Masters of a New Sound

So Insomnia strikes again…who woulda guessed?

February was an insane month, mainly because I spent EVERY weekend doing the tracking for our new self-produced, full length album. For those of you who do not know, that means I wrote, edited, re-wrote, performed, said “nah, that aint good enough, i can do it better” then repeated that process in the studio. There are a lot of people who call themselves “producers” or especially say “Im a music producer” but dont know the first damn thing about engineering, songwriting, or how to make a coherent song or even how to play an instrument with enough precision to get one good take, let alone double it. I am not one of those people. Through all of my education (3 years) and every documentary I have watched on recording famous albums, the one thing that stood great musicians above the rest were their ability to operate in the studio and create results! So, because i’m the only one who can toot my own horn, I feel its my duty to tell you that over 6, 13 hour recording sessions (sometimes 15 hours) , tracking each instruments parts over one whole day was an experience in itself. Of course, the band, Kaspars Grinbergs, Alex Diaz and Dominic Mcfadden all knocked their parts out of this world, and made the album what it will be, which is, I assure you, nothing short of fucking fantastic. of course, this album would not have been possible if not for these substances which helped us do what we needed to do: Marijuana, Beer, coffee, Arnold palmers, honey, Fried Chicken, breakfast burritos, Asian food, The Double western burger and water. So i would like to thank those things, because im a realist, god damn it. (If you get the irony say hey-oh!!)

So now we are in the mixing stage, which we will start this Sunday. Its amazingly exciting, and I cant wait to start getting these songs out in the world. I think of all the people at SxSW right now and honestly I pity them. I wouldnt rather be anywhere else, or doing anything else than what I’m slowly working towards everything else. This album is gonna be the shit. Of course, talking about music is like dancing about politics, so i will shut the fuck up and let it do the talking when it comes out.

Through all of the successes and accomplishments of getting the album to where it is now, the band has also taken a few hits. I am still working out some promotional bugs, im having to read a ton of books on marketing and promotions and then apply them to the current industry for rock music, which is in shambles, by the way. I feel like its similar to walking thru an abandoned warehouse looking for zombies: you never know when you will find someone and when and if you do, its kinda scary, a little bloody and it shows you what you are made of. Also, bad news; Dominic is going back home to Minnesota, and Alex is leaving the country for an undetermined amount of time. He’s traveling the world, with plans to end up in Thailand. Cant say that I blame him. The exchange rate is mind-boggling and the fun never ends. But it really couldn’t have been a worse time, because now I have to replace the entire rhythm section of the band. Kaspars and I can still do shows just the two of us, but to get the full effect of the vision we need to have a full band. So now its back to the drawing board for band members, but the album can still front the promotions, so we’re not entirely dead in the water. For that, I’m thankful. But even if everybody left, I’d still carry on. No question in my mind. it would just make me more mobile to not have a band to think of on a tour!

New material is starting to fester up, ive got some great ideas to make people think in songs, and also im organizing my ideas for film scripts as well. I’ve been taking acting classes and its been expanding my mind and encouraging me that I still am above the majority of people around my age in integrity, creativity and ingenuity. My ego is showing, but damn it it never does anywhere else, and seriously, all you people latch onto is retards with big egos who honestly have NOTHING to back it up. I, on the other hand, have done more things than most generations have, i’ve experienced more of this world than most people will ever be able to, learned more than most scholars do in Ivy League institutions. But I know ive still got more to learn, because you never stop learning. enough about that shit.

Im ready to have this whole thing bust wide open, I just hope that my kickstarter campaign will work for mastering, and somehow can break thru on the promotional aspect of it to get this to where it needs to be, on RADIO!! wish with me, and wait patiently for the beginning of this journey. I promise it will be something incredible. it already has been, and it can only get better.

Normally, i dont support many charities. Unfortunately, in our society, they have a disturbingly religious tonality that goes against my moral that if you are going to help somebody, you need to do so without expecting something back, because that is the true spirit of giving. When I saw Reverbnation and The Fender Music Foundation was adding 50 cents onto the price of download to help struggling communities put music education back into schools, I remembered myself as a young child benefiting from those programs. I was in community choral programs from 4 years old to 9 years old, then in the school chorus programs in Middle School. I looked up to the Jazz group in high school and worked hard to get good enough to audition, and then found the teacher was getting a pay decrease, so much so that she could not afford her living situation, and also getting the program defunded, and instead, the football team was getting a new stadium. And they got new Uniforms, like they do every year. But Choir? The school board voted to kill that program to make those changes happen.

Little did they all know they were murdering the dreams of 40 students and hundreds of those behind us, and stopping 40 students from doing what they love for a different set of 40 students to continue to play a game that none of them played after high school.

I thought the least I could do was start to reach back, and add on 50 cents to help people like me not give up on their dreams of using music to enrich their lives, and the lives of those around them. I know I would literally have killed myself if i wasn’t able to play music, because it was the only thing I wanted to do after I got out of the military. Because i COULD do many things, all of which involved destruction and being a slave to system which doesn’t care about me. Realizing I had other talents that can reach millions of people and change peoples lives for the better; or make them think about living their lives in more coheasive ways with the rest of humanity; or reach across race, culture, language, sexual preference and any other barrier that society can place in our way— MUSIC is able to transcend all of these things in a way that NOTHING else can. Those of us who are musicians know what im talking about. Many more know as well, but striving to bring up a generation which appreciates ALL kinds of music but knows which one to them sounds best is a better future than a generation of musically uniformed people thinking only Justin Bieber sounds good.

Putting instruments in the hands of kids with teachers who can bring the best out of them is something to invest into in our community; and by community, i mean the world.

So, when you download “Ballad of a Dead Man” and “Where did you Go? (Karma’s a Bitch)” from Reverbnation, you will be helping new music take root in a community that needs it, regardless of whether or not the football team needs new uniforms.

Thank you,

Sean Martin

Lead Singer/Guitarist of The Quarantined

www.Thequarantined.com

www.facebook.com/thequarantined

www.twitter.com/thequarantined

PS- If you are in the Los Angeles area, why dont you come down and support us playing an industry showcase for Universal A&R reps and other suits? Show them that rock isn’t dead with us!! Here’s the facebook event (https://www.facebook.com/events/138754696284748/?ref=2) and here is where you can buy tickets (Http://www.LTSproductions.com/tickets). It would REALLY mean a lot to us if you were able to come down and support us. The first 30 fans get a free “Where did you Go? EP” download card for free!

When you have insomnia, you’re never really asleep… and you’re never really awake.

——Tyler Durden, Fight Club.

Its been a weird and crazy 2012, and 2013 is bound to be something better. it has to be, or else i might just have to give in to demons and erase somebody.

I decided to take the filter off for once, and no im not high. in fact, i think its because im not high that i am willing to take the filter off.

As far as the band goes, we’re doing well, except Alex has decided to leave for Thailand in March. Which means we will be without a bassist from that time until i can find a new one. Balls. But the band has finally learned all the songs for the new album. but Alex most likely will not be performing on it. And unless I can book us a show for february, I dont know if we will be able to put one on before he goes. Balls.

I decided to use a facebook ad in Mexico and the facebook page blew the fuck up. from 55 likes to as of right now, 257. Its been growing by about 25-30 per day since i started, and i’ve used about one quarter of the total money allotted for the ad. Now i just need to figure out how in the hell to use this new found market of people who like us in another country. Don’t get me wrong, im ecstatic that we have grown on facebook, but i know there is a market for this in LA and I’m not getting the results I’m wanting. Balls.

I’ve been in a few arguments over Facebook about Political issues as of late with a few friends of mine. I’ve had to correct their faulty logic and ignorance, and I kinda feel bad that I feel I have to go to that length to tell people how not to be uninformed, but also kinda good that I can run circles around peoples arguments because they believe they are informed because they watch cable news.

All this makes me wonder seriously if people are even ready for what I have to say. Speaking and writing songs about my experiences unfortunately goes hand in hand with my political beliefs because everything I experienced was history in the making. A friend of mine told me a while ago, “Dude, you’re like, a walking breathing part of history, and no one can say the things you can say, and mean it.” That stuck with me. I know a hell of a lot more about this system we call America, from its banking practices to its Monetary System, from its Political processes to its military law. From its foreign affairs to its bad secrets it would never want normal Americans to hear. from its Religous standards to religion’s inevitable integration with Conservatism. I could write books on this shit…books and books and books. But, frankly, I dont think anyone in America would want to hear it. I personally believe Americans have to be bitch-slapped with a vengeance to even get their attention from out of their proverbial asses and then look in a mirror, unfiltered. Unfortunately, the business i have chosen is the current contemporary outlet for distraction from everything of importance. But that is the point of The Quarantined. Its everything you dont want to hear in a palatable format and musical structure. That is the sweet, tough pill to swallow that is my vision for this thing. I just dont know if anyone inside of America will understand or listen or care. How do you make a message no one wants to acknowledge stick out in a medium that is overrun with the idea that music is an escape, when I firmly believe it is not an escape, but a place for expression of your conjectures of the time? What is art if it is not reflective of your surroundings and of your experiences?

These issues keep me up, as I have been up for about 36 hours. I normally am able to sleep when im exhausted, but recently its been harder and harder.

But anyway, our EP is out. Listen to that at bandcamp for free, just for our blog people…person…whichever. ;) (http://thequarantined.bandcamp.com)

New music is coming. Our new songs, as we have tried them out in rehearsal are fucking bomb. I’m really jazzed about “Freedom Is…” coming together as it has. Also, “point the finger” and “Anti-evangelist” I think are completely groundbreaking in that I am playing rhythm guitar, singing, rapping, and Guitar soloing thru both of those songs. Take that Lil’ Wayne, and sit the fuck down while the big boys show you how its done. Yeah thats a challenge, and fuck him. Also, I dont talk about “yolo” or that dumb bitch you slept with last nite. There’s more important issues for the men to talk about.

…god damn im angry…lol

I really hope for me that 2013 is the year it all comes together and I can really start gaining some traction. I know we need to play live more, and I’m thinking I might just, once again, start going to open mikes to try and blow some people away. Hopefully. First I gotta restring that acoustic i’ve been putting off for a month…

Anyway, hope all is well, and i leave you with a good friend of mine’s great words:

You’re not your job. You’re not how much money you have in the bank. You’re not the car you drive. You’re not the contents of your wallet. You’re not your fucking khakis. You’re the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.

God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don’t need. We’re the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War’s a spiritual war… our Great Depression is our lives. We’ve all been raised on television to believe that one day we’d all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won’t. And we’re slowly learning that fact. And we’re very, very pissed off. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You’re the same decaying organic matter as everything else.

——Tyler Durden

Hello Friends,

Its been a hell of a 6 months since I last wrote, between having to replace 2 members of the band, looking for rehearsal spaces, getting promotional campaigns set up, finishing our marketing plan, and finishing the rest of the songs for our soon to be upcoming first full length album, I’ve been really busy. There have been a lot of changes for me personally as well, but things are on the up and up.

The first thing is: Dominic McFadden has taken over on lead guitar for Alec. And Alex Diaz has taken over for Chad.

We’ve finally struck a deal with Psycho Monkey Records to record our full length album. We will start recording in January of 2013, after a long road of pre-production that we are already on.

We will be focusing heavily on promotions for our songs already made: “Ballad of A Dead Man” and “Where did you Go? (Karma’s a Bitch)”. You can Download them for free at our website on Bandcamp (http://thequarantined.bandcamp.com) along with some live tracks from our first show ever!

Also, we have started to work with Jango Artist Airplay (http://www.jango.com/music/The+Quarantined?l=0) click on the link to go directly to our page and listen to our music there. Be sure to like us on the page. You can check out other artists on there as well, it is free streaming radio after all.

Thank you all for your support.

Sean Martin

Hey Everybody!

We have a lot of plans for the coming months, and I just wanted to update you on some of them:

—-Our first show was a success! We were able to record the whole thing, and after some time spent mastering the awesome mix that Kat Kaplan made of the show, we are ready to release some new songs. “Trendsetter” (which is already out on Reverbnation and Facebook for streaming only) “Sex and No Regrets”, and “Feeding you Lies”. We will be releasing a new track per week for free streaming on our Facebook page for the month of June. Very soon we will be creating a 6 song EP with Where did you go?, Ballad of A Dead man, and Wrong Way Traffic, plus those live tracks on a Limited edition CD. So keep you eyes on our facebook page for more info on that.

—-We will be running ads thru June promoting the band, and we would really appreciate it if you see one, click on it. Also, Share our new Live songs with your friends. We cant make it to the top without you, our fans.

—There will be new merchandise made in the next couple of months, plans are in the works as we speak. T shirts, shot glasses, lighters, keychains…all of which will be available at our live shows which we will be booking from July to November 2012.  If you join our mailing list you will get exclusive access to freebies, discounts and lots of exclusive content recorded from our shows.

—Remeber to like us on facebook (www.facebook.com/thequarantined) if you have not already, follow us on twitter (www.twitter.com/thequarantined) to get a daily feed for petitions we make to impact the world, updates from the band, new song exclusives, and stay updated on things that we submit to (it would be great if you could retweet those!). We’re taking the twitter-scape by storm! Also Follow us on Youtube, (http://www.youtube.com/user/edwardgrey12www.facebook.com/thequarantined) if you have not already, follow us on twitter (www.twitter.com/thequarantined) to get a daily feed for petitions we make to impact the world, updates from the band, new song exclusives, and stay updated on things that we submit to (it would be great if you could retweet those!). We’re taking the twitter-scape by storm! Also Follow us on Youtube, (http://www.youtube.com/user/edwardgrey12) ReverbNation, and Indie Music Channel.

—-Speaking of petitions, I’ve found one you should sign and share with your friends.

Here’s the Link: http://signon.org/sign/try-george-w-bush-dick.fb6?source=c.fb&r_by=4592568

Its a petition to try George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and Karl Rove for Internation War Crimes against Humanity. If you want to fuck up the system like I do, I suggest you sign the petition and help us stop a war like Operation Iraqi freedom and Operation Enduring freedom from ever happening again. Let these true War Criminals know that you know they lied, and make them responsible for this clusterfuck we are in and will not take your governement lying to you any longer!

Thank you for all of your support. We will keep you updated on more things Sean, Alec, Kaspars and Chad are doing.

Peace and Love,

The Quarantined

Hey All,

We’ve been busy lately. Alec and Kat attended NAMM 2012, and we’re very sucessful in acquiring new gear in support of their building their studio with Abdabs Productions! Sean Graduated from MI with his Associate of Arts in Guitar Performance and Music Business. As a Band, we gained out Bassist, Chad Ellis, and we are very lucky to have him, as he can play a multitude of instruments. We’ve been writing new songs, too. 5 altogether: “The Tyrant”, “Trendsetter”, “Drink to Forget”, and “Feeding you Lies”, and “Revere’d”, Which we will be releasing to you at our live shows in the next upcoming couple of months. We continue on but only from the wonderful help of Kat Kaplan, who is supplying our rehearsal space and equipment, helped us complete our lineup, and wrote lyrics in collaboration with the band for our new song “Trendsetter”. We have some great ideas for shows with The Hive Mine coming up soon, so stay tuned for more information on that as we progress towards our EP release of “Where did you Go?” in late April 2012. Thank you to all our new Fans on Facebook and elsewhere! Thank you to all for your support in our work.

Till Peace Reigns,

The Quarantined

This will be the reposting of the one stop shop for all the inside information about the band, if you go to the Profile tag on the top right side, you’ll be able to A.M.A (ask me anything). Also, I plan on using this as like a blog when on tour, a record of thoughts and notes on life as an independent musician. Most people would use twitter as this, and then post it as a book, but i plan on using this format because its so much easier to write out completely all the thoughts in their entirety. I’ll share some stories from the process of major undertakings like our upcoming record we are starting to write. And maybe, we will be able to post the completion of said undertaking in a picture or video for our followers. So subscribe, it’ll be like the script for the movie as its being written! Almost Famous Style!!