia was digging it at some point and always kept me motivated to continue and keep trying. I am still highly motivated musically, with the orchestration of the new HighMay full band this year, and some rockin' shows. I just will have to focus on rocking out the band closer to home...

-James (HighMay)
Off The Records