Hey interweb, it’s been awhile.

I’ve been spending a lot of time recording the new Phony Bone EP, called Big Ideas. We’re heading out on tour on September 7th for about 10 days. We’ll be playing 8 times! I’m really looking forward to it. We’ve been working with a bonafide producer on the new EP and as a result, it’s sounding really professional. I can’t wait for you all to hear it.

Songs (for those who have been to shows):
- Modern Day Tragedy [a revised version from the one that’s been playing on radio]
- Library Blues [there’s acoustic guitars afoot]
- Wake Up [a song that until now was a solo acoustic song]
- Confident Man [dance like an african]
- Guarantees

Confident Man is basically the oldest song we’re recording. It’s a really mature record, which is simultaneously heartening and worrying. I’m glad that we’ve come a short ways, but at the same time I still love those two minute pop hits, with the straight-ahead driving eighth note playing. I think for the album we’ll have a really well-rounded depiction of the band as a whole.

I’ve been really getting down with the new Les Savy Fav record, but I think it’s pretty hard to eclipse Inches. That is one damn fun record. Also Future of the Left, the new one from the dude in McLusky. Lots of hard rockin’ is going down in the Frank household.

In other news, some prick wants to build 9 houses next to our house, so we might be forced to move or be doomed to a plummeting house price. I want to do horrible things to that man. Unspeakable horrors.

I’ve also moved forward on the new webcomic I’m working on with Mr. Ned. I’ve written the first week of comics, with the target being 5 times a week. This is fairly daunting for a guy who isn’t exactly rad at putting out one comic a week (Though at my productive peak I was churning out three pages a week while doing a Masters). It’s written pretty differently for the moment.

Combustible Orange was really a picture of where I was a few years ago (a fairly self-aware one), maybe this one is about where I’m at now. I really want to continue with Combustible Orange as soon as Becky is able. I haven’t worked out what to do in the meantime, because we may not get it running again until next year.

Anyway, that is where I am at. Becky gets back to NZ in December!