Howdy, y’all! We’re at SXSW in Austin, Texas right now, about three hours before our big show here at the Cedar Street Courtyard. SXSW is a crazy blend: part Mardi Gras, part industry convention, part local music festival. You never know what you’re going to see or hear next.

This afternoon we were asked to participate in a filmed piece for the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips is acting as correspondent for the Tonight Show and interviewing everyone from Pete Townshend to the average man on the street. We aided Wayne in making “music videos” for three hard-working Austinites along Sixth Street, the main drag for music in Austin.

Don’t miss the piece next week on the Tonight Show because Wayne found some wacky folks to join in on the madness! And that’s in addition to TSQ!

More photos and bloggy revelations to follow.

Eric from TSQ

Mexican food always seems like a good idea, but when you have to keep on working AFTER eating it, you can get yourself into trouble. We’re working with Linda tonight and have made a lot of progress today. We should be finishing a complete song in one day, which would be a first during these sessions, because we’ve been experimenting with sounds on this album and exploring lots of different sonics.

Today’s song (which is a surprise so I can’t divulge the title just yet) has come together quickly, though there are some very unorthodox sounds on this one…..and we’re currently playing around with a very large kick drum…not exactly typical string quartet stuff!

This weekend we resume work with Jon Brion and then back with Linda on Monday. No rest for the wicked!

Eric from TSQ

At 3pm on January 24th, we resume work on our album by congregating at Linda Perry’s studio. Can’t wait to dive back in and make some music. Since we last saw Linda we’ve collaborated with Ryan Adams and recorded for Rilo Kiley’s new album. And we’re collaborating with the lads and lass from Garbage next week in a benefit show for Wally Ingram, a friend of Richard’s (and many other people!) who unfortunately has been stricken with throat cancer.

Busy times. Good times.

Eric from TSQ

A storied studio in the heart of Hollywood. Ryan Adams is playing a piano in the other room as we listen and prepare to add strings to his music. Creativity flowing from the control room to the studio and back again. Making music today.

TSQ

So we’re sitting in the legendary A&M Studios (now called Henson Studios) listening to Jon Brion work on rough mixes of the first of three songs he’s producing for us. Believe me when I tell you that you won’t believe your ears when you hear this stuff. Our goal is to maintain the integrity of the string quartet while creating sonics that help reimagine what a string quartet can do.

We spent two weeks with Linda Perry at her studio and came away with six or seven tracks that are in various degrees of finished-ness. It’s almost time to rest for the holidays before we fire back up in January to finish this bad boy off.

Should have some new photos from the studio and maybe even a little video action for y’all to enjoy. That’s if we find some time in between rockin’ our socks off!

TSQ

TSQ officially began work on the new album yesterday with Linda Perry! There are many days of long hours and hard work ahead, but the end result will be well worth it. Richard’s been snapping pictures constantly and we even have some video rolling so there will be behind-the-scenes stuff out here soon.

Can someone explain to Eric why there was a cement mixer truck growling outside his house at 7:45 am this morning? Didn’t they know that he didn’t get home from the studio until 2:30am? IMBECILES!!!

More bloggy-type stuff later….

The TSQ Gremlin

Thank you to everyone in Augusta who came out to see us play at the Imperial Theatre last week. Leah, Daphne, Richard and I had a wonderful experience playing for you guys and hope we can do it again. We even got to play for a bunch of junior high school music students in the morning and their response was great.

Highlights: the beautiful theater and its brand new marquee, our friend Justin sitting in with us during the morning performance, the Soul Bar, checking out all the antique stores on Broad Street, the kindness and generosity of everyone we met and the warm repsonse we got from the audience.

Eric

Rock & roll ain’t always a party. For example, here we are at LAX waiting to fly to Augusta for our next gig and the flight has been delayed due to weather in Atlanta. Now it’s tough enough getting up at 5am to make it to the airport in time, and to then get delayed is not a good feeling. I don’t mean to complain because I don’t always have to get up at 5am like many people, but due to this new world we live in, traveling by air is not as fun as it used to be!

Anyway, sorry to wax on here but I’m incredibly sleepy…..

See y’all in Georgia!

In our long and storied musical career we’ve had the opportunity to experience many crazy things. Tonight was one of those experiences: this string quartet played God Save The Queen to bring Steve Jones on stage to introduce a screening of the Sex Pistols’ documentary “The Filth and The Fury”. The crowd was amazing. Jonesy was amazing. The LA night sky was amazing. Indie 103.1 was amazing.

Thank you Indie, Jonesy and the good people of Los Angeles!

Can’t sleep. TSQ has a show this coming Friday and we’re working on some new songs that I can’t get out of my head! The Shins, The Sex Pistols. Good stuff, indeed, but so catchy that at 4:30 am my internal clock woke me and the songs are off and running ’round my brain.

Of course there must be some other stuff on my mind but that’s another matter entirely.