Saying Goodbye

Today, Andrea had to say goodbye to a dear friend, self-less companion, protector and beautiful soul. Her name is Vegas and Andrea would affectionately call Nee Nee.   Today is a sad day for all of us that knew her but in the same breath it’s a good day because she’s no longer in pain.

The purpose of this is not to exploit our band member’s pain…

But to remind everybody to give your companions and loved ones the biggest hug every day.  Treasure them because every moment is precious.   Thank you for every moment you spent with Andrea, her family and everybody who knew her…We love you Nee Nee.

Andrea with Vegas.  What a happy puppy!

Featured Artist: CV Northwest Magazine

What a great honor!  We were lucky enough to have so many fantastic photographers support us over the years and their shots were featured in CV Northwest’s Oct 2013 issue!  In case you guys are wondering, the cover photo was shot on the bridge in lower Queen Anne (Seattle) WA.
Special thanks to Lani Linton (Seattle Music Photography), Mike “Iron” Savoia (Savoia Concert Photography), Trevor Gibson (Prosight Media), Josh Kirkwood, Bill Bungard,
Shane Eubank, and Corey Wittenborn for their beautiful photos. 
Now Check out Chris’ article Featuring The Adarna!

The Adarna on Epiphone.com!

Well the West Coast Tour is over.  We learned a lot and we are excited to get back on the road as soon as possible! Some fun moments included Will knocking over Andrea’s amp and continuing to play on, visiting the Rainbow Room off the strip in Hollywood, visiting every Starbucks from here to Los Angeles, the constant search for places to crash and meeting a ton of great fans, friends, venues, and bands.  We’d love to hear about any places you’d like to see us play in the future!  So post them here.
One very notable show was the opportunity to the Gibson showroom in Las Vegas and be featured on Epiphone.com.  Check it out!

Wanna see how the rest of the tour went?
Episode 4 – West Coast Tour

The Adarna Are Now Part of the Gibson & Epiphone Family of Brands!

We are proud to announce that The Adarna is part of the Gibson and Epiphone Family of Brands.  This is a real honor for us.  We’ve been huge fans of their guitars for a long time.  A lot of the musicians that inspire us have been part of these brands, so to join their ranks is a dream come true for all of us. STOKED!


Adarna rising: Seattle rock band is Leavenworth bound

Adarna rising: Seattle rock band is Leavenworth bound

By Rachel Hansen
World staff writer
Thursday, May 16, 2013
photo
Photo by Josh Kirkwood
Seattle rock band The Adarna is playing Sunday at Der Hinterhof in Leavenworth. From left, guitarist Andrea Jasek, bassist Jeremiah Hazel, Murdock on drums and singer William Moore.

If you go

What: The Adarna album release party
When: 8 p.m. Sunday
Where: Der Hinterhof, Leavenworth
Cost: free
Information: 548-5250,leavenworthbeergarden.com
photo
Photo by ProSight Media
Bassist Jeremiah Hazel, guitarist Andrea Jasek and lead singer William Moore of The Adarna.
It’s not the kind of thing you’d expect to hear from a guy whose public persona includes a mohawk, black jeans, chains and leather cuffs:“I love opera,” Will Moore says. “The worlds aren’t so different. They both come from such a natural place … it’s less focused on technique and more on your ability to just let go.”
Moore is the lead singer of The Adarna, a rising Seattle rock band that’s headed for Leavenworth this weekend. Realistically, the band could have run with any musical genre when they formed two years ago. Their lead guitarist, Andrea Jasek, sometimes slips into a Van Halen solo — a nod to her ’80s hair-metal roots. They picked up a talented jazz drummer from New York via Craigslist, and their bassist — a punk-influenced spray-paint artist — in a Harley Davidson shop.
“We knew we wanted to be in a rock and roll band, because that’s something we all loved,” Moore said.
The Adarna will release its latest work Sunday at Der Hinterhof — their second appearance there since Rocktoberfest on Halloween.
“They played for mostly a locals crowd, and the younger locals loved them,” said Der Hinterhof owner Steve Demerest. “I got the feeling we were getting an early view of someone we’ll see later on a bigger stage.”
Though The Adarna might be known for radio rock, they also venture into slow, acoustic songs like “The Smell of Gasoline,” and pop rock, such as “Leave These Parts of Us Behind.” Moore says they’ve been compared to The Cult and the Foo Fighters.
“The kind of rock and roll that I found we really identify with is really grooving with each other,” Moore said. “It’s not overprocessed. It’s not something that’s perfect. That’s something echoed in all the bands we respected, going back to Queen and Bowie. Even though it’s polished, there’s still this rawness.”
Moore and Jasek founded The Adarna two years ago after moving from Los Angeles with their former band, Veritas. At the time, Veritas signed a management contact as a rock band but found themselves being molded into more of a pop group. When Veritas dissolved, Moore and Jasek named The Adarna after a phoenix-like bird from Philippine legend to symbolize the fresh start.
“Everyone here has been in a band before, and this was us rising from the ashes to do it one last time,” Moore said.
They gave themselves five years to find success, and so far, Moore says they’re on track. They recorded a five-song debut EP last year funded through the crowd-sourcing site Kickstarter. The band’s single “Honestly” has been on playlists at major gyms like Gold’s Gym and Bally’s and on 150 online and college radio stations.
Moore said their biggest challenge is preventing burnout while developing their fan base. The band has played more than 120 shows in the last two years. They also have plans to tour college campuses nationwide in the next year.
“Everyone still wants to hear rock and roll, you just have to find where that audience is,” Moore said. “We’ve been finding that.”

CASTING CALL! A Music Video About Finding Strength To Carry On

Homage to Your Lost Loved Ones: 
A Music Video About Finding Strength To Carry On


The Adarna  is filming a music video from their latest EP titled “Smell of Gasoline.” 

It is entitled Smell of Gasoline because just like how if you get a bit of gasoline on you, the smell stays with you everywhere you go. This is written as a metaphor for how loss affects you and follows you everywhere. We feel this video can help immortalize the love you have for that person and acknowledge your own strength to carry on. 


Please listen to the song here to see if you’re interested in being involved:

What is being asked:

-Sharing some video clips of your favorite moments with your loved one (preferable)
-A digital photograph of them

We may ask:
-A possible interview on the camera of you talking to us about how you found the strength to carry on and honor their lives.

What do I do first?
Send an email to us at musicvideo (at) theadarna (dot) com including the information below. We will then notify you instruction on how to send footage to us.

Your Information=====================================================
Name:
Age:
City You Live:
Contact Number:
What helped you find the strength to cope with your loss?

Your Loved One’s Information===========================================
Name:
How were they related to you?

Keeping a Happy Band in a Sad Industry

Keeping a Happy Band in a Sad Industry
By: Andrea Jasek
When I lived on Loma Crest Street, there were many 4am’s where I would sit on the hood of my Honda Prelude and stare off into the Los Angeles skyline. The smell of skunk and smog surrounded me in a very comforting way, and the buzz of the Glendale Freeway, even at 4am, was quite soothing. I would wonder about what had to be done to make a career out of music, what it took to fight the same demons that I’m sure someone in the hills next to me were fighting, and most of all, what it took to be happy…truly happy…in band. After all, this is something I want to do forever…and that’s a mighty long time.
As a lot of us know, it is usually really hard to make money as an artist. There are constant concurrent obstacles that must be dealt with, all while trying to stay creative, positive, and productive. The topics that I chose to discuss are ones that have come up in more than one band that I have been in. There are a million other things to add to this list, as every band is different, but these particular issues seem to be commonplace both in my experiences, and experiences of close friends. I know that some of this material is extremely obvious, but I am shocked by how many people hear about this stuff and are completely unaware of the destruction it can bring.
Finding the right band-mates.
It’s hard and it takes trial and error. Period. The Romeo or Juliet that plays the band’s twelve songs like a champ and has the best attitude in history, can become Cruella Deville who can ONLY play the band’s twelve songs, and that’s it. I’ve noticed that it’s usually around the three month mark when these traits come out and everyone begins to regret their decisions.
A friend recently reminded me that almost every band has the creative director, the mediator, the control freak, and the slacker. He couldn’t be more on point. These are four (or more) people with different personalities, with different visions, and with different ways of dealing with things. This type of working relationship requires a tremendous amount of understanding, respect, and communication. How the hell is this ever going to work? Well, honestly, the odds are against you. BUT, if you want to make something work, you will find a way, and you’ll find the right people for your band. Even if it means using the Rorschach Test as part of the audition process.
The Band Agreement
It sounds legalese and stuffy. It is. It’s definitely no dueling behind-the-head guitar solo. It is the most boring of the contracts that your band will encounter, I guarantee it. It’s also the most important. This document is the backbone of keeping things from going awry if and when, 1) the band is goes through serious changes such as breaking up or replacing members, and/or 2) the band begins making a ton of money. (Let’s hope for the latter). No one wants to feel burdened by a contract, but if this Band Agreement is drafted correctly, it shouldn’t feel that way. It should act and feel as a very fair aid in the event that uncertainty arises.
The Adarna in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Girlfriends (and boyfriends)
Your significant other is not in the band. If they are, I wish you the best of luck on your endeavors. That is a whole other topic in itself.
I’m going to label the significant other as “girlfriend.” It rolls off the tongue easier and unfortunately, it is truly the case more often than not. (But believe me, boyfriends can drain you and the band, as well).
The band likes that the girlfriend likes the band. Shit, the band likes it if anyone likes the band. However, the band does not like when the girlfriend acts as if they have the authority to act as the band’s manager. Or artistic designer. Or counselor. Or cock-blocker. Or tag along. Girlfriends, please…do your significant other a favor: just be cool and not be up anyone’s ass. Yes, people are going to hit on your boyfriend. He’s in a band.
Hygiene
If you smell like a mix of feet and turd while crammed in your little tour van, your band-mates are going to hate you. Can you blame them? Touring is hard enough as it is, and a stinky band member definitely does not help the situation. There are plenty of hygienic things you can do when time is limited on the road. Baby wipes, sanitizer, dry shampoo, dryer sheets in your shoes, and for the love of God, deodorant and clean socks. It’s not rocket science.
Band meetings and band night
If your band does happen to have a smelly member, or any other issue (which you will), there is a place to lay it out on the table: the band meeting.
Band meetings have such a negative connotation. I don’t understand why. Every relationship needs to have open communication in order to work. Especially a band. Sure, the egos will fly, mean things will be said, and someone will be defensive. That’s how you work things out and move forward.
With that said, you should also have meetings about the good stuff. As we know, it will be different for every band. For one band it might be a band meeting of “Holy shit! We have a song!” For another it might be “Holy Shit! We just went Triple Platinum!” Although the music industry tends to be an aggressive and depressing place, the good stuff is there…remember to celebrate it.
Sometimes it is easy to forget that you are friends with the people you are in a band with. If you aren’t, you may want to reconsider your situation. One thing, in my experience, that has really kept the importance of friendship in unison with the working aspect of a band is band night. It’s a night where you go out and have fun with not only your band-mates, but more importantly, your band-mates as friends. I truly believe that it is absolutely imperative to make an effort to hang out and check-in with each other in an environment that is not music-related.
The band is so fragile, and I think it’s very easy to take things for granted. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves why it is that we do this. As with most things in life, it’s not going to be happy all the time. In fact, I personally believe that being an entertainer is probably on of the most depressing industries to be in. Even when you’re at the top of it all with multi-platinum records and a very comfortable income, the time at top is usually limited and it flies by. So no matter what level your band is at, enjoy it.

Really Being in a Band…Why Would Anyone Do This To Themselves?

Really Being in a Band…Why Would Anyone Do This To Themselves?
by: Andrea Jasek
(Thank you Glenn Cannon of Windowpane for the topic idea).
As I sat around wondering what to write about for my first (of many) blogs, a buddy of mine suggested that the topic be about what it’s really like being in a band. More specifically, what it feels like being “over-worked, underpaid, sleep deprived, and financially ruined,” and the coping techniques that I have for these very real issues. For example, to help with the sleep deprivation it’s not all too uncommon to smoke cannabis (considering the legalization in some places it seems this also goes for people of all walks of life, not just band members). I saw many musicians look to consume the likes of this purple rock star strain so they were actually able to fall to sleep and try to reverse the impacts of their sleep deprivation.
I think there is a stereotype of “being in a band.” You just play some shows and get drunk. Or something along those lines. That’s what I’ve been told, anyway.
I’m not one to open up and write about my feelings in a public blog. But lately I’ve started to feel differently. I have more and more people that are close to me and strangers alike asking for advice on the perils of being in a band. And it’s not because I know it all. Obviously.
Marshall High School. I loved that Bon Jovi shirt.
I began playing in bands when I was 14. My first show was at a Starbucks in West Seattle with my band “Leverage.” We had three songs that were each about 12 minutes long. We sucked. Terribly. But man, all we lived for was that band, and that’s what brings me here today and a friend of mine hoped that we were hired through somewhere similar to https://www.headliner.io/hire-a-band-bristol so we could make some extra money
Over-worked and Underpaid
I’m a workaholic. In my opinion, it’s a great trait. However, I have some ex-boyfriends, friends, and family members that would greatly disagree.
The amount of work that goes into making a band function may be incomprehensible to those who have never done it. It’s hard. It pisses you off and eats at your soul. But I do it because the feeling that I get from being onstage with group of people that I love while playing music that we have worked really hard on, is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
Even workaholics get over-worked.

Yep. Those are braces! 2004.
I have a 9-5 job as a criminal defense paralegal. I made the choice to put myself through school in order have a job that can support me being in a band and let me tour when need be. It is not cheap being in a band. We have to pay for musical gear, fixing that gear, tour van maintenance, CD’s, merchandise, gas, recording time, mastering, instrument lessons, music videos, traveling, promotion, rent, student loans, bills, and sometimes…food. Having to juggle all of these expenses it would be hard to have the money for anything else, using a personal loan calculator allowed us to juggle money around for various thing while not getting stung by monthly interest rates… It’s very important to have enough dough to pay for things to keep your sanity, as well. For me it’s skating at Southgate Roller Rink.
A wise friend of mine by the name of Clyde Holly (R.I.P.) once told me that “you have to do what you have to do now so you can do what you want to do later.” Ain’t that the truth?
Everyday after work and on the weekends, I play guitar…whether it’s at band practice, personal practice, at a guitar lesson, writing songs, playing a show, or recording. A lot of times, a number of these things happen simultaneously.
When I’m not making my guitar gently weep, I’m doing something else that is band-related. For me personally, a lot of my band activities include promoting and attending events, social media work, reviewing the bands’ contracts, making The Adarna’s webisodes, and networking. All of these things have to be taken care of constantly. The amount of time put into the band on a normal weekday usually lasts from 6pm to 12:30am.
Then there’s the work of keeping everyone in the band happy and not at each others’ throats or on hit lists. Luckily for me, my band dudes are the coolest guys I could ever ask to be in a band with. Sure we have our issues, but every band does. I mean, shit, they have the issue of being in a band with a girl! Lucky them!
Part musician, part white-collar worker, part psychiatrist, part socialite, part marketer, part pauper…that’s me. The list goes on.
It’s exhausting. Relationships suffer. “Free time” is a thing of the past. Friends are disappointed because they feel I am selfish. My boss doesn’t like that my mind is always elsewhere. I am all-consumed in what I do, and it’s physically, mentally, and emotionally draining. Over-worked, underpaid. And you know what? I wouldn’t change a thing.
Liquor Box, 2001.
Sleep Deprivation
I used to think it was so cliché when a particular teacher in high school would have serious talks with me about the lack of sleep I was getting. “Whatever dude, I’m in a band.” That was always my stubborn, (and as I now understand), naïve, response. During my senior year of high school I was playing 2-3 shows per week. That was a lot considering our practice schedule…and our “going out” schedule. I was out every night, and in school (almost) every day. It was very tiring. Even for an 18 year old.
I can’t stress enough how important sleep is in this business. I also can’t stress enough how easy it is to become sleep-deprived. There is so much to do, all the time. Issues like anxiety and depression regularly occured, so it was no surprise that some musicians would take marijuana using a double chamber bubbler to help them sleep at night. The bottom line is that if you’re sleep-deprived and burned out, I assure you that your music will suffer. You’ll sound, look, and feel like shit, and no one wants that. Make time for rest.
Financial Ruin
There is a reason a lot of musicians fall into the category of broke-ass pauper. I don’t think that it HAS to happen , but I understand why it does.
We need money to go into band expenses. Again, this IS NOT CHEAP.et in any debt in the first place. We also need a flexible, tour, etc. We also need a job where we can do our job after l night and not get fired on the second day of work. We are demanding.
Flexible job + big bucks + being in a band = unrealistic.
Not in all cases of course. There’s always the exception, but I think it’s fair to say that this situation happens more often than not.
Being in a band that is more than a “just-for-fun” project takes a lot of constant financial investment. But hey, that’s okay, let’s make some money off of this CD!
You can’t sell that CD until you pay to have it pressed. But before you can get it pressed, you have to pay the producer (if you choose to have one), pay for recording the songs, mixing the songs, mastering the songs, copyrighting the songs, artwork for the CD (if you don’t do the art yourself), etc. It adds up quick.
And how are you going to sell these CD’s at your show if there are only five people in the crowd (three of which are your friends)? You aren’t going to. That’s why you pay for posters, fliers, and attending events in order to get people to your shows.
This is just the very basic, very dumbed-down, tip of the iceberg.
Coping Techniques
We know that coping techniques are different for everyone. As I mentioned earlier, I keep my sanity by roller skating once a week for a few hours. As dumb as that sounds, it does wonders. I have a group of friends that I hang out with who completely understand everything about my situation, and all we do is have a good time. No band talk, no telling me that I am a horrible friend for not being more available, nothing. Just straight up skating at Hip-Hop night.
Skating is how I take my mind OFF of things. When there are situations to be dealt with where I have to have my mind ON, it’s a little bit different.
We all have moments of doubt. We are human. When I have my moments of realizing that I could be making a shit ton of money NOW by giving up music and focusing on my 9-5 (or any other doubtful thought), I just take a step back.
Bass! 1999
Stepping back to gain perspective can be hard. Especially when you are already exhausted and overwhelmed. My most promising coping technique is to just light up a kiwi-flavored hookah, put on some Depeche Mode, and do some serious thinking and planning. There will always be bumps in the road for all of us. Let them be bumps, not the end of the things you love and work so hard for.
But it’s true, I could be making a shit ton of money…if I wanted to give up the only things that makes sense to me in life: music and my band. After a kiwi-flavored hookah and some Depeche Mode, I’ve decided that’s not going to happen today.

Producing, Editing, and Interviewing

Hey gang,

Apologies on the lack of blogs. Lots of cool things on the horizon for The Adarna.  We took the time over the holidays to really hone in on some specific things such as:

1) Stuffing our faces with food.  Then seeing family.  Crying about gaining weight because of stuffing our faces.  Taking solace with our instruments because they will love us for who we are.
2) Prepping to cut more tracks.  Pre-production and digging in deep to our songs.
3) Prepping for shooting our 2nd music video, for “Smell of Gasoline.”
4) Workin’ them interviewin’ skills.

Most of this will be covered by Episode 3 & 4 in our vlog’s which will be coming out this week but I thought we could share some of this ahead of time.

Pre-Production.  ——————————————-

Wikipedia does a fine job summing it up, but let’s talk about it.  So you and your band write a great song that you really love and now you’d like to record it.  For those of you who have recorded in a recording studio before, you know that there are two factors which you can control:  Time and Money (and you’re short on both).  Pre-production allows you to rip a song apart, cut the fat, ask the hard questions, then reassemble version 2.0 of song X before being in the recording studio.  This process should be vetted by the band the best it possibly can, then by an outside trusted person.  In most cases, this will a producer.

The producer set to tackle our challenge is Len Hotrum.  Talented rocker and lead singer for The Crying Spell.  Len’s job is to help us be objective and find the core of a song (the hook) and rock that hook till you can’t get the song out of your head.

Do you have to hire a producer?  Not at all.  But it’s hard for a group of people to be objective.  That’s why we bring in trusted consultants to help. 

We go into more details on Episode 4 which you will be able to find on our official YouTube Channel

Smell of Gasoline——————————————–

This is our second music video off of the EP.  This music video was shot at The Jambox in Seattle (RIP).  Directing this video was the ever-so-talented Josh Kirkwood.  He is the same music video director who directed “Honestly.”  In the final weeks of the Jambox’s life, we managed to shoot an entire music video around her.  The Jambox was a second home for musicians around Seattle since the 90s. We are so grateful that we managed to capture her in a video.  Look for this music video to come out in Spring of 2013.  In the meantime, here’s Honestly…

Breaking Brad TV ——————————————————–

We will be talking about this very shortly as details are allowed to be released, but Brad Nolan from 98.9 took some time and interviewed Andrea and myself. The show is focused on rising bands and we are super excited to be part of it!  For more updates: www.breakingbrad.tv

Hella stoked!  – Will and The Adarna

MYX TV Spot & Smell of Gasoline Music Video

“Honestly” did it again!  It secured us a TV spot with one of the largest Asian-American networks out there called MYX TV.  They’ll be airing our music video Friday 11/30!  You can view on the TV network or I’m sure it’ll be available on myx.tv.

We are also super stoked to be working with Josh Kirkwood again at the end of this month as he shoots our next music video for “Smell of Gasoline” off the 2012 EP.  Only down side is that it will be right after the Turkey Day holiday.  #bloatedband
In other awesome news:  We’ve got a Wikipedia entry!  YAAAAY http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adarna
-Will