I'm a drum machine... kind of

So I did it, I finally started my new album. Can you believe it's been almost 4 years since I released the burlap e.p.? Well it has and it's time to put out some new music.
I'm doing the whole album in this nice little studio I like to call "the unit". It's located in an RV storage unit on the wrong side of town and it kind of smells like old beer but for the next while it's where i'll call home. Over the last two weeks i've mostly been working on recording the drum tracks. I was lucky enough to have my friend Jordan Wood from "A Dream Too Late" come in and play drums for a few of the songs. He helped me to realize how great real drummers can be. I played drums on the rest of the album which at times was a little more then comical. I can usually hear the parts that I want to play in my head, but getting my hands and feet to do them is a whole different story.

The album will be released mid to late June and I'll be sure to let you know where you can pick it up. I'm really excited about the collection of songs on this album. A lot of the songs are ones that were written and posted on this very blog, songs that you few followers were the first to hear. I'm very thankful for all the inspiration and insight that I got from you guys. I am forever in your debt.





-Casey
www.myspace.com/caseyhurt
www.twitter.com/caseyhurt

Hollywood California...

Hello Everyone,

Long time, no blog. Things got pretty crazy over the last few weeks. Between easter, leaving for LA and starting a new album I haven't had much time to devote to you guys... I am truly sorry.
LA was amazing... Like really amazing, It was great to catch up with old friends. This might sound funny but I was reminded about how much I love music when I was down there. How exciting it is to take risks with the things you love, and to have people right along side of you who are all risking just as much.
I had the amazing privilege of playing a show at this club called "The Mint". It to was amazing, lots of people came out to support us even though it was a sunday night. I was lucky enough to have the very talented Olivia Henry sing on "Don't walk away" and Jon did a little beat box number on "babylon".
I will try and post some videos soon but until then I hope these pictures will do.

Casey

House Shows and New Toys...

Hey Everyone,

Last week I had the privilege of playing an awesome house show with two killer bands... Jack Ruby Presents and Pine Language. I just got a new loop station so I decided to try it out at the show. I still need to work out the kinks but I think it has potential. Here is a new song that I tried out at the show...


12th and Jackson House Show from Casey Hurt on Vimeo.

Love ya,

Casey

Song of the week 03.12.09

Song of the week 03.12.09 from Casey Hurt on Vimeo.

ALCHY AWARD WINNER: BEST ACOUSTIC PERFORMER

Hey Ladies and Gentleman, I just wanted to share with you the article that was written about me in the Corvallis Alchemist this week...

ALCHY AWARD WINNER: BEST ACOUSTIC PERFORMER
CASEY HURT
Local performer Casey Hurt is many things to many people. He is an artist of music, a pastor, and a tattooed scotch enthusiast who will be twenty-five in March. He was also voted winner of the 2008 Alchy Award for best acoustic performer. Talking with him is like speaking to a regular guy; minus the quick-scribbling on a notepad, the interview was more an enjoyable conversation.
“Words are pretty powerful,” he commented early on, emphasizing that “Words have different meanings to different people.”
As a writer of music on several levels, Hurt can be taken for an authority on this. For his own acoustic performances he writes both music and words, spending one part of his time on the music for every two parts to his lyrics, following the lead of his musical wordsmith influences like the Beatles, Tracy Chapman, and the Violent Femmes.
“I usually write the music first,” he explained, “I’m kind of anal about the lyrics. I don’t want to say what I don’t mean.”
For a person like Casey, such devotion can lead to great music, but also eat up a lot of time, especially for someone leading a local four hundred person fellowship like Doxology. Luckily, Hurt has much the same goals as his own church’s mission: glory to God and joy to the city.
“My actual calling as a pastor was to free me up to do what I was already doing as an artist,” he said.
Hurt has a lot of faith in Corvallis, and not just in the religious sense. He has been in town for the last six years and has watched to many other musicians making the move up to Portland, thinking it is the only way to proceed professionally. In turn, Hurt works with, preaches to, and records many locals, all while extolling the rich diversity in Corvallis.
“I don’t want to fake anyone out. I want to be honest about the writing – to display something truthful about myself.”
Writing an recording have taken up much of Hurt’s schedule lately as he’s kept to a lesser amount of live performances. He still spends a good amount of time on writing pastoral music, but also works on finishing his first album in over two years, and creating hip-hop beats on his computer for friends in LA to rap over. He couldn’t totally stay away from performing though, and put in regular appearances at the Saturday Market and in cafes in the area.
Throughout it all, Hurt is sure to not lose his focus. He writes songs about ups and downs, trials and tribulations, and keeps it all within bounds that people can connect to. He even keeps a regularly updated blog about his music-writing, so people can have an up-close look and a greater understanding.
“Rawness is the thing people appreciate the most,” Hurt explained, and he’s good at it. Maybe that’s why he won his Alchy.
With so many things calling on his time, it is amazing that Casey Hurt can stay as happy and as dedicated as he is. This reporter thinks it is because Hurt is happy to take time out of his day to sit and talk about life, and that is something that everyone can relate to. You can judge for yourself when you attend his show, March 20th at WineStyles up at Timber Hill.
“I’m not trying to throw my religion in people’s faces,” Hurt said, “The gospel is there and it is part of it, but my music is about life.”
~Robin Canfield

The Creative Mind...

Hey Everyone, I just wanted to share this video with you. It was incredibly inspiring and insightful for me as an artist and it's totally worth watching. You wont regret it.

Love ya,

Casey

What kind of man would I be...

I'm not sure how to explain this song yet. I might need a few days to process it.

What kind of man would I be?

there's not a price that I wont pay
to hold a thing that will fade away
I will sell myself for an object on a shelf
just to have something to tell me what to say

There's not a song that I wont sing
if it will get me that diamond ring
I will wear it proud, until it's luster's all worn out
and I've forgotten what my words used to mean

to think these things could really make me free

There's not a price that I wont pay
to worship what my hands create
I love what I should not because it makes me feel alright
and it's easier then having to change

to think these things could really make me free

what would I think about
if I no longer had all my doubt
what kind of man would i be
without all these thing defining me

There's not a price I could pay
for someone to love me this way
while I serve the things I buy God decided he would die
so that I no longer have to be a slave

to think these things could really make me free
to think my things could really make me free

I love you guys,

Casey