This is probably going to come as no surprise but I’ve been working on the 24 page booklet for the album for quite some time now. I started the process probably more than a year ago but only really got into some kind of stride and focus sometime around January of this year.
Why is it taking so long?
Why does anything take so long? That’s probably both the answer and… maybe how that question should actually be asked.
Reason #1: Life. Kids. Work. Y’know… those things.
Reason #2: Trying to do anything and everything else for the purpose of promoting this album. I’m far more behind on many elements of this than I would like to be… but my heart tells me it will all fall into place when it needs to. And truth be told, I work better with clutch pressure. I hate it, but I work better with it. I have a very focused determination in those circumstances.
Reason #3: Not having a clue what it is I want to do with it.
The thing about album jackets and album imagery as a whole is that I’m of the “old guard” in that I firmly believe that the visuals are as important as the music when it comes to what I would consider the “total package” of an album. A lot of that goes back to being a teenager before the digital age really swung into gear. MTV and music videos were absolutely necessary in order to break an artist. And during (and certainly before) that time, the physical product – the CD, Cassette or Vinyl – was the only thing you really owned when it came to that release. So it had to somehow present the look and feel of that music you were listening to.
In the best cases, that imagery provided a glimpse into understanding what that album was all about.
Sure, the beauty of music is that no matter what I say one of my songs means, it’s likely going to have a very unique and personal meaning to just about each and every person who listens to it. That’s the beauty of abstraction – which, in its best forms, art is.
That being said, the ultimate goal for The Art of Tactful Procrastination (as it is for any of my albums, really) is to provide some kind of visual representation into what the album is really about, while at the same time making it entertaining and fun. To that end I knew it wasn’t ever just going to be a lyric book with a few images – it would be an experience… at least inasmuch as an album booklet can be.
It is about visuals. But it’s also about connecting dots. It’s about showing where the themes of the album tie together. It’s about striking that balance between “pretend rock star” and “father”. It’s about straddling the line between dreams and despair. As I’m designing it now, there’s something both over-the-top, and understated, about it.
And – much like the collection of songs themselves – something I’m becoming very proud of.
Yes, it also – somehow – has ties into the Treasure Hunts I’ve put together for this album too. How’s that for crazy?!
Images are forthcoming. But in the meantime, know that I’m working my tail off! You’re going to love this album.
And you’re definitely going to love the packaging!
Stay tuned!