That's not exactly what the job description said
Robbed on Spanish motorway / Donate for tour expenses
So this is top material for a song I guess. And fuck, no, I can easily do without it. There was some little hope this 2024 tour could be the end of what has been a constant race against trouble and an ultimate breakdown, trying to be faster, trying to keep the upper hand. Starting with the spring tour, which just made up for costs and losses of January and February and a small part of the studio expenses of the new album. May till July spending all there was on getting the album ready and all the time at hands on booking the tour for it, running the crowdfunding campaign, interrupted by a handful of shows. At no point ever knowing whether this all would pan out in a good way, get ready in time, or how to pay it.
Hoping, praying, swearing, reducing daily meals down to fried eggs, pasta, tobacco and coffee. No break, full throttle, hoping the tour shows and the merch sales would give me some rest en route or at least when back around Xmas.
It looked promising up to a certain point. The vinyl got ready just on the day I had to leave, after things seemed to not work out at all just ten days prior. Gigs went down nicely, merch could have been better, but still kinda OK. Good vibes peaking with the Perpignan show I had the pleasure to share with Boucan. Playing some of the album tracks together felt like flying. Bliss. Utter bliss.
Followed by a sunny morning after weeks of drizzling rain. Just as if all would finally be fine, take an enjoyable twist. As if the spell was broken. That being the sunny morning of Friday, 11 October 2024, when loading in and hugging the Boucan boys a last time before setting out for the Teruel concert. Before the fragile flower of optimism crumbled, fell to pieces, disintegrated on the hard shoulder of a Catalan motorway, a few miles south of Macanet. The second hold-up in my touring history.
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Škoda blue and the black legged Jesus
is, as you probably know the title of the new album. After a shitty test pressing of the vinyl, I finally received a very good new one this very day. Praise the lord! This means the vinyl version, the cd and the cassette will all be ready for the long part of the tour. Just a pity it wasn’t available at the shows in Poland, Slovakia and Czech Republic. Sorry for that but also a good reason to come back soon.
There are two digital singles out on all the digi channels, so feel free to have a listen on Spotify and the likes. “Higher Germanie” is a traditional folk song in a remarkably different arrangement than the ones you might have heard so far. “Škoda blue” is sort of the title track of the album and that’ll be all in terms of streaming. As I pointed out earlier I don’t think it makes much sense for me to have the full album there for next to no benefit for me. When it comes to paying artists for their work Spotify and the likes couldn’t care less about us DIY- solo artists. Of course there is that point of advertising your shows on social media through those free streaming services. Sure, makes some sense, but I think two songs should do for that. Some might say you have to play the game, you really don’t have a choice, all that kind of thing. I don’t agree. I think having not much to lose gives you quite some choices.
The crowdfunding campaign for the album
Except of the vinyl which will hopefully arrive this last week of September most of the rewards have been sent. Once again I want to thank you all for helping to release this album with an unbelievable generosity. I’m still chuffed. Really. Merci, kiitos, thanks & diky moc! I hope it will mean as much to you as it means to me.
Live videos from this year’s European tour
“Forty or Eight” a few days ago in the mountains of Haute-Savoie:
”Snake Eyes In Paradise” from that very show, an unreleased new song based on words by Denis Johnson, edited by Flora. Thanks for sharing!
”Golden Age Of Bloodshed” featuring Boucan live at L’Anthropo, Perpignan on 10 October 2024.
Next shows
20.10. F - Aiguelèze/Rivière, La Javanaise (w/ Brunoï Zarn)
22.10. F - Toulouse, Le Cameleon
26.10. F - Lauris, Cafe Villageois
27.10. F - Lyon, Cooperative du Zebre
01.11. F - Avranches, Ti Boussa
05.11. F - Dijon, Black Market
06.11. CH - Bern, House Show
07.11. CH - Olten, KultA
09.11. D - Weiden, Milchbar
See All other dates of record release tour 2024 here…
Interview with Rockstage Riot Rhein Main
In the beginning of my spring tour with Nightbird I had the pleasure to meet Stefan of Rockstage Riot Rhein Main music blog for an interview in some bizarre Chinese park in Frankfurt/M., Germany on one of the few sunny days we had the chance to enjoy on our tour. The whole thing is online now here!
Biel & Haute-Savoie, Oct 2023
Here are some lovely shots from Patrick Principe who came to see my show at Café du Commerce in Biel, Switzerland. Have a look here, on his website.
Stupid & Innocent Years
Recorded this song with violinist Pavel Cingl in Svárov, Czech Republic with some minor adjustments and the final mix done in Nuremberg. I like the song a lot and I’m very, very glad EgoTherapie of Nuremberg made a wonderful little animated video for it. The only release that happened in 2023.
Gig review (in German) of our tour show at Dreikönigskeller Frankfurt/M
One more about “Dog & Typewriter”
Unexpectedly a late but nonetheless amazing review of “Dog & Typewriter” came in. Peter Gruner wrote it for the German daily newspaper Nürnberger Nachrichten. As it’s been only in the print issue you have to read the scan here… Worthwhile. Cheers Peter!
Some reviews of “Trad & Anger”
Remembering that whole somewhat difficult process of making it feels good to read these. Seems like it was all worthwhile. German ones on Nordbayern.de, Ox Fanzine and blueprint-fanzine.de and an English one in Fatea Magazine.
Some video links
Mäkkelä with Folk’s Worst Nightmare - Loni-Übler Haus March 2022
Mäkkelä live at Loft LoFi, March 2021
Merch-Shop
Reward yourself or your loved ones with some of the strangely sweet music available in the Mäkkelä webshop!
