2025 is here ... in fact, it's February already. Lots to report.
Firstly, we released “TWO EARS AT A TIME” via Bandcamp on January 17th, a song that two brains (mine and Tim's) completely forgot to release. We certainly dropped the ball on that one! It's a fun, very MuuMuu ditty (filled with lots of self deprecating lyrics) that we actually completed back in May of last year. I'd like to say that the delayed reveal for this song was due to a long, protracted and fierce battle with our record company. But, sadly, we don't have a record company. We're just easily distracted!
“Two ears At A Time” started life as an instrumental track way back at the start of the pandemic in 2020. The original title was “Kaffeinated Kolty” – an homage to a family friend's very active toddler. It was featured as an up-tempo song for a personal trainer to use as background music in her heart pumping Zoom exercise classes. Some time later – back in April 2024 – Tim and I were casting about for a new MuuMuu song and I proposed that we adapt this snappy rocker. Once I deleted a number of gratuitous guitar solos to create room for lyrics and vocals, it evolved into a tune that proudly highlights our MuuMuu mission. Though progress is slow, we continue to conquer the world two ears at a time and remain ready to please you for pennies a stream. Check it out at https://ditchthemuumuu.bandcamp.com/track/two-ears-at-a-time
Even bigger news is the re-commissioning of Mancave Studios after a protracted home renovation. For various reasons, the project took 14 months to complete. During that time my wife and I were in “exile”, using our daughter's basement as home base. Yes, we were able to help out a lot with our now halfway-through-Kindergarten granddaughter. And we're thankful that her family put up with us for all that time – including the temporary inconvenience of musical endeavors emanating from the subterranean space that Tim dubbed Fluffy Bunny Studios. Needless to say, three generations were delighted when we returned home in early December. But I digress. The point is, I now enjoy a very hip, designated space from which MuuMuu music and other projects can percolate. That, my friends, is a win!
Speaking of wins, and returning to the theme of reworking material, January also saw the re-mixing of one of the “new” songs that will be on our forthcoming sophomore collection “The Difficult Second Album”. We originally released it in July 2023 as a single, the 4th song destined for this project.
The astute among you will recall that one of Tim's former band mates (in Thieves Like Us) is the superb producer/musician John Parish who often works with one PJ Harvey. Yes. THAT PJ Harvey. Anyhow, John had heard the initial mix of “Blown Away” on our Bandcamp site and offered to give it a master producer/engineer's touch. After Tim and I reworked some lyrics that, in retrospect, weren't quite right, Mr. Barron headed out to Bristol (UK) for a day of studio fun. I had e-mailed John the original tracks (or stems, as they're called) from the Mancave – and they arrived without incident. Magic then ensued – including the addition of new Tim backing vocals using a very rare microphone called a “Wasaphone”. I expect that we'll be able to re-post the new mix sometime in Mid February (on Bandcamp); we'll alert the media when that happens. Needless to say, we're … blown away... by John's contributions and are ecstatic that he will have mixed two songs for the new project (the other being “Hiding History” which you can also find on Bandcamp).
Let me close this missive by letting you know that there are more MuuMuu songs in the pipeline. Plans are for me to head over to London in April when our families can hang out a bit, do some traveling, and experience things that will likely end up in future Ditch The MuuMuu compositions.
Mancave Mach II
Eric
February 2, 2025
Boston