by davidbhphd » Sun May 03, 2020 4:30 pm
And this, straight from Tom
TOM HAMPTON UPDATE - MAY 2020
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Greetings, friends...it's been quite a while.
I sent out a short note last week as a bit of a "testing, one two" moment, to see who wanted to remain on the list and who wanted to bail, so if you're receiving this - then you either missed that note or you're here because you want to be, so...let's move on.
Many of you follow me on social media and this won't be news to you - to those of you who don't, the photo in the email may have tipped you off already:
Yours truly is now the newest member of Poco.
I played a handful of shows with the band before the Coronavirus descended upon us, and those shows turned into an invitation to join the band as a full member - obviously, it's hard to clarify what that looks like in this day and age, but I've been a fan of the band ever since I was a teenager, listening to the clock radio my mother got me for Christmas, and my love for their music has only intensified over the years. In the time since I became a professional musician, I've opened shows for the band, I've gotten to know them as friends, and today - here we are.
We're having conversations on a regular basis with regard to what happens once life returns to normal, and it probably goes without saying that I'm beyond excited to go out into the world with my new band...the band that I've loved for most of my life.
Obviously, our current quarantine situation has affected all of us - and the artist and performer community has reacted by taking our shows off the road and onto the internet..
Many of my fellow performers have taken to livestreaming on Facebook and elsewhere to compensate for the loss of income from live performances - and since I've plied my trade as a sideman for all these years, I opted to stay out of the livestream and post single-song performances on my YouTube channel instead, so they could be viewed whenever someone decided to swing by.
I christened the series "The Sweatpants Sessions", and before I knew it, I had THIRTY episodes in the can.
The response was heartening, to say the least...and enough folks expressed an interest that I've recorded a handful of the songs from the YouTube series to release them as a collection. Volume One of The Sweatpants Sessions will be shipping the first week of May to folks who want to have a physical copy of the CD - for folks who'd rather opt for downloads, we'll provide a download link for the songs from the album.
I didn't think I'd enjoy this as much as I have, but the response has been amazing, energizing, and incredibly gratifying - and between this and the promise of having joined my favorite band, it's been a truly interesting time to be alive.
To that end, I've also relaunched the long dormant tomhampton.com to provide a home on the web for folks who want to touch base from time to time, to order albums, to keep tabs on shows (when that becomes a thing again) and the like.
It's a crazy time - it's conflicting to have this creative resurgence amidst the backdrop of the current chaos and uncertainty, but - here we are. I know that many of my fellow artists have found themselves in similar places, and we're all reacting to our circumstances as best we can, myself included.
So - while we watch and wait and wonder about what happens next, I'm putting out a recording of eleven of the songs from The Sweatpants Sessions and writing and recording for a new, full-length release of original songs later in the year, and - as we speak, composing a long-winded note to let you good people know that I'm still here, and I hope that all of you are safe and well - and that you continue to be safe and well.
If you're so moved, stop by the website and take a look around.
If you're interested in buying a CD, take a peek in the store.
If you want to peruse the Sweatpants Sessions episodes, by all means - have at it.
In the meantime, I hope to see as many of you as possible on the other side of this thing.
There will be a season TWO of The Sweatpants Sessions in the near future, so make sure you subscribe to the channel if you're so moved - or stop by the website and click through the social media links if you want to keep in touch.
As I mentioned, there's a new full-length album in the works, songs have been written and recorded, and I'll do my best to keep you posted as things progress.
Be careful out there, OK?