In the studio. | Lewis Handford

Hey all!

It’s been about 1000 years since I have posted and so I thought I would just drop a line to re-cap how things have been going for the last while. Mainly as a way to keep things in perspective for myself, remind me that things have been going pretty good for me professionally, but also to remind me of how far I need to go. So. . . . . .

With 60+ gigs last year it was pretty full. That doesn’t even include the hours of rehearsal and travel time. Lots of surf shows with The Mighty Swells that included our second year at The Great Lakes Surf Battle at The Cadillac Lounge in Toronto with was absolutely incredible. So many awesome bands and new friends made. Luau or Die, Derk Derkerson, The Blue Demons, The Robots, The Gnarly Ones, King Beez, The Black Eleven, The Reverb Syndicate, Rocket XL5, The Huaraches, The Men In Gray Suits, The Cliff Divers, The Calrizians are all some of the best musicians and greatest bands that I have ever had the pleasure of sharing the stage with. The Candian surf community is truly a formidable and welcoming place!!!!

I also had on-going good times and wonderful gigs, touring, rehearsals, studio construction, and green tea hangs with my musical partner in crime Paul Cargnello. This year holds some great things in store including more gigs and tours with the plans to release a new record so stay tuned for that. Lots of more details to follow as always. I have already recorded drums for a session with Paul as producer to a great Franco artist out of Quebec City by the name of Jean Philippe Couet. So stay tuned for that record to be released very soon.

I would have to say that a major highlight and by far the biggest production I have ever been a part of was the Noel Nights 2-night performance at the Maison De Symphonique in early December. I was very fortunate to land this show for the 2nd year in a row playing drums with one of the greatest bands assembled to support a headlining cast of the best singers around.
Rufus and Martha Wainwright were of course the masterminds behind this show to benefit the Kate McGarrigle fund with is a great organization that benefits teaching and research in sarcoma which Kate suffered from. Artists that were in the show were Janie and Anna McGarrigle, Loudon Wainwright III, Lucy Wainwright-Roche, Emmylou Harris(fulfilling a long term desire I’ve had to not only meet EmmyLou but also play drums for her!!!!), Jenni Muldaur, Teddy Thompson and so many more members of the clan that made the night so memorable and magical!!!!!

So here is to a new year with a whole bunch of great possibilities ahead!!

P.S.: Perhaps you may be wondering why it would take so long to write a new year post? Well. New years doesn’t mean much to me since January 26th is really the beginning of my year since its my birthday. So while I eat cake and ice cream and wonder why no-one is looking at my blog, I’ll be looking forward to what is in store for me and mine!!!!

-Lewis

“Montreal-based pop-rockin’ unit Dany Laj and the Looks are set to unveiled their latest LP Word on the Street next week, but Exclaim! is streaming it in its entirety a week early”.

Last summer I had the pleasure to record an album while playing in Dany Laj and The Looks. We headed to Toronto to lay down a great batch of new and old tunes that best represented the band. It was a great couple of days that were some of the best ones that I’ve had in or out of a studio.

My great thanks to all that were involved and you better check this album out!!! Its a killer batch of tracks!

Read the Exclaim! article here: http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/dany_laj_looks-word_on_street_album_stream

Listen to an extra special streaming preview below:

Category: In the studio.

Brand new year!!

Exclaim! streams upcoming Dany Laj and The Looks album ‘Word On The Street’

New song from the upcoming Mighty Swells album