Well as 2009 draws to a close it's time to look back on the year and reminisce about all thats gone on at Hayze HQ over the last 12 months!
When you're in a band it's hard to 'see the wood for the trees' sometimes. Ok, so there has been no multi-million pound record deal offers but we've achieved a great deal and as I sit here in front of a roaring fire glugging on a mulled wine it's good to be able to chalk off a couple of 'firsts' for the band.
I guess the most notable change of 2009 was becoming a three piece. It's always tough losing a band member especially one who is also a good friend but in this life of rock 'n' roll you have to brush yourself down and get on with things. Powers decided it was the right time to call it day and hang up the telecaster after several years of admirable service. He left on good terms and has taken up the mantle of 'Number one Hayze fan' and even had time to return for a cameo performance in our music video....what a true professional!
One of the 'firsts' for our new trio was working with a Producer, in the past we'd always produced ourselves without really knowing it so to have another set of eyes and ears on the scene was a new experience for us and one that brought great benefit. Returning to Leeders Farm for three days with Nick Brine was also a great big tick in the box for us - what a studio and what top chap!
Armed with three new recordings we officially setup Oh Mercy! Records and launched our EP via AWAL distribution - http://www.awal.com/ - who have also been responsible for distribution for Thom Yorke, Editors and Arctic Monkeys!. Another 'first' was getting our music streamed on We7 and having us grouped next to Muse and Pearl Jam
in the new rock releases section of their website - please do check out http://www.we7.com/ - it's a glorious site and you're only a click away from listening to a dazzling array of music for free!
In June we toured the UK for a week and had some great gigs in Leicester, Leeds, Keighley, London and a pretty special debut in Glasgow which was followed by a visit to a Jazz Club were we spotted Bill Murray playing saxophone. Once the hangovers had cleared we realised it wasn't Bill Murray....shame!
We'd always wanted to make a music video and we got the opportunity to work with local film maker and friend Steve Henning and produced a great little promo for our lead track Can't Take it Away. We had no budget but the 'ace in the hole' was Jim's imagination....without that we wouldn't have had the Hayze puppets and the now infamous purple knickers! If you don't know what I'm talking about then check out our music video here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4lK5uHJxxA (it's currently on 920 views!)
During all this we managed to land a new rehearsal space at McGintys. It truly is the greatest pub in the world and run by the greatest double act since Eric and Ernie. Veronica and Dave - we salute you and all the musical mayhem that you organise, may it continue long into the future!
More recenetly we launched our own brand of chutney, yes chutney! Every band has t-shirts and badges but not many can say they have their own range of food products....maybe Joe McEldery would have gone to number one if he had his one brand of Spicy red onion marmalade - something for Mr Cowell to think about for the next series of the X-factor!
If you want to get your hands on the Hayze chutney then fear not - we are preparing and on-line shop thingy so you can do just that in 2010!
Finally, but probably the biggest change in Hayze, was getting a manager. I've learnt that the music industry is a wierd beast, there are no set rules, no formula to follow, things just happen. One day you can be a rudderless ship, the next you can have a captain at the helm helping to steer you in the right direction. Our captain is Liza Buddy of Chaos & Bedlam Management. She has brought order to our lives and uses phrases like 'social marketing' and 'product'...this is all good and allows Jim, Paul and I to concentrate on the music and throwing TV's out of
windows (or whatever rock cliche we are supposed to book our time against). It's true to say that without her we would be taking a big leap into 2010 with our eyes shut and hoping to land in a nice place. Now we are making plans (as someone once said) and approaching things with a confident stride rather than a timid shuffle!
So that's about it, our 2009 year in review. The first ever Hayze gig was in April 2001 at the Owl and Pussycat in Felixstowe, we played about 6 of our own songs (none of which survive to this day) and a load of covers. It's fair to say we've come a long way since then, shedding some members along the way, it's been a fun ride and it's going to be interesting to see where it goes in 2010!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Pete Hayze
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2009 - A YEAR IN REVIEW
Well as 2009 draws to a close it's time to look back on the year and reminisce about all thats gone on at Hayze HQ over the last 12 months!
When you're in a band it's hard to 'see the wood for the trees' sometimes. Ok, so there has been no multi-million pound record deal offers but we've achieved a great deal and as I sit here in front of a roaring fire glugging on a mulled wine it's good to be able to chalk off a couple of 'firsts' for the band.
I guess the most notable change of 2009 was becoming a three piece. It's always tough losing a band member especially one who is also a good friend but in this life of rock 'n' roll you have to brush yourself down and get on with things. Powers decided it was the right time to call it day and hang up the telecaster after several years of admirable service. He left on good terms and has taken up the mantle of 'Number one Hayze fan' and even had time to return for a cameo performance in our music video....what a true professional!
One of the 'firsts' for our new trio was working with a Producer, in the past we'd always produced ourselves without really knowing it so to have another set of eyes and ears on the scene was a new experience for us and one that brought great benefit. Returning to Leeders Farm for three days with Nick Brine was also a great big tick in the box for us - what a studio and what top chap!
Armed with three new recordings we officially setup Oh Mercy! Records and launched our EP via AWAL distribution - http://www.awal.com/ - who have also been responsible for distribution for Thom Yorke, Editors and Arctic Monkeys!. Another 'first' was getting our music streamed on We7 and having us grouped next to Muse and Pearl Jam
in the new rock releases section of their website - please do check out http://www.we7.com/ - it's a glorious site and you're only a click away from listening to a dazzling array of music for free!
In June we toured the UK for a week and had some great gigs in Leicester, Leeds, Keighley, London and a pretty special debut in Glasgow which was followed by a visit to a Jazz Club were we spotted Bill Murray playing saxophone. Once the hangovers had cleared we realised it wasn't Bill Murray....shame!
We'd always wanted to make a music video and we got the opportunity to work with local film maker and friend Steve Henning and produced a great little promo for our lead track Can't Take it Away. We had no budget but the 'ace in the hole' was Jim's imagination....without that we wouldn't have had the Hayze puppets and the now infamous purple knickers! If you don't know what I'm talking about then check out our music video here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4lK5uHJxxA (it's currently on 920 views!)
During all this we managed to land a new rehearsal space at McGintys. It truly is the greatest pub in the world and run by the greatest double act since Eric and Ernie. Veronica and Dave - we salute you and all the musical mayhem that you organise, may it continue long into the future!
More recenetly we launched our own brand of chutney, yes chutney! Every band has t-shirts and badges but not many can say they have their own range of food products....maybe Joe McEldery would have gone to number one if he had his one brand of Spicy red onion marmalade - something for Mr Cowell to think about for the next series of the X-factor!
If you want to get your hands on the Hayze chutney then fear not - we are preparing and on-line shop thingy so you can do just that in 2010!
Finally, but probably the biggest change in Hayze, was getting a manager. I've learnt that the music industry is a wierd beast, there are no set rules, no formula to follow, things just happen. One day you can be a rudderless ship, the next you can have a captain at the helm helping to steer you in the right direction. Our captain is Liza Buddy of Chaos & Bedlam Management. She has brought order to our lives and uses phrases like 'social marketing' and 'product'...this is all good and allows Jim, Paul and I to concentrate on the music and throwing TV's out of
windows (or whatever rock cliche we are supposed to book our time against). It's true to say that without her we would be taking a big leap into 2010 with our eyes shut and hoping to land in a nice place. Now we are making plans (as someone once said) and approaching things with a confident stride rather than a timid shuffle!
So that's about it, our 2009 year in review. The first ever Hayze gig was in April 2001 at the Owl and Pussycat in Felixstowe, we played about 6 of our own songs (none of which survive to this day) and a load of covers. It's fair to say we've come a long way since then, shedding some members along the way, it's been a fun ride and it's going to be interesting to see where it goes in 2010!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Pete Hayze
When you're in a band it's hard to 'see the wood for the trees' sometimes. Ok, so there has been no multi-million pound record deal offers but we've achieved a great deal and as I sit here in front of a roaring fire glugging on a mulled wine it's good to be able to chalk off a couple of 'firsts' for the band.
I guess the most notable change of 2009 was becoming a three piece. It's always tough losing a band member especially one who is also a good friend but in this life of rock 'n' roll you have to brush yourself down and get on with things. Powers decided it was the right time to call it day and hang up the telecaster after several years of admirable service. He left on good terms and has taken up the mantle of 'Number one Hayze fan' and even had time to return for a cameo performance in our music video....what a true professional!
One of the 'firsts' for our new trio was working with a Producer, in the past we'd always produced ourselves without really knowing it so to have another set of eyes and ears on the scene was a new experience for us and one that brought great benefit. Returning to Leeders Farm for three days with Nick Brine was also a great big tick in the box for us - what a studio and what top chap!
Armed with three new recordings we officially setup Oh Mercy! Records and launched our EP via AWAL distribution - http://www.awal.com/ - who have also been responsible for distribution for Thom Yorke, Editors and Arctic Monkeys!. Another 'first' was getting our music streamed on We7 and having us grouped next to Muse and Pearl Jam
in the new rock releases section of their website - please do check out http://www.we7.com/ - it's a glorious site and you're only a click away from listening to a dazzling array of music for free!
In June we toured the UK for a week and had some great gigs in Leicester, Leeds, Keighley, London and a pretty special debut in Glasgow which was followed by a visit to a Jazz Club were we spotted Bill Murray playing saxophone. Once the hangovers had cleared we realised it wasn't Bill Murray....shame!
We'd always wanted to make a music video and we got the opportunity to work with local film maker and friend Steve Henning and produced a great little promo for our lead track Can't Take it Away. We had no budget but the 'ace in the hole' was Jim's imagination....without that we wouldn't have had the Hayze puppets and the now infamous purple knickers! If you don't know what I'm talking about then check out our music video here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4lK5uHJxxA (it's currently on 920 views!)
During all this we managed to land a new rehearsal space at McGintys. It truly is the greatest pub in the world and run by the greatest double act since Eric and Ernie. Veronica and Dave - we salute you and all the musical mayhem that you organise, may it continue long into the future!
More recenetly we launched our own brand of chutney, yes chutney! Every band has t-shirts and badges but not many can say they have their own range of food products....maybe Joe McEldery would have gone to number one if he had his one brand of Spicy red onion marmalade - something for Mr Cowell to think about for the next series of the X-factor!
If you want to get your hands on the Hayze chutney then fear not - we are preparing and on-line shop thingy so you can do just that in 2010!
Finally, but probably the biggest change in Hayze, was getting a manager. I've learnt that the music industry is a wierd beast, there are no set rules, no formula to follow, things just happen. One day you can be a rudderless ship, the next you can have a captain at the helm helping to steer you in the right direction. Our captain is Liza Buddy of Chaos & Bedlam Management. She has brought order to our lives and uses phrases like 'social marketing' and 'product'...this is all good and allows Jim, Paul and I to concentrate on the music and throwing TV's out of
windows (or whatever rock cliche we are supposed to book our time against). It's true to say that without her we would be taking a big leap into 2010 with our eyes shut and hoping to land in a nice place. Now we are making plans (as someone once said) and approaching things with a confident stride rather than a timid shuffle!
So that's about it, our 2009 year in review. The first ever Hayze gig was in April 2001 at the Owl and Pussycat in Felixstowe, we played about 6 of our own songs (none of which survive to this day) and a load of covers. It's fair to say we've come a long way since then, shedding some members along the way, it's been a fun ride and it's going to be interesting to see where it goes in 2010!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Pete Hayze
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