Wander Years available now at:Posts By freddy hall
The Lance and Ray Show
Take a listen to an entertaining podcast from the insightful and hilarious Lance and Ray Show… you’ll get to hear from novelist Zack Wagman, and you just might recognize that toe-tapping number towards the end 
(clic image to listen)
Not A Lonely Guy – FREE DOWNLOAD
I recorded a song called ‘Not A Lonely Guy’ during the “Wander Years” sessions and after much thinking and tinkering with the track-list it was decided that the song didn’t quite fit with motion and mood of the album.
I’m not sure if anyone even pays attention to album flow anymore, but I grew up right before iTunes started shuffling songs around and it’s always been my priority to carefully consider the lineup of an album.
I’m very happy with this song – it’s fun and playful and honest. Three of the most challenging elements I run into while writing songs. I believe in the song and think it has a place out there in my lineup of proudly written songs. It stands best on its own.
This one goes out to the iTunes shuffle:
Recorded at Virtue And Vice Studios
Produced by Rocky Gallo and Freddy Hall
Alan Stevens Hewitt and Cian McCarthy played some pretty cool synth ambient patches.
Ingram Millier and I snapped our little hearts out.
I would like to thank the commuters and construction crew on Norman Avenue for providing a nice backing track.
If you fancy, you can download ‘Not A Lonely Guy’ for free
2012
Yeah… yeah… I know we’re already 22 days into the new year but there is never a bad time for reflection.
Time goes by real quick and, especially during quiet weeks, the feeling of being unproductive can hang around like an welcomed guest. Reflection is necessary for perspective.
I was just going through my camera roll from this past year and picked 12 of my favorite photos, or photos of moments, from 2012.
January: Lysastrata Jones – Closing Performance on Broadway. I was in the band.
February: Recording Lysistrata’s cast album with some of the coolest/craziest musicians. Recognize any of them?
2012 was the year of weddings… I think I went to four or five. They were all fabulous. I can’t pick a favorite. This photo was taken on the beach in St. Augustine, FL at my buddy Corey’s (co-designer of the Wander Years cover) wedding.
April: Easter show at Rockwood Music Hall. April 2012. The room was filled with a great audience willing to get pegged by Easter eggs.
May: Recording Wander Years. The most fulfilling and exciting experience of my entire life.
July: Kenya. Life changed. Photo taken at the Nest Rescue Center.
August: North East tour with Yellowbirddd and Doug of The Field Effect. LIIIAAAAAAAA
September: The unavailing of Wander Years. Epic.
October: Mini-tour/trip out west. I <3 SF
November: Filming The Brainwash music video. Photo taken outside my apartment building in Brooklyn.
November: Hurricane Sandy. Photo taken from my roof.
September-present: The birth of my alter-ego, Trace McCenzie, a record producer/promoter extraordinaire. Expect to hear more from him this year.
0 The Brainwash Music Video – [OUT NOW]
Well… my nephew might be getting a little more attention than me these days and I’d be jealous… only… he’s SO GOOD!
Perry Sherman directed and edited the video. Marques Walls and Alan Stevens Hewitt are a dream team band and I’m lucky to know them. It should be credited that the apartment used for the party scene is in fact Marques’ humble abode, along with Jamie Little. Andrea Setaro made her acting debut as “the lady doing laundry.” That adorable girl who lost to Roman in the game of Connect 4 is my niece, Reyna.
The party attendees include:
Tim Boreky, Stacy Davidowitz, Anthony Lee Medina, Jamie Little, Molly Little, Dan Schaub, Amanda Rosenburg, Janet Young, Suzy Quinn, Scott Isenberg, Ivan Reibeisen, and my Mom and Dad (for a split second.)
Check out the music video here and let us know what you think:
The latest write-ups and reviews:
I’m lucky to have awesome bloggers sending llove my way. Check out the latest write-ups and reviews:
Leicester Bangs – Wander Years review
That Music Mag – “Finding Freddy Hall”
Radio Crystal Blue – Live Show Review
The Brainwash music video – [COMING SOON]
My pal Perry Sherman (the other mind behind the first Trace McKensie video) and I started working on the very first “official” music video from Wander Years for the song “The Brainwash.” The video features my nephew – Roman Auth – as the main character, and ladies, he is a star.
Check out the song here:
There isn’t an official release date for the video yet, but you will know when it’s out. Trust me.
Check out more of Perry’s work here.
The Evolution of “A Lullaby”
"And I was like baby, baby, baby, oh. Like baby, baby, baby, no. Like baby, baby, baby, oh I thought you'd always be mine."
-Justin Bieber
A Lullaby is a tragic tale of a school girl gone wrong. It’s a melody of disappointments, pressure and insecurity.
Draft 1
California, fall of 2008
This song was created during tech rehearsals for Spring Awakening in San Diego, California. If you don’t know, a tech rehearsal is the time where all of the elements of a show together. Lights, set, costumes, sound, etc. The rehearsals are also painfully long and boring.
Noodling on my guitar was the only way to keep entertained and because of that, the seeds of “A Lullaby” were planted.
The first demo of the song was recorded on my computer backstage at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles in the fall of 2008.
Draft 2
Boston, MA sometime in the spring of 2009.
After sitting with the song for a few months I decided to get it properly demoed.
I spent a cloudy day tucked away David Siegel’s (engineer extraordinaire) humble bedroom. My pals Marques Walls (percussion), Liam McCormack (bass), Perry Sherman (backup vox) and Alice So (backup vox) kept me company and added their talents to the song.
We took what I originally had and created this together:
Draft 3
Brooklyn, NY summer of 2012
Having played the song countless times in rehearsal studios, coffee shops and roof tops, it was clear that this one wasn’t going to end up in the vortex of lost songs. It needed one final incarnation.
Working on “A Lullaby” for Wander Years was a spiritual experience. Everyone involved contributed much more than notes and rhythms to the track. There is so much compassion, heart, so much sensitivity in this recording.
This version features the genius of Marques Walls (Drums, percussion), Alan Stevens Hewitt (bass/synth strings), Cian McCarthy (piano), Ben Kalb (Cello), Thad DeBrock (Pedal Steel) Gabby Garza (sexy woman voice) and Anthony ‘Rocky’ Gallo (producer, engineer).
Of all the songs on the record, I’m most proud of this one.
Kenya Dig it? 3
I’ve been back from Kenya for three months now, but my friend Jenn Mundia made this pretty incredible video documenting our trip and her family. She even used a few songs from Wander Years! The other artist’s music featured in the video is our good friend Andrea Setaro - a beautiful songwriter and fun traveling companion.
Here is the video:
See what the people of HALL-YWOOD have to say about Wander Years:
Trace McKensie is back and at it again, wandering all around the Walk-of-Fame in Hollywood, California to bring ‘Wander Years’ to welcomed (and not-so-welcomed) ears.
(For people who don’t know – Trace McKensie is actually me. Yes, really. Yes. I know my acting skills are so outrageously outstanding and that accent and the glasses are a complete disguise, but yeah, it’s me.)
Wander Years release weekend and the reason I’m deprived of sleep:
It hasn’t even been out a week and I’m already desperate for sleep! We’ve had an incredible release weekend – starting off on Thursday in NYC at Rockwood Music Hall.
Here is a photo thanks to Seth Faulk:
And a video thanks to Suzy Quinn:
On Saturday we headed down to Dewy Beach to rock out to a bunch of drunk music enthusiasts and beach bums (or target audience, obviously) – an epic adventure.
Marques finally got to be on stage with us:
Great times were had and major thanks to EVERYONE who came out – friends, strangers, fans, alcoholics – your support is everything.
All that you need to know about Wander Years can be found here
