Hest in Homestretch of Unique '52' Project, with 7 Weeks To Go; “And you thought Radiohead had come up with a creative business model…"
Soon to be Featured in Performing Songwriter Magazine, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, Performer Magazine
West Coast Tour Confirmed
The finish line is on the horizon for singer-songwriter Ari Hest, as his remarkable '52' project nears its final weeks. Started this past January, '52' features Hest writing, recording, producing and releasing one new song per week, for 52 weeks in a row, and delivering the songs to subscribers, via email, every Monday morning.
Now at week 45 of 52, Hest continues to deliver music that stretches the boundaries of his past work, delivering him to a new terrain frequented by the likes of Marc Cohn, Aimee Mann, Patty Griffin and Damien Rice.
Hest has been praised by USA TODAY, Billboard, Blender and in major dailies and alternative weeklies nationwide, as his '52' project and tour have unfolded. He will soon be featured in both Performing Songwriter Magazine and Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and coverage is also slated for Performer Magazine.
Once '52' is complete, Hest will invite fans to choose their 12 favorite tracks…those songs will then be remastered and released as Ari Hest's next studio CD, in early '09. Until then, Hest remains on tour, with upcoming dates to include Solana Beach/San Diego, Los Angeles, Vienna Va, Portland and Seattle.
5 Questions With... Ari Hest
METROMIX
11/5/08
By Brian Lee
Ari Hest has spent the better part of the year on a unique mission: to write and record a song a week, for 52 straight weeks. After flirting with the major label game, Hest shunned a conventional approach to recording his next album; the Brooklyn singer-songwriter has pledged to have a new original track ready every Monday for fans who have paid an annual subscription fee, and fans will help choose what songs from the project will make up his next proper album. And you thought Radiohead had come up with a creative business model!
Hest, who plays The Basement in Northampton on Sunday, took a break from working on song 44 to answer these 5 questions. Check out his website
I imagine that putting yourself through the ringer like this, so to say, has got to make you a better songwriter? I would hope so. I think my instincts are getting better. I used to spend a lot more time rewriting material because the first thing that came out was usually missing something, but knowing I don’t have a lot of time to rethink or expand on it has made me hypercritical of my initial ideas. As a result I’ve tossed a few ideas along the way that weren’t as well thought out.
Has this intense focus on songwriting come at the expense of your other favorite aspects of being a musician? Songwriting is my favorite aspect of what I do. I enjoy performance, but not to the same extent. I have toured a bit less, but honestly, it has been nice to experience a bit of every season of the year in New York. I don’t think I’ve had that happen since the 20th century.
Where is the most unlikely place you've found inspiration for a song during this project? That would have to be from the corner deli owner here on my block in Brooklyn. I wrote a song about watching him ogle over women who walked by his store and never who never went in (week 3 — “In A Rush"). He was easy to write about, probably because his facial expressions were so thought provoking.
You record most of these in your Brooklyn apartment — what's the strangest bit of background noise that has ruined a take? There’s an ice cream truck depot a few blocks away and they come by a couple of times a day with that same 15 second song. I wanna know who’s getting royalties on that one. And then I’d like to sue him for ruining several afternoons of otherwise productive recording sessions. I always thought working at a place like Guitar Center would be hellish because of the consistent guitar riffing throughout the store, but the job of ice cream man has that beat. How do they sleep? Is there a time of day they don’t hear that song either being played or just swirling around in their heads?
This has turned into a pretty interactive process, but soliciting feedback can be a dangerous thing with the anonymity of the Internet—what's the nastiest (or most surprising/disappointing) thing a fan has had to say? I’ve been lucky. Most of the comments left on my website have been positive. I think it would be weird though if they all were positive. I’d feel shakier about that if it were the case. I’m glad people are speaking up regardless of what they have to say. 52 is supposed to be an interactive experience and many of my fans have taken part more than I expected, and that’s what the website is there for.
Upcoming tour dates:
11/6/08 New York, NY- Le Poisson Rouge with Julian Velard and Marianne Keith
11/7/08 Teaneck, NJ -Mexicali Live with Julian Velard and Marianne Keith
11/8/08 Boston, MA- Cafe 939 at Berklee with Julian Velard and Marianne Keith
11/9/08 Northampton, MA- The Basement with Julian Velard and Marianne Keith
11/17/08 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern, supporting Elisa
11/19/08 Los Angeles, CA The Roxy Theatre, supporting ELisa
11/20/08 Vienna, VA The Barns at Wolftrap with Luke Brindley
11/22/08 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge, Supporting Elisa
11/24/08 Seattle, WA The Triple Door, Supporting Elisa
Soon to be Featured in Performing Songwriter Magazine, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, Performer Magazine
West Coast Tour Confirmed
The finish line is on the horizon for singer-songwriter Ari Hest, as his remarkable '52' project nears its final weeks. Started this past January, '52' features Hest writing, recording, producing and releasing one new song per week, for 52 weeks in a row, and delivering the songs to subscribers, via email, every Monday morning.
Now at week 45 of 52, Hest continues to deliver music that stretches the boundaries of his past work, delivering him to a new terrain frequented by the likes of Marc Cohn, Aimee Mann, Patty Griffin and Damien Rice.
Hest has been praised by USA TODAY, Billboard, Blender and in major dailies and alternative weeklies nationwide, as his '52' project and tour have unfolded. He will soon be featured in both Performing Songwriter Magazine and Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and coverage is also slated for Performer Magazine.
Once '52' is complete, Hest will invite fans to choose their 12 favorite tracks…those songs will then be remastered and released as Ari Hest's next studio CD, in early '09. Until then, Hest remains on tour, with upcoming dates to include Solana Beach/San Diego, Los Angeles, Vienna Va, Portland and Seattle.
5 Questions With... Ari Hest
METROMIX
11/5/08
By Brian Lee
Ari Hest has spent the better part of the year on a unique mission: to write and record a song a week, for 52 straight weeks. After flirting with the major label game, Hest shunned a conventional approach to recording his next album; the Brooklyn singer-songwriter has pledged to have a new original track ready every Monday for fans who have paid an annual subscription fee, and fans will help choose what songs from the project will make up his next proper album. And you thought Radiohead had come up with a creative business model!
Hest, who plays The Basement in Northampton on Sunday, took a break from working on song 44 to answer these 5 questions. Check out his website
I imagine that putting yourself through the ringer like this, so to say, has got to make you a better songwriter? I would hope so. I think my instincts are getting better. I used to spend a lot more time rewriting material because the first thing that came out was usually missing something, but knowing I don’t have a lot of time to rethink or expand on it has made me hypercritical of my initial ideas. As a result I’ve tossed a few ideas along the way that weren’t as well thought out.
Has this intense focus on songwriting come at the expense of your other favorite aspects of being a musician? Songwriting is my favorite aspect of what I do. I enjoy performance, but not to the same extent. I have toured a bit less, but honestly, it has been nice to experience a bit of every season of the year in New York. I don’t think I’ve had that happen since the 20th century.
Where is the most unlikely place you've found inspiration for a song during this project? That would have to be from the corner deli owner here on my block in Brooklyn. I wrote a song about watching him ogle over women who walked by his store and never who never went in (week 3 — “In A Rush"). He was easy to write about, probably because his facial expressions were so thought provoking.
You record most of these in your Brooklyn apartment — what's the strangest bit of background noise that has ruined a take? There’s an ice cream truck depot a few blocks away and they come by a couple of times a day with that same 15 second song. I wanna know who’s getting royalties on that one. And then I’d like to sue him for ruining several afternoons of otherwise productive recording sessions. I always thought working at a place like Guitar Center would be hellish because of the consistent guitar riffing throughout the store, but the job of ice cream man has that beat. How do they sleep? Is there a time of day they don’t hear that song either being played or just swirling around in their heads?
This has turned into a pretty interactive process, but soliciting feedback can be a dangerous thing with the anonymity of the Internet—what's the nastiest (or most surprising/disappointing) thing a fan has had to say? I’ve been lucky. Most of the comments left on my website have been positive. I think it would be weird though if they all were positive. I’d feel shakier about that if it were the case. I’m glad people are speaking up regardless of what they have to say. 52 is supposed to be an interactive experience and many of my fans have taken part more than I expected, and that’s what the website is there for.
Upcoming tour dates:
11/6/08 New York, NY- Le Poisson Rouge with Julian Velard and Marianne Keith
11/7/08 Teaneck, NJ -Mexicali Live with Julian Velard and Marianne Keith
11/8/08 Boston, MA- Cafe 939 at Berklee with Julian Velard and Marianne Keith
11/9/08 Northampton, MA- The Basement with Julian Velard and Marianne Keith
11/17/08 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern, supporting Elisa
11/19/08 Los Angeles, CA The Roxy Theatre, supporting ELisa
11/20/08 Vienna, VA The Barns at Wolftrap with Luke Brindley
11/22/08 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge, Supporting Elisa
11/24/08 Seattle, WA The Triple Door, Supporting Elisa
For more information contact Seth Cohen PR.
