Once upon a time I spent many, many long months making an album… Now you can download it for free:
Click here:
Enjoy.
Sidebar: if you’re offended by swearing, you should skip the first and last tracks. Also, you should stop taking life so seriously.
Go ahead and start the download and read while it’s finishing up…
Click this stupidly large link:
Last march I quit my job and moved up to Seattle to make a punk rock record. I can’t say that I made the record I set out to make – and even now, I’m still disappointed with how the record came out… but those reservations are almost entirely due to my sub-par mixing skills. Before this record, I hadn’t really ever rapped (well, there was one semi-instance on the first LP I put out), but like so many things on this record, it just happened (and not always in a good way). The setbacks were almost daily; switching amps, changing speakers, re-wiring guitars, sucking at vocals, changing keys, spending valuable days on a song, only to have it cut… By the time the rap aspect came into the picture, I had less than a month left – and that was supposed to be for mixing.
When I left Seattle (and went to chico), most songs were barely done – and all of them had room for improvement. I spent the next few months failing at mixing, and burning myself out even more. By September, it was literally all I had worked on for six months… I’d had enough with it, and sent it to over 100 labels and publications. One site published a review.
After that, I stopped entirely and more or less gave up. I never truly gave up, but I think very few people have experienced that level of failure/rejection. I’d been waiting over two years to make the record, and literally no one noticed it. I couldn’t understand. I made a damn good record, what did I do wrong? I was 23, jobless with a four year degree, having to sell my car/guitar, and sleeping in my buddy’s spare room – because I was essentially a bum. Without a doubt, those were the darkest months of my life (and there have been some dark days of sleeping in my car). I don’t mean to get held up on it, but I bring it up because those months literally made(and scarred) me into who I am now. It seems like it’s all I can sing about anymore, but those songs are for the future.
In late december I moved to Las Vegas and spent the next two months sleeping on my sister’s living room floor. Over that time period I began to start finding myself again (along with some sunshine)… particularly as a rapper. I wrote a lot of material that I know will be enjoyed by a lot of people (the helloX demo and the good feeling freestyle were done over this time period), but I still hadn’t done anything with this record. I eventually sat down and made some minor tweaks to them, but again, was never fully happy with the mixing.
Fast forward to today. Last week I remembered I still hadn’t ever officially released the record. I always thought I could sell it – but let’s be honest, if I tried to sell it, maybe two people would buy it. I didn’t make a record for two people to hear it – I want the whole world to hear it. I put thousands of dollars into making this album, but the dollars pale in comparison to the part of my soul that I gave to this project. I really don’t know what else to say… I felt it necessary to give this background, because now you can more fully understand where the words are coming from.
sidebar: if you’re offended by swearing, you should skip the first and last tracks. Also, you should stop taking life so seriously.
Without further ado (click the link below to download):
Download: Hopeless Passion - Untitled
Thanks,
Grant McCracken
For those interested in streaming some of HP’s new music, the most expansive location is:
http://soundcloud.com/hopelesspassion/sets/press/
In the future, many of these tracks will be available elsewhere, but presently can only be heard at the soundcloud link.
If you’re interested in a full album download (for press purposes)… email grant[at]hopelesspassion.com
Thanks,
I’ve let this record sit for far too long, so now it’s time to let it go and spread its wings… new song up at http://facebook.com/hopelesspassion – Go take a listen, then tell all your friends. Cause that’s the only way this goes anywhere… if you tell five people and five people tell five people, we could have the pyramid scheme of music. Let’s make that happen.
So, as of this morning, I believe that I’ve finished mixing the record… and now comes to fun part — trying to get it out there. If you’re an important person with tons of connections… or just a regular person with tons of money, shoot me an email and I’ll get you a preview of this thing so you can manage/book/sign/interview/fund/review/whatever me(HP).
For everyone else, tell all your friends, start building hype, and sit tight. After the last few months, I have no choice but to believe that better days are coming… but for now, I just have to “hurry up and wait”.
So, there’s been some questions about what’s happening with the record, and when it’s going to be released… etc
Basically, it’s day to day at this point. There’s three more steps as far as I can tell. The most immediate next step is to send it out to every label/group I can find. Step two is waiting for the phone call; and step three is picking up the phone. Just kidding. Step two is picking a single, shooting a video for said single, and then sending that video/single out to EVERYONE (other than the people that got the whole album). The point of this is to give the public a taste for Hopeless Passion and trying to build buzz for the new record. Provided people like the single, this will have started to create a fanbase that I then use for step three: release the record (with actual sales) and tour. Of course, all this is provided I don’t get a phone call…. Even if I do, this would still likely be how things pan out.
Anyways, to those that want to help, you’ll know it when it happens. You’ll get spammed with me requesting you to share the new single and video with everyone/anyone you know. Hopefully, with your help, this will be enough to get this movement off the ground. I can’t do it by myself and will unequivocally need your help and support by both purchasing the record and advising others to do so.
In the meantime, “like” Hopeless Passion at http://facebook.com/hopelesspassion and you’ll be kept in the super loop for what’s happening.
I can’t wait.
Making that progress. Blasted out about half the harmonies today. 3.5 full days left to finish up (finish harmonies, record just a few more vocals). Definitely feel good about finishing on time. Also, it’s great to finally be able to see the songs shape up and come to life… great things a’comin