Burn Me Out - Review

"Burn Me Out" is a powerful, well-built power pop song that carries a familiar feeling and delivers it with conviction. Its appealing vocal performance is set up by a sparse, acoustic intro, then propelled by a hard-rocking band. Great stuff@
- Larry Oppenheimer (Broadjam Pro Review)

A review of "Every Now And Then" by Reed Burnam

Every Now and Then is the new album from John Renaud, playing songs originally showcased in the mid/late 2000’s by his LA-based band Bridgework.  Even though Bridgework officially dissolved as a band several years ago, with the bulk of its members leaving the LA area and dispersing to various locales around the North American continent, the music lives on with Renaud, a founding member of the group and an accomplished solo artist in his own right.  Every Now and Then is his attempt to record and archive material spanning over a decade of writing under the Bridgework moniker.

Stylistically, Every Now and Then sticks with a fairly standardized, college radio-ready alt-rock format that paid dividends for many a similar band back in the 2000’s.  Renaud’s current album carries forward that torch, a kind of admixture of late 90’s/early 00’s post-alternative/post-grunge (think late-era Foo Fighters, not knuckle-draggers such as Staind or Nickelback), melodic SoCal punk-lite, and a few emotive asides thrown in to break it up a bit.  As a whole what one uncovers with this record is a pretty well-hinged, honest rock outing that wouldn’t be out of place on college rotation with other such acts of the last decade.  Lyrical schemes tend to be fairly straightforward with a air of dogged earnestness, such as on the affecting “No God or Heaven”, or the plaintive “First Try” or “Burn Me Out”. 

Every Now and Then has a tangible insularity to it that is most likely reflective of the fact that it was recorded in its entirety by Renaud in his home studio (and mostly crowd-funded by a Kickstarter campaign, no less), a notable feat in that the album sounds great and is amply fleshed out despite the lack of multiple artistic inputs, a tribute to Renaud’s varied musical talents.  There’s little doubt that Renaud is an effective musician and songwriter (not to mention sound engineer), demonstrated by the fact that Every Now and Then does much to funnel many of the post-alt artists Renaud obviously holds close to heart. 

That being said, a major hamstring here may well be Every Now and Then’s oftentimes indistinguishably familiar sound, coming off like so many other similar bands playing similar music.  Though Renaud states via his website that Every Now and Then is an attempt to cull together songs written over a ten year period in order to give them their due and to then move on as an artist, a listener may well find him/herself tuning the record to the background after just a few songs, given its centrist dynamics, well-worn contours, and at times over-cooked subject matter.  There’s little by way of surprise on Every Now and Then, with perhaps the exception of the somewhat out-of-left-field (yet appreciated) “Orchestral Break” leading into the opening piano lines of “Picture Frame”, and each new track, however well done, seems to bleed into the next, with few real highs and lows, so to speak. 

From the first track to the last, however, Renaud’s abilities as a multi-tasker are on full display, and there’s not really an unpolished moment on the record.  Stand-out tracks include “The Game”, with its well-placed chorus hook, “Hey Kid”, which is a nod to the poppy SoCal punk idiom, the angsty “Another 4am Whatever it Takes”, and the moody “No God or Heaven”.  The all-acoustic “Reaching Out” caps as a nice closer.

In all, though one knows what they’re going to get with Every Now and Then by the time the first few tracks have passed, Renaud has made a statement here.  The now-defunct Bridgework’s material has been collected and released as a proper timepiece with Renaud’s well-heeled studio chops making the release ready for possible radio play.  And now an artist can get back to making new music, and leave the ghosts of the past to rest.  As Renaud sings in title track “Every Now and Then”, “Anything you do, put your heart into; If you can see it through, it comes back to you”.  Indeed.

Bridgework

Every Now and Then – LP

Reviewer: Reed Burnam

The making of "Every Now And Then"

"Every Now And Then" is not the album I wanted to make.  It is the album that had already been made, but hadn't been recorded yet.  It was an attempt to capture some of what bridgework had been, some of what bridgework might have been, and perhaps point to what it might be still.  Mostly, it was a challenge to myself to build on my recording, mixing, and production skills.

The songs selected for the album span over a decade of writing.  For this reason, the title "Every Now And Then" seemed appropriate. When I arranged the final song order, the tracks more or less fell into place chronologically:

• New Beginnings / Something To Say  / Another 4am were all written around 2000 - 2001, while I was still in college.  They were originally recorded for my 2002 demo album titled "Hero's Welcome"  (along with several other bridgework songs).  They have improved over the years.  Something To Say and 4am were staples of the live bridgework experience from 2006 to 2008.  New Beginnings found new life in my solo acoustic shows of 2009 and 2010.

• Self Destruction Blues was written around 2003 - 2004, and was one of the original bridgework songs (along with Return).  

• Picture Frame / No God or Heaven were both written between 2005 and 2006. Picture Frame was performed live once at the Bridgework "World Disappears" CD release show in 2008.

• First Try  / The Game came about between 2006 - 2007.  Bridgework performed First Try several times as a band, and I started performing The Game regularly in my solo shows in 2009. 

• Hey Kid started its life as a slow and somber number in 2007, but was reinvented as a more upbeat song in 2009 for my solo shows.  It progressed into more of a punk song for the album.

• Every Now And Then started its life years ago as a mellow indie-rock type song, and eventually settled into its present form in 2009. 

• Burn Me Out was written in 2009.  I like it. 

• Reaching Out was written in early 2011.  It was one of those rare, simple songs that just sort of happened in one night.  

(New Beginnings)

The process of making this album began in 2010 when I started recording rough demos and scratch tracks.  Later that year I ran a kickstarter campaign which was completed in February 2011.  The campaign was a modest success, and thanks to that I was able to upgrade my home studio, and set aside funds for mastering.  Even with the enormous help of kickstarter, I ended up paying for most of the studio upgrades myself.   But the whole kickstarter experience was about more than just money.  It was about finding the conviction to make a record at all.  It was a highly palpable motivating presence through the darkest of hours.

I then spent a few months selling off old gear and picking up new (used) gear that better fit my needs.  I designed and built my own custom recording desk, bought two new computers, updated my software, and put together my own sound absorbing panels for my studio / mixing room.

(Another 4am Whatever It Takes)

When I finally set about recording tracks, finding time proved to be difficult.  I was working six days a week between two jobs, and on my only day off my shared lockout space was regularly being used by another band.  After several months of ridiculously late nights and Saturday night all-nighters, tracking, experimenting, and re-tracking,  I finally completed all of the recording in March of 2012.  I played all of the instruments on the record, performed all of the vocal parts, and programmed the midi drum parts.

Then came the mixing, editing, and remixing until, still unsatisfied, I decided it was time to "just go with it."  But I didn't like what the first mastering sessions sounded like, which lead to more remixing.  Then I sent it off to another more expensive mastering studio, and was once again disappointed.  This time around I couldn't get a refund.  Ultimately I ended up taking the mastered files and tweaking them a bit more myself, resulting in what is now available as "Every Now And Then."

I kept it simple with the album art by doing a charcoal pencil drawing of myself standing back to back with a childhood representation of me, which I believe embodies the spirit of the title track.

(Burn Me Out)

I have never worked harder on anything in my whole life.  Seriously, the last time I put this much time and effort into anything it was called "college."  I wanted so badly to capture these songs in recordings that could stand up to all the professional songs I study and admire.  And to that end, despite all of my efforts, I can't help but feel disappointed.  But the learning experience was invaluable.  What I'm not disappointed with are the songs themselves.   They are all slices of my life shared the best way I know how, and come attached with immeasurable sentimental value.  Deep down I needed to get these songs out into the world before I could really move on to new things.

(Reaching Out)

I want to thank all of you who have supported me and encouraged me throughout my musical journey both as a solo artist and as bridgework.  It truly means a lot, and has kept me going for over ten years now.  And of course I have to thank Scott, Erik, and Wes for being bridgework with me for the time that we were all together.  At present I am working hard at promoting the album as best I can - hopefully I'll get a spin on the local radio show or maybe get a song licensed on some obscure cable network.  But I'm not going to spend too much time on it.   Mostly, I'm looking forward to working on some new ideas and being creative again.

Thank you for listening.

Best,

John Renaud / Bridgework

Every Now And Then - Official Release!

Bridgework's "Every Now And Then" is now officially released and available at the following sites (and many more)  -

Bandcamp

iTunes

Amazon

Spotify

CD Baby

 Hope you enjoy the tunes!

Every Now And Then

Bridgework's latest record "Every Now And Then" will be officially released on November 20, 2012.

"For The Good Times" - a live Bridgework set from 2007

Unearthed a not-completely-horrible live set that we played at The Joint in Los Angeles on January 5, 2007.  Since live bridgework recordings are scarce (this may be the only usable one) I thought I would share.  This was with the full lineup of me, Scott, Erik, and Wes.  Its important to note - tuning one's guitar before playing a show was optional and generally frowned upon in those days.

Kickstarter campaign for a new album

Hello! My Kickstarter campaign to help fund a full length Bridgework album is up and running. There are a variety of incentives for donating. I don't receive any funds unless I reach my goal of $3500. I appreciate any and all support!

For more details go to Kickstarter

Thanks, and Happy Holidays!

New Beginnings - Live - Boston MA July 8, 2010

New Beginnings 7-8-10 by jamfox

Jango Online Radio

Hey Friends,

You can now find Bridgework and John Renaud (me) on Jango.  The links are included below.  Jango is a great site where you can create your own custom radio stations, much like Pandora or Last FM, but with a little more control.  And independent artists like myself can pay to have our songs introduced to listeners who we think will appreciate them.

Bridgework  - http://www.jango.com/music/Bridgework
John Renaud - http://www.jango.com/music/John+Renaud

You can also friend me as a listener - my user name is JamFox

Thanks!

Under The Bridge (9/1/10)

July, 2010:

The main reason I planned two separate trips to Vermont in the same month was to attend two different weddings. But I like to make the most of my trips back east by getting around and playing some gigs so I set up shows in Boston, Burlington, Richmond, and New York.

The first trip home started with a delayed red eye flight out of LA resulting in a missed connection in Newark. Waiting for the next available flight to VT, I came across a guy jamming in the terminal, switching on and off between accordion and violin. I sat close by to listen and do some people watching. Everyone assumed that we were together since I had my guitar with me, and I thought about trying to jam with him, but in the end I just sat to listen, write, and sip some watered down starbucks. The strangest thing was the lack of applause as he'd finish up a song; just aloof airport silence with perhaps a few reverberating claps.



I arrived in Burlington VT with just enough time to get my rental car, pick up my friend Matt, and hit the road for a 4 hour drive down to Boston. It gave Matt and I time to catch up, as we hadn't seen in other in 7 years or so. I played that night at Hennessy's Hooley House which was in a pretty happening part of Boston. My high school friend Stephanie showed up to see me, and my college roommate Nick showed up after I had finished my set. The real fun was catching up with everyone after the gig, and figuring out a place to stay for the night since my original connection never showed up.

Woke up early the next day (moderate hangover) and soon Matt and I were on the road back to VT. I played that night at the Radio Bean in Burlington, one of my favorite spots in town, and one of the most gracious venues to artists of all kinds. During the first few songs there was this drunk girl sitting up front making sarcastic comments about things I was saying, and talking loudly over me as I was playing. All I could really think the whole time was; "What a bitch" and "should I ask this girl to leave?" Thankfully, she left on her own after 3 or 4 songs of my penetrating evil gaze. Perhaps I was a bit on edge myself after two nights of little sleep encompassing a cross country flight, another show, and 8 hours of driving. But its always great to play in Vermont, where I have by far the most support. Thanks to all the folks who came out on a dreadfully hot and humid night in Burlington!

The rest of the trip was great - a BBQ with friends, Geoff and Jessica's wedding, and a treasured visit with my Aunt Monique suffering from terminal cancer but in good spirits as always. Waiting at Burlington Airport for my flight back to LA I even ran into a cousin, and got to catch up with her and her twin boys.

While I was back in Los Angeles working and preparing for the next round of travel and shows, it became apparent that Auntie Monique's six month time frame was more a matter of weeks, which quickly turned to just days. The Monday I was scheduled to leave for Richmond I got the news that she would most likely not make it through the night. I canceled my Thursday gig in New York City, and purchased a flight to VT from Virginia. When I arrived in Richmond Tuesday morning she had passed away.

Despite the situation, I had a pretty good day catching up with former Bridgework bass player Erik, and his wife Christa. They gave me the quick tour of Richmond, and that night Erik joined me on stage for a few songs. Special thanks to Laura for setting up the gig at The Camel, and everyone else who came out that night.

The next day, Wednesday the 28th, my birthday, I flew back home to Vermont to be with my family and grieve the loss of Aunt Monique. My brothers and sister all came home too, making it the first time our whole family, parents and kids, had been together in over 8 years. Although we come from a rather large extended family, Monique's passing was especially difficult as she was the closest Aunt to us and was the most present in our lives. As it turned out, the Saturday that her funeral was held was the same day as the wedding I had originally intended to travel home for anyway. After the funeral I did attend the wedding, although I passed on the reception to have some more family time.

An eventful July 2010, to say the least. Congrats to Geoff and Jessica, and to Nic and Tansy, for tying the knot! Sorry to my New York friends, who I hope to see again very soon. And to Auntie Monique: Know that we love you, miss you, and will continue to live with your example and influence everyday.

NYC on July 29, 2010 - Canceled

Hi folks,

My travel plans for this week have changed. I will no longer be going to New York City as planned.

All the best,

John

For The Good Times (5-28-10)

If Boston has a home away from home (in LA anyway) it is most definitely Sonny McLean's in Santa Monica. They've been having some acoustic performers there on Friday nights, and while its not exactly what you'd consider a music venue, it actually has more to offer a struggling music guy like myself than most places. For one, the place actually does have its own crowd, so it wasn't so embarrassing showing up knowing only a couple people were coming to see me play. Second, there was no cover charge to get in, and third (and this is the real deal-clencher) they gave all of the performers a generous $50 food/beer allowance. It was almost like getting paid.

I arrived on Friday as the fourth quarter of game six of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals was winding down, and Boston was sure to emerge victorious. The place was packed, and pumped!! I was more than a little frightened at the thought of trying to play original acoustic songs for a liquored up crowd of fanatics whose team had just made the NBA Finals, and were perfectly content singing along to Sweet Caroline or chanting Beat LA! But not to worry, I was assured that we wouldn't start any music until after the game crowd had dispersed a bit. I was also pleased to discover that I wasn't the first one scheduled to play.. phew! But it was a last minute gig so I was going in to do my thing and have fun. And knowing I had $50 worth of free beer to drink, I intended to use it! . . . and I did.


Some shots from Elise's camera phone:

For The Good Times (5-17-10)

So I went up to Pasadena last night to play a solo acoustic set at the Old Towne Pub. It was a Monday night, and I was pretty certain that nobody was going to come see me play. There was a small gathering of locals at the bar to watch the Lakers and Dodgers games, and that was basically it. I felt a little guilty going up to play (at least the games were over), but in this kind of situation what can you do? So I go up to do my thing and by the time I'm done the place has pretty much cleared out except for my girlfriend, my friend Judd, and Sebastian A. Bach (who I had met at an isgoodmusic event a couple months back).

Being that nobody else was scheduled to play, I suggested that Sebastian play some songs. He said ok, and after disappearing for what seemed like only a few minutes he shows back up with 4 or 5 energized people who are all ready to hear some music!! The remainder of the night consisted of trading off the guitar and mic amongst anyone who wanted to play, and we all had a blast busting out Elliott Smith tunes, Pearl Jam, Tragically Hip, more of our respective original stuff, and even a little Bob Marley!

Sometimes this crazy world of music is only as good as what you and those around you are willing to make of it. All in all, it was a good night.

Check out some of Sebastian's music at www.myspace.com/ohyeahthefuture

April 2010 Update

Hey folks,

Just wanted to give you a quick update as to what I've been up to, and what I'm working on for 2010. I'm currently in the pre-production phase of the next bridgework release that will likely be a full length CD. I'm having fun working out some of the songs before stepping them up toward some kind of final version.
I can't say exactly when it will be done, but I'll keep you posted throughout the process.

I'm also starting to schedule some solo gigs on the east coast for July.
I already have July 9 confirmed in Burlington, VT and I'm looking for a Boston area gig for July 10. If you have any recommendations, please let me know.

I'm also looking to schedule some gigs in Richmond VA, Washington DC, and New York City which will happen later in July.

I really need all of the help I can get to help offset the costs of these efforts. If you haven't already, please donate a few dollars, and download my latest EP HERE

Thanks!

Some videos from 3-1-10 at Air Conditioned Supper Club

More videos from 3-1-10 on you tube:

Hey Answer 3-1-10

Every Now And Then 3-1-10

Play That Song 3-1-10