gabriel o'brien: news

So here we are at the end of the year. Honestly, my own music has very much taken a backseat this year. In some ways it was a welcome break. I've been working of so many other projects that have been both challenging and time consuming, and while that has been gratifying I am very much ready to get back to my own music. I'm going to be booking some shows after the first of the year for certain, as well as finishing the half-recorded new album, Dirt & Bone.

I've added a page in the site browser on the left called Upperhand Studios. What is that? It's the studio name under which name I produce audio and video recording projects. I have a long history in film and video and have been working in that field in my spare time for years. I've spent the last few years acquiring all the audio gear I wanted to have for my home studio so I could start recording my own music at home, which would give me the freedom to record at any time of the day or night - whenever I was feeling creative. But I've also help shepherd recording projects for various other bands and singer/songwriters and wanted to start offering recording services of my own. You can find some information on this page about I do and I'll list more shortly. For now, if you have questions feel free to ask via the contact page.

And last, but not even remotely least, I am proud to announce that Tom O'Brien's (my dad) new album, A Restless Farewell, is finished and has been released.  It is available for purchase and sounds so awesome.  You should totally buy a copy.  You can pick one up from me anytime, or from him - but good luck tracking him down.  Seriously, it's been a labor of love and we're both really proud to have it done.  I'll post a link to it on iTunes and CDBaby just as soon as it's up.

Well it was finally time for a redesign. Love the new background photo as much as I do? It was taken by MIchele Warshay, an amazing photographer I'm lucky enough to know. More updates coming soon, as well as a blog and some new music.

So after a long hiatus we're finally back in gear and will record "Dirt & Bone", a new ep, this weekend. We're all very excited about getting together and going through these songs. Look for the Dirt & Bone Ep to be out over the summer, with a new studio album to follow shortly.

so it's 2009. we're well rested, having taken much of the beginning of the year off. a lot of it was unintentional, as i've been involved in a whole lotta other projects recently. but in a way, it's actually been good. it made me step back and realize that this really is what i want to be doing. soooo...we're going to be recording a new 5-song ep very shortly here, as i have been promising for a while. it'll be out by end of summer at the latest, and will likely be an exclusive offering here on the website and at shows.
who knows, it might end up on itunes too.
in other news i'll also be offering live recordings of shows past in packaged format. they'll feature art designed by myself (and possibly other artists - who knows) and will be very high quality homeburned cd's. these will be full shows, warts and all, only available at shows. or if you really really want one, email me and we'll work it out. the first full show available will be from our recent outing at the book&bean in berea, oh.

Congratulations to President Obama on his inauguration. It's an historic occasion and I'm proud to be an American and to get to witness it.

New shows added! Check the tour page, which is now called "gigs." Why'd I change it? Cause that's what I call 'em.

Also, the ep is coming along nicely:)

More to come!

So winter has descended and Christmas is around the corner. We're about to play our last scheduled show for the year and I'm sad to see 2008 go. But I am so excited to see what the new year brings!
The Dirt & Bone ep is still in the works, and many of my parts are already mostly done. I got to spend a month with a whole huge case of Shure's KSM series studio mics, which was incredibly awesome. Huge thanks to Shure!
Come see the whole band perform at Muggswigz in Canton this Saturday at 8 pm!

Wow. So much is happening right now. I'm sitting here at my computer listening to a recording I made today for my upcoming ep (should be out after the new year), "Dirt & Bone", and listening at the same time to CNN's coverage of President Elect Obama's win. What an amazing time to be alive. His acceptance speech was sooo amazing and gave such a clear sense of direction for where our country needs to head. I'm really excited about his ideas for public works projects, and loved what he said tonight about where we'll be in 100 years of change.

Now on to the update. Like I said, I'm working on a new ep. I love "Songs from 3am," my current album. I'm really happy with it and so excited to have my music out there floating around in the ether. In my lifetime it never occurred to me that I'd do such a thing. But since I released it in December of '07, I've written 20-some new songs and have begun to perform all over NE Ohio with my newfound band.
20 songs is way too many for an album. I'm sure some of those songs will be left off and some will be moved to make way for new songs, which is all part of the organic process of making any album. And I don't plan on making another full length album for a year or so. But there are a few songs I wanted to get out out there now, songs which I feel should be heard, but maybe aren't right for the next album I have planned. So I'm opting to release them in a 5 song ep, called "Dirt & Bone." It should be released after the first of the year.

In other news, I've been booking a whole gaggle of new shows, both solo and with the band, so keep an eye out for those.

Thank you to everyone who worked hard on both sides of the aisle and everyone who volunteers to work this crazy process we call an election. And thanks to everyone who voted, who made their voice heard and made a difference in the world today.

g.

So, just a quick note about something new and cool and exciting I'm trying: free live downloads.

I've recorded every show and rehearsal we've had over the last couple of years, and will be posting two selections from my archives every week, downloadable for free to all at my myspace. For those of you who haven't seen me play live, this will be a great way for you to get a taste of what it's like. Some songs will be with the band, some will be just Joe and I, some will be solo. So keep an eye out and feel free to shoot me any requests if you were at a particular show and heard something you liked.
Another side note. If you happen to be at one of our shows and have a good time that evening, and really want a recording of the show, you can purchase one for $10. I'll burn and mail you a copy within a week of the show date.

This week's free downloads are "tonight tonight" recorded on 10.04.07 at CW's Open Mic Night, where I play every week. It features myself and Joe Porter.

and "amy" recorded on 11.02.07 at Java Jo's, and featuring Joe Porter, as well as special guest Myra Morrison on violin.

download them for free at myspace.com/gabrielobrien

Just a quick update - I've added two new shows to the tour page, which we're very excited about: a halloween show at our favorite haunt, Java Jo's in Berlin, OH, and a show at the Book & Bean in lovely Berea, OH near Baldwin-Wallace College for you Clevelanders.
Also, I'm going to soon be starting a new fun way of getting to know my music. I'm going to be using my myspace to post two free downloads every week from shows we've played in the past couple of years. There'll be no real rhyme or reason to how I choose the songs, it'll just be whatever I think is fun and interesting to listen to. So be watching out for that as well at myspace.com/gabrielobrien

Can you feel it? The air is cooling off slowly and my favorite season is just around the corner. In preparation for autumn, I'm ramping up my daily coffee intake, taking my sweaters out of storage, and (you guessed it) booking new shows! I'm doing my best to explore new venues across the lovely state of Ohio, as well as anywhere else time and travel permit. So if you think of anywhere I should be playing, let me know and I will do my best to get there.
Also in the works is a new EP, to be recorded soon. Since Songs From 3am came out, I've written some 22 (and counting) new songs, not all of which will make the next album. I've been trying to rotate live recordings of some of them onto my myspace page from time to time, but I'm planning on getting the usual band and a few guests together to record a things in the near future.

so i am home, safe and sound, from a wonderful vacation in turkey. i had soooo much fun. you can read all about it as i post my travel blogs on my myspace. myspace.com/gabrielobrien

We are currently working on booking shows for spring/summer 2008. Any interested venues should contact booking@gabrielobrien.com.

the entire band have been undergoing varying degrees of upheaval lately, but rest assured, we are booking shows for spring and summer and can't wait to get on the road in support of "Songs from 3 am!" You can find the album under SWAG to purchase through CDBaby or on iTunes. And you can find song clips of new unreleased material over on my myspace.

Happy springtime to all!

~gabriel

Sorry, I know it's been forever since I've posted an update. So much has been happening it's been hard to keep up. First, we've obviously added Andrew Simms, our percussionist, who has been playing all the recent shows with us. Andrew is proving to be great to work with. Make sure to say to hi to him at the next show.

Second, all kinds of new songs are popping up in the setlist. I'm writing a TON of new material. Hopefully we're doing a fairly seamless job of melding it into the setlist, but make sure to let us know what you think. Feel free to leave any questions or comments in the guestbook and I'll get to them whenever I can. And I promise to do a better job at updating the site more regularly. For now, check out all the new photos and band bio stuff, as well as the lyrics I'll be starting to post.

the seattle's show has been moved to february 15th due to a scheduling conflict.

yep, that's right, i am now on itunes. how awesome is that? if you wish to download the album, you can find it here:

SONGS FROM 3 AM is now available. I'll have them on me most of the time, as well as at CW's open mic night, larry's music center, any of the upcoming shows in the "tour" section, and COMING SOON to cdbaby.com and itunes. thanks for listening!

g.

so i was at work yesterday and got a phone call from my cousin, dan, offering me a show that very same night over at ashland university. the little voice in my head thought i should blow it off cause i wasn't prepared, but i figured if i couldn't handle a show at the last minute i should get out this business entirely. so i said yes and went.
let me interject here and say that the roads were really icy and, while i managed to get to the show, getting home was, at times...you know, harrowing.
anyway, the show was a lot of fun and we got a nice little audience going after a bit. i just wanted to say a big thanks to dan and tyler for thinking of me and putting on the show. for those of you that were there, here's the setlist:

bottle broke
anywhere but here
3 am
wait for the day
oh, icarus
in the morning
life is beautiful>> save me

"songs from 3 am" will be released independently on dec. 7, 2007. we'll be playing at seattle's coffeehouse in wooster that night, and at java jo's in berlin the following night - where we'll be doing a special joint cd release show with special guest jrl. we'd love to see you there.

hello and welcome to my new website. this set up is pretty much a temporary one, the site layout will be changing a lot over the next few weeks, so look for that to happen. also, there'll be photos and videos and all kinds of stuff posted soon, so check back often.