i am caught in the trees

2011-10-13T04:17:00.000-07:00

2012.

Hasta pronto.

DJ ON: WEB // TWITTER // FACEBOOK // SHOP // LABEL // NEWSLETTER

almost done

2010-06-25T22:33:00.000-07:00

i am now nearing the end of this tour, with just seven more shows to go. thank you to everyone who came out in support of "saint bartlett". it's going to be strange, being home, and not seeing the guys in kay kay and his weathered underground everyday. they're such an incredible band.

U.S TOUR with Kay Kay and His Weatherd Undergroud

2010-04-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

hello everyone,
below are my u.s. tour dates with kay kay and his weathered underground.
i am so excited for everyone to see this amazing band open up for me!
next to opening up the shows, members of kay kay, will be joining me on stage
as "the saint bartlett band". i am so blessed and honored to play with these guys.
you can hear their music here. http://www.myspace.com/kaykayunderground

see you on the road,
damien

5/29/10 Seattle, WA – Triple Door

6/02/10 Boise, ID – Neurolux

6/03/10 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge

6/04/10 Denver, CO – Hi-Dive

6/05/10 Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theater

6/06/10 Des Moines, IA – Vaudeville Mews

6/07/10 St. Paul, MN – Turf Club

6/08/10 Milwaukee, WI – Mad Planet

6/09/10 Chicago, IL – Schubas

6/10/10 Louisville, KY – 930 Listening Room

6/11/10 Cincinnati, OH – Northgate Tavern

6/12/10 Indianapolis, IN – IMAF Festival

6/13/10 Bloomington, IN – The Bishop

6/14/10 Columbus, OH – The Treehouse

6/15/10 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern

6/16/10 Cambridge, MA – TT The Bears

6/17/10 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge

6/18/10 Brooklyn, NY – Littlefield

6/19/10 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s

6/20/10 Arlington, VA – IOTA

6/21/10 Charlottesville, VA – Random Row Books

6/22/10 Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle

6/23/10 Nashville, TN – The End

6/24/10 Birmingham, AL – The Bottletree

6/26/10 Austin, TX – Club DeVille

6/28/10 Phoenix, AZ – Rhythm Room

6/29/10 San Diego, CA The Casbah

6/30/10 Los Angeles, CA Spaceland

7/01/10 Visalia, CA – The Cellar Door

7/02/10 San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill

7/03/10 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios

marching/flying on

2010-03-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

i am still awaiting the release of saint bartlett. soon. may 25th. i am excited and also anxious. it's wanting both, to go out and promote it and also stay at home. it's not how things work though. i'm going to be completely honest. over this past year, i wanted to hang this up. at least the going out into the world part. it was a lot that caused this. my deep growing love and devotion to my son, who is getting older. we have conversations all the time. he understands more. we teach each other new things daily. any day that i am not near him, is heart breaking. "the other part of me" is absent. he is encouraging in my pursuit of music.. well, so long as it's done at home. understandable. another thing that made me consider a change was the joy i felt being in the studio with richard swift. for the first time in my years of playing music, i felt able to really look at the songs for the first time. this is kind of vague. i am not even sure how i begin to explain it. picture a bird, for the first time walking on the edge of a tree limb and jumping. the bird's wings open as it is diving towards the ground, and just before it hits the ground, with the help of his own wings, he is taken to the sky. does this make sense? freedom. it's how i felt about the new songs. about the songs that i have still been writing. about my time in the studio with richard. about my time with him, talking about music and playing records. seeing his un dying devotion to his family and his music career. i left the studio no longer feeling "outside" or apart from other well known songwriters. i now see myself beside them. arm in arm. or at least near them. so here i am now. standing in this line. mentioned in the same breathe as those other musicians. considered a legend of my own time. i don't think that. some in the press said it. i'm fine with it. ...where am i going here? i guess it's to say, that i'm happy about my future and the songs. it's just getting out the front door first. or making it to the edge of the tree limb, to make a flying leap.

december 2009

2009-12-09T20:41:00.000-08:00

hello again.
as usual, i am never good at posting anything here. it's been so long, i have no idea on where to begin or what to talk about. hmm... well, for one, and i don't know if i mentioned this already, but i recorded a new album with richard swift. the experience was incredible and was everything i hoped for. three weeks set aside to record the album, were cut down to one week. this included mixing. vocals and guitar done live and for the most part in one take. i didn't want to fake it. my days of doing a guitar take and then vocal overdubs were over. capture the performance. it's what i love about "oar" by skip spence, and countless other great albums that i hold in high regard. richard was/is brilliant. what else is there to say? he's an old soul. the hardest part now, is not being in the studio again, right away. if i could, i would just make records with him only. i guess i could. i mean, why not? glen campbell worked with al delory for most of his career early on. one thing i realize more and more is that, there are no rules. music is complete and total freedom. everything else, well, most everything else, just seems like a prison. ok, it's not that bad, but you get the point. what else did i want to mention? i just got back from europe. it was such a great time, and unlike other tours i've done overseas, i got to see a lot. cathedrals and monuments. friends. new friends. it was great! so, thank you to everyone who made it out to the shows.

for now, i am looking forward to the next year. it's going to be exciting. the new record, which is called, "saint bartlett" by the way.. will be out in may. no exact day as of yet. we're still working on album art and there is still a lot to plan.

i will really do my best, to keep up with this blog thing.
for now, i wish everyone a merry christmas and happy new year.

above else, there is love.

damien

last days of the sun

2009-09-17T23:10:00.000-07:00

it's been a great summer. i went to the beach a lot. experienced the hottest days in seattle's history. i went to spain twice. toured the east coast. moved to a new house. and now that summer is over, which by the way, i am very happy about... it's the start of new beginnings. and what a way to start a new season? record a new album. tour europe. i look forward to it. monday morning i will celebrate my one year wedding anniversary and then head down to cottage grove oregon, where i will get to work with the brilliant and very talented richard swift. i have never been more excited about recording a record in my time of doing music, than right now. i'll be sure to update as things happen. for now, goodbye and take care everyone.

I am still here.

2009-08-28T23:34:00.000-07:00

hello everyone. i know it's been so unbelievably long since i have posted here. it's safe to say that my commitment to blogging is pretty bad. tonight i am in a small town, just outside of baltimore, maryland, currently on a tour with the weiss family/mewithoutyou. tomorrow night will be my last show of the tour. it's been a lot of fun.. however, i'll talk about that in another post. someday.

i have been so busy touring and writing. at the end of september, i will be heading to cottage grove, oregon, to record my next record with richard swift. i've never been more excited about recording, than i am right now. i have never been more happier than i am right now. after much begging and whining, i convinced sarah to quit her job and work with me, full time. it's a dream come true!

besides managing me, sarah has been spending time focusing on her photography. http://www.sarahjurado.com/ shooting weddings and assisting in other photo shoots.
i am so proud of her and her talent!

after our last u.s. tour, jamie went to live in denmark for a while. she is now back. i am hoping that we can do a show together soon.

speaking of other bands i play with.. hoquiam, just finished our first record for the st. ides label. no release date is set just yet.

i think that's it for now. i know this is such a short post.. but i am exhausted.
thank you thank you thank you for all the love and support. your comments and messages mean the world to me!

talk to you soon.

not keeping up

2009-04-16T01:45:00.000-07:00

i am spending far too much time on twitter these days.. so much so, that i am neglecting to ever post here. it's not that i have nothing to say, because i do. a lot has happened since i left seattle. i've been traveling with my trusty companion jamie, who has been riding shotgun the entire tour. since my name is listed as the only driver on my car rental agreement, i am doing all the driving. by the time i get home, i can say that i drove an entire tour across america and canada.. (triumphant music here). we saw denver through 10 degree temps, battled snow, out ran the cops, (not really), discovered orbs who come from the fourth dimension, had cupcakes brought to us by some very nice people, visited my friend jim in chicago, who has the worlds most meanest cat, took a ton of pictures on my phone, visited our good friends at secretly canadian, saw the studio i will be recording my next record in, cried, laughed, shook hands with angels, came to the conclusion, that i really don't care for canada, even though i love the people who come out to the shows, discovering our car has xm radio, listening to the spa channel, missing my wife and son more than i ever have before, stuck my foot in my mouth, trying.. and doing my best, getting to see calvin and shane, who drove all the way from ohio, video chats with sarah and miles, getting zero amounts of sleep, experiencing a high tolerance for everything, contemplating a whole foods and comfort inn tour support plan, eating when i can.. or not at all, talking more in between songs, trying new and old songs out for the first time.. there you have it. i'm sure i have left a lot out. there is still three more weeks of this tour left. ...a lot can happen between now and getting back home.

spokane to kennewick wa.

2009-04-03T01:20:00.000-07:00

spokane to kennewick. snow and ice, camera phone photos, forgetting the words to songs, xm radio, traveling with one of my best friends jamie, not sleeping well, my first GPS, new socks, jeans, t-shirts and comb, motels, gas stations, television, long distance phone calls, repeat daily. tomorrow we meet up with laura gibson in idaho - i can't wait!

Damien Jurado tours with Laura Gibson

2009-02-17T12:03:00.000-08:00

4/1/09 Spokane, WA - Empyrean Coffee House
4/3/09 Boise, ID - Neurolux
4/4/09 Provo, UT - Velour
4/5/09 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
4/7/09 Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room
4/8/09 Iowa City, IA - The Picador
4/9/09 St. Paul, MN - Turf Club
4/10/09 Chicago, IL - Schubas
4/11/09 Bloomington, IN - Russian Recording
4/12/09 Ann Arbor, MI - The Blind Pig
4/14/09 Toronto, ON - The Drake Hotel
4/15/09 Montreal, QC - Il Motore
4/16/09 Cambridge, MA - TT The Bear's Place
4/17/09 Brooklyn, NY - The Bell House
4/18/09 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Chapel
4/19/09 Vienna, VA - Jammin' Java
4/21/09 Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle
4/22/09 Birmingham, AL - The Bottletree
4/23/09 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
4/24/09 Memphis, TN - Hi-Tone Cafe
4/25/09 Nashville, TN - The Basement
4/27/09 Norman, OK - The Opolis
4/28/09 Denton, TX - Dan's Silverleaf
4/29/09 Austin, TX - Cactus Cafe
5/1/09 Tucson, AZ - Club Congress
5/2/09 San Diego, CA - Casbah
5/3/09 Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland
5/4/09 Santa Barbara, CA - Muddy Waters
5/5/09 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
5/7/09 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
5/8/09 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe

eight songs so far.

2009-02-09T15:14:00.000-08:00

when will you stop dying? get better. i have plans.

battles

2009-01-22T20:17:00.000-08:00

i am not here

2008-12-11T18:41:00.001-08:00

i've been riding with the ghost

2008-12-01T09:27:00.000-08:00

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i have been getting to see my friend jamie quite a bit since i've been back from tour. (http://www.myspace.com/husbandsloveyourwives) she went through some pretty hard times, while i was gone. the other day, sarah and i took her to out on the worst shopping day of the year. these are some of the photos i took of her.

we've decided to do a song correspondence starting later this week. the idea is to send each other letters in the form of song. once we are done with the project, more details will follow on how you can purchase a copy of the cd. it should be neat!

more later, as always - damien

caught in the branches

2008-11-29T20:32:00.000-08:00

now that we are back, i am spending a lot of time with sarah and miles, getting back into the swing of things.. being a father and a husband. it's been a while. the new songs that are just sitting in the waiting room will have to wait longer. and though, i can hear them protesting for a voice, i am doing my best to ignore them, like a bad host. a lot has happened at home since i was last here. friends lost and new friendships made or rekindled. the changing of seasons and days now shorter. i don't want to waste any time, living and loving every waking moment. no new years resolutions, just seeing what needs to be changed or mended and doing it.

in closing, i want to say THANK YOU to everyone who came out to our shows, it really meant the world to us!

more later, as always - damien

valencia, spain

2008-11-21T20:53:00.000-08:00

home soon.

Tiny Vipers - Göteborg, Konungariket Sverige

2008-11-15T08:11:00.000-08:00

oh, i disappeared

2008-11-14T17:20:00.000-08:00

taking it to the streets - berlin

2008-11-12T16:42:00.000-08:00

last name - smith

2008-11-11T17:01:00.000-08:00

we are half way through our tour and have experienced some interesting times. losing my passport in the uk and having to visit the american embassy, taking my first speed train from london to paris, only to arrive late, without eric and jenna (who stayed in london, just to find that i would be opening for an ac/dc cover band.. what? only to have the night be saved by my dear friend ruthie, who was visiting from seattle. http://www.ruthiesuniform.com/ i finally met up with jesy (tiny vipers), eric, jenna and our driver mira, then, on to belgium for an amazing show at trix,.. our last stop in holland for a show at an old monastery. ..now we are in germany. last night we played our first sold out show on this tour in the city of leipzig. the show was a lot of fun.. afterwards jesy and i went to see a show in a squat located in an area known for it's anarchist community. performing in the basement of this "club" was juiceboxxx, a one man electro punk act from milwaukee. http://www.myspace.com/officialjuiceboxxx his performance was really incredible. afterwards, jesy bought two 12" singles and we got to chat with him for a bit about his upcoming travels to russia. after calling it a night, jesy and i went back to the place we were staying for a short sleep. in the morning, all of us walked around leipzig before heading off to berlin, where we are tonight. again, it was another great show and the audience was really nice. i met a man and woman who flew all the way from dublin ireland, just to see the show! ..there is a lot more to all of this, however, i'm not good at explaining it all in type. i look forward to finishing out the rest of our tour with stops in scandinavia and spain.. after that, it is home to my wife and son. the day dreaming will become a reality and rest will be had.. at least until the holidays.

more later, if i get the chance - damien 11/12/1972

tired - europe

2008-11-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

the days have been short, though one week can feel like many. always in motion, if not your body, then your mind. tour is strange. as for me, it's a constant feeling of "just visiting". by show time, it all stops and becomes this moment of rest. at least for the second part of the set.

homeboys

2008-10-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

now that i'm home, i am still keeping busy. spending all of my time with sarah and miles, before we head out again for a month long tour of europe. the down time can be challenging if once you're used to always going from one city to the next. i noticed it's like this while on tour too. the days you don't play.. and just drives for hours on end. this time it seems, the challenge of keeping busy in the down time between tours, isn't quite so tough. having an eight year old son, who loves to talk and talk.. and show you neat little things makes this easy. it seems that every day there is always something new to discover and to talk about. places to go and things to do. if there an instore to do, like the one we just did here in seattle over the weekend, he comes along. being not just someone who is forced against his will to come along and listen to his dad's lame music, but becoming part of the show. i can only imagine the fun he would have in europe. ..then again, there is also the long rides in vans and airlplanes.

photo by sarah joann murphy - http://www.flickr.com/photos/brenius

midwest and east coast

2008-10-05T22:49:00.000-07:00

we started in chicago and ended in chicago. driving through the many toll roads (wow, really?) to show after show after show. we got to see a lot of familiar faces as well as new ones, i took photos of just about every cat i saw, we got to play on a lake opening for tortoise, we had a failed rendezvous with our friends fleet foxes between washington dc and philadelphia, we spent the night at many friends houses and hotels that we normally could never afford (thanks priceline.com!)and we had the pleasure of touring with miles benjamin anthony robinson
(www.myspace.com/milesbenjaminanthonyrobinson)did i mention that we finally made it back to the state of ohio after almost 7 years of not playing there? i told the audience that the new state song should be my song "ohio" and that the new state motto should be "see ya some time". i doubt this will ever catch on.

to everyone that came out, thank you! words cannot express how grateful the three of us are for your support.

a few weeks home and then we are off to europe with tiny vipers! - www.myspace.com/tinyvipersss

www.flickr.com/photos/damienjurado/

damien

on your shore

2008-09-12T01:23:00.000-07:00

we've had the best time on this tour, playing shows and meeting up with old friends and making new ones. the album reviews and responses to our live set have been great. thank you to everyone who came out and supported us. words cannot express how grateful we are. two more shows on the west coast, and then we make our way out east.

black cab sessions

2008-09-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

england to kansas

2008-08-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

happier than ever

2008-07-31T20:54:00.000-07:00

i have never been more excited about playing music in my life, than i am right now.

08/06/08 Seattle, WA - KEXP in-studio
08/17/08 Crickhowell, South Wales - Green Man Festival
08/18/08 Manchester, UK - Trinity Chapel
08/19/08 London, UK - Bush Hall w/ Bowerbirds
08/30/08 Seattle, WA - Bumbershoot
09/07/08 Sacramento, CA - Harlow's
09/09/08 Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland
09/10/08 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
09/12/08 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
09/13/08 Seattle, WA - Triple Door
09/25/08 Chicago, IL - Schubas
09/26/08 St. Louis, MO - Biliken Club
09/27/08 Madison, WI - University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
09/29/08 Cambridge, MA - T.T. The Bear's Place
09/30/08 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
10/01/08 Brooklyn, NY - Union Hall
10/02/08 Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel
10/03/08 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Chapel
10/04/08 Columbus, OH - Milo Arts

"lessons in showing up" or "admitting you're wrong"

2008-07-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

1. the ground below - sarah dougher
2. rain - peter sarstedt
3. wounded bird - graham nash
4. flying on the ground is wrong - buffalo springfield
5. tiger trap - beat happening
6. responsiblity - thanksgiving
7. i blame you - some velvet sidewalk
8. she's real - kicking giant
9. underground house - palisades
10. sometimes - zoo
11. love song for the dead che' - united states of america
12. you don't know - dennis driscol

"i did get the one thing i really wanted.. you."

2008-06-15T23:16:00.000-07:00

..this came from the back seat, after feeling the frustration of day and withdrawal. i did my best to not let him see me cry. a look back in the rear view mirror and silence. his eyes looking out over the bridge we were crossing. "it's been three weeks since i last saw you. that's a long time. but now, you're here!" ..and then a request for water. "yes", i said, "but now i am here.." i could barely get the words out.

he requested that the music be turned up, as we got off the freeway exit and on the road leading us to his house. the car parked a few houses a away from his, i felt the grip on my pinkie finger as we walked hand in hand. we approached and i commented that the grass had been cut since this morning. he hadn't noticed. the front door opened and a loud "hello? momma?" greeted with a smile and a hug. "the little deserts are for us! you can have the chocolate ones ok?" a quick run down of the food he had for lunch and then dinner.. "fruit? yes, he had grapes." the exchange of quick facts and then quick goodbyes. "i will see you tuesday!" he shouted from the kitchen. i could hear his feet still hitting the floor from jumping around. "ok, i love you!"

leaving his house, i noticed the short distance from his front door to my car seemed to take forever. not until after sitting in the front seat did i realize, i was still holding his water bottle.

long distance new york 2

2008-06-02T22:19:00.000-07:00

nobody knows who are.

long distance new york

2008-06-02T00:32:00.000-07:00

many hours spent in a van. plenty of time to think and plan.

chicago, illinois - a boy named named calvin

2008-05-29T02:37:00.000-07:00

Damien,
It looks like your show in Chicago has been changed to The Abbey Pub. I called and they couldn't confirm it yet but we are hopeful and excited. My 8 year old son and I are hug fans and can't wait to see your show! This trip is a reward for a great year at school.

Our fingers are crossed.

Shane
Columbus Ohio

dear shane,
from what i know, the show is at the abbey pub. glad to hear that you and your son are making the trip! it means so much to know that you want to come that far just to see the show. i would have loved to play in ohio, but sadly, we aren't playing there this tour. i'd love to meet you and your son after the show. do the two of you have any song requests?

all the best,
damien

Hi Damien,

I just showed Calvin, my son, your message and he is jumping up and down like crazy. You're his favorite musician by far. Your offer is very generous – it would be great to meet you after your show. Calvin will be wearing his Ohio State hat with the block O if he can find it. Calvin’s favorite song is Ohio. He’s an aspiring musician/dancer and wants to learn to play the guitar and/or violin. It’s hard for me to pick a song, there’re all great. I lived in Seattle for seven years and spent some time around White Center and can identify with that song – if that’s what your song is referring to. That would be a good one. Thanks again and we’ll see you in Chicago.

Bet Wishes

Shane

note: calvin and his dad drove 6 hours just to see the show! afterwards i signed four of my cds for him (which he brought with him to the show). we talked about music, calvin and hobbes, shoes that roll, seattle, and my 8 year old son miles (who is a month younger than calvin).

minneapolis, minnesota - 2.

2008-05-28T00:16:00.000-07:00

minneapolis, minnesota - 1.

2008-05-26T19:11:00.000-07:00

i have been wanting this tour with jeremy enigk to happen for so long. i've known jeremy for 18 years and the influence he's had on me as a songwriter is giant. today, i was telling our friend jens (who has been driving this tour) that it was jeremy who first showed me how to play the guitar. just three simple chords and that was it. from then on i was writing songs and recording them into my tape recorder, since i didn't own a four track machine. during this time, jeremy had already been an established songwriter and performer with his band, "sunny day real estate", who were appearing on late night talk shows and being played on the radio. after writing my first few songs, jeremy helped me record my first four song demo, that would eventually end up in the hands of sub pop records. soon there after i signed on to do a single and then, four full length records. today i am playing songs for audiences on tour and putting out records because of him. ..words can not describe just how thankful i am.