Category Archives: Trenton Project

Trenton EP Stream (and more)

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Everything you needed to know about the Trenton EP is now in one post!

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Here is the Trenton Project Crowdfunding Campaign Video :

* You can see the successful Trenton Project Crowdfunding campaign page here.

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Here is the Trenton EP EPK :

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Listen to the Trenton EP :

Song List :

1. Introduction

2. This Town

3. Look In The Mirror

4. A Conversation

5. Your Hometown

6. Lament

7. Arise / Alive

 

Trenton EP – A Guide

The EP starts off with ‘Introduction’. I wanted to lay the groundwork for the EP right away, painting a picture with radio broadcasts I would hear growing up in Trenton. Each news report always seemed a little less positive with each broadcast. Musically, I liked the idea of Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Silent Night/7 O’Clock News’ but where S&G are singing a Christmas tune against the news of the day, I wanted more chaos in the background. The opening lyric to ‘This Town’ almost sounds like a call to arms (I’m gonna sing about this town / ’cause no one else does). Love the guitar work from Jason Mingo and the change in the drum tempo from Kev Corbett. I wrote ‘Look In The Mirror’ with the intention of making it sound like a preacher giving a sermon from the pulpit. When times get tough, people look to a higher power for guidance or explanation. The first verse sounds more like a parishioner asking ‘Why?’ but no answers are coming. I’m not a person of faith so I never understood why people would thank someone for good things but never point the finger and say ‘why did YOU do nothing?’. In the last verse I ask the questions. ‘A Conversation’ could be many things : talking to a younger version of yourself, breaking tough news to a friend, coming to terms with a situation. It could be something more. For the feel of the song, I always like the spoken word songs of Lou Reed (‘Beginning Of A Great Adventure’, ‘Last Great American Whale’). For ‘Your Hometown’, I think the first line of the song (let’s go back to your hometown / light one match / burn it all to the ground) pretty much sets the tone for the song. In a sense the town is scorched earth, without the fire. The railway plant buildings are still standing, but if there is nothing happening, does it make a difference? When I finished writing ‘Lament’, I knew this was the big, epic song I wanted for the EP. I knew there had to be one song that outgrew the simple chords. I had the first line (the rails run through my veins / and the forge is the beat of my heart) early and I knew it was something. Something very big. The song demands a large symphonic sound. Every person who had heard the song in the early stages said it was an epic sounding tune. The last song ‘Arise/Alive’ is a bookend song. You always want a strong song to start and end each music project. When I had the all the songs written, I wanted to put the songs in sequence and I knew this would be the last song. It’s a nice ending tune to wrap up the EP. There’s optimism and hope. The cello from Julia Feltham is a nice intro to the song and comes in at the right time during the bridge, while the organ to let the song fade out feels good. The End.

Trenton Project Update – Jan.29, 2013 Edition

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This past week, I’ve been sending out some of the rewards from the Trenton Project crowdfunding rewards. Some of the rewards from beyond the borders of Nova Scotia were sent earlier to ensure they arrived in a reasonable time. Below is an email I received from a campaign supporter from Brazil. No affiliation to Trenton, but the story of Trenton is universal….

(PS The email was printed with permission)

 

Hi Aaron!

I received your CD last week, and already heard it. It’s very good, I definitely connected with your feelings regarding your hometown, even though the comparison between Trenton and Florianópolis are not that obvious. While your city was kind of abandoned with the closing of the plant, mine is overcrowded with people looking for sand and sea, and is suffering from overpopulation, construction of houses/buildings where there shouldn’t be any and rising violence. So I’m really sad to realize the way things are going.

Lament is a very beautiful song, the guitar part at the end is marvelous. I also enjoyed the first track, the way it sets the tone, especially for guys like me who are not familiar with the city’s history.

So congratulations for your EP!

 

People will believe in you and your music. Receiving an email like this is very touching and flattering.

 

Trenton Project Update – Jan.22, 2013

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Well, what started *scratches head* 9 months ago (probably more) is wrapping up very soon. The due date for the Trenton Project rewards will soon be in the hands of the pledges. Some have already been sent to folks in the US and Brazil ! There are rewards still to be delivered locally and to The Netherlands. There’s a lot of preparation to start any project. I was able to find artists who heard my pitch, believed in the concept and lent their talents to this project. I’ve received a lot of great feedback on the artwork. The letterpress cards from artist Crystal Vaughan were picked up this week (here is a write up from Crystal’s blog).

The Trenton Project is wrapping up, and now I’m starting to send out press releases for the Trenton EP. It’s now time to tell various media about the music and spread the word (here is an article from Pictou County newspaper The News). There is a lot more work ahead of me to be done. The real work starts to sell the music. I say ‘bring it on’.

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Trenton Project Questionnaire

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Below is a questionnaire I’ve created to get some feedback from you on the Trenton Project Crowdfunding Campaign. Please take a minute to fill out the survey (only 10 questions). If you have any more feedback for me, you can always email me at heartbreakastranger[at]gmail[dot]com

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world’s leading questionnaire tool.

Cosmic Haligonian Show – Nov.1, 2012 Episode

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Now you can listen to the Nov.1, 2012 Cosmic Haligonian Show on CKDU now. Download/Listen to the entire show right here (I’m around the 1hr 15min mark). You can hear a conversation with host Aaron Petrie and you can hear the track ‘Arise/Alive’ from the Trenton EP and an unreleased song ‘Joy Division’. Enjoy.

Trenton Project – Final Stage

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Well, we’re into the final stages of the Trenton Project Indiegogo Campaign. The campaign ends on Thursday. It’s been months in the works. From conceiving the idea of starting a campaign, coming up with ideas, approaching artists to create artwork, planning the layout of the campaign, shooting a video, research on how to run a campaign. The planning of the campaign has been running aside the writing, recording of the Trenton EP. It’s been a learning experience. Keeping it fresh and entertaining for me has been just as fun as keeping it up to date for you. Trying different ways to sell is challenging. There’s more than one way to sell music. To sell art. To sell ideas. Some ideas work. They don’t all work. So, at the end of the campaign, I’ll sit down, analyze everything. This part of the music business (to be fair, i think only musicians/music fans call it ‘music business’. Everyone calls it ‘business of music’) is where musicians have a hard time. It’s hard enough trying to write songs, but this side, the business/marketing side, is just as important. It’s best not to let this area slide.