Baby Orange

"Hey Brook just texted me, want to come to the studio with me at 4?"

Why does this always happen when I'm in the middle of something unavoidable. Like trying to dry my hair. Last time I went into record I was drunk. On accident. I was told I would be called "sometime during the week" to set up my session, instead, my go-to guitar/banjo/mandolin player happened to be there so he wanted me to come in right then. Right then, I just happened to be in sweats and hammered. Stephen and I had been watching Ghost Hunters or something..you have to drink every time someone says "ghost" or "spirit"..super cool. Anyway, I went in, sang it through twice, told Joe I wanted something like Sugarlands "Stay" and bam, one take the guy lays down parts for my pride and joy- "Over and Again."

I'm not drunk this time, and it's only scratch track vocal day so it'll be fine. Studio needs money up front and of course I mysteriously can't get a hold of my manager. Shit. So we stop at my work, grab my paycheck, cash two paychecks at the bank then head to the studio. Hopefully it's enough.. I have practice at 6 and I was supposed to bring my bass player a promo pack for some show in Spokane, but I forgot it, again. Great.

Stephen: "How are ya Brook?"

Brook: (grumble grumble) "Better now that you're here"

Stephen: "I was gonna bring you some beer but I spaced it"

K guys, I get it, you're friends, today we're recording my song ok...mine mine mine

There's always a little dog.

Stephen: "oh look at you with your haircut you look like a different dog!"

Brook: "it IS a different dog"

Us: "Oh."

I forgot to take of my shoes for the 37th time as I walk back to the vocal booth so I kick off my chucks real quick and think to myself..way to go Kate..how hard is it...take off your shoes. I put on my headphones, adjust my volume, guitar track, my vocals...click..nah I don't need a click. I sing the song in one take, doesn't have to be perfect, just a scratch track..but it pretty much is perfect..if I do say so myself. :)

Brook: "Ok, you're done"

The next 30 minutes are comprised of Brook and Stephen chatting back in forth about all the glorious musical endeavours Run From Cover is soon to experience. We talk about the Ourstage competition for Warped Tour and the new LoveDrug show. And how crazy it all is.

Brook: "Ya that site really confused me, I got on there and voted though"

Stephen: "thanks man, I can't believe you had time for that"

Brook: "I didn't have time, but I voted anyway"

I picture Brook sitting at his mixing board finishing someones song and simultaneously clicking "better" or  "same" on the Warped Tour judging site on his other monitor screen. Ha...

I swear this little dog has licked off all the spray tan on my right arm. I pick him up and put him on the ground. He starts licking my feet. Of course, I come into the studio to record a new song and talk about what's going on and instead Stephen and Brook playfully banter about the "biz" while I get licked by the dog and wonder if Brook thinks I'm weird. I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm weird. I wonder if he knows I was drunk last time I was here...I wonder if he even thinks I'm good. Maybe he's like look at this weird girl always in chuck taylors recording country songs one by one...wtf is her deal. Whatever.

Stephen: "Do you have any new toys?"

Brook: "all sorts of new toys"

Stephen walks into the instrument room.

"OH YOU HAVE A NEW BABY ORANGE"

Me: "What the hell is a baby orange?"

No one answers me. I'm dumb. And still not a part of the club, I am ignored for my stupidity.

Brook wants to know what this song is for, what I want on it, how I want it to sound..any artist or song in particular that kind of mimic the idea I'm going for. I tell him I'm going to Texas the 25th, opening for Jimmie Van Zant, and my manager wanted a country rock song, and this song is as close as I can get with my original stuff. I don't wanna go up there and belt out "Baby No" at the biker rally/Jimmie Van Zant show...I mean I kinda want to..because I think it'd be funny and make everyone uncomfortable..but I won't, because I don't want a beer dumped on me or something.  Sigh...Texas is going to be fun.

Brook: "I can finish it for you by then Kate, but you HAVE to come in and record your vocals on the 23rd ok. You have to"

Me: "Ok..what day is that? what time?

Stephen: "She won't be up before 1pm"

Me: "Shut up Stephen"

Brook: "You don't work that day?"

Me: "I work weekends"

Stephen: "She makes bank, she bought me an xbox"

Brook: "Now I know why you hang around her"

Me: "ANYWAYYYY. I don't "make bank" and I can be up anytime, whatever lets just do 3..I'll be here at 3."

We get in the car, I have to be at rehearsal in 30 minutes. We stop at Andy's work so we can get some coffee. I haven't eaten yet today...ugh. Coffee makes me nauseas. I have Stephen drop me off at practice, Rog already has my wine poured into my ceramic mug that says "zum zum" on it, sitting nicely on top of the table next to the couch where I sit at every rehearsal. I sit, at every rehearsal. Not because I'm lazy, but because it's easy to sing standing up, so I sit and force myself to sing at full capacity. Sounds stupid, but it really has helped. Lungs of steal. No one told Lee we moved practice. Whatever, we go through a couple new originals, I have 2 more mugs of zum zum, we take a break. We start working on the covers for our Columbia Center Mall gig on Thursday, May 10th. 2 more mugs of zum zum...maybe 3? Whatever Bill lives in my complex and is my guitar player, I'm not driving home today so it's all good. I didn't eat today I remember...oops.

I get home and Stephen is in bed, annoyed because when he dropped me off I forgot to give him the keys to the apartment so he was locked out for a few hours. My bad. Gus is insane, per usual. I haven't eaten today, I remember...hmmm what sort of culinary genius can I come up with...No more ham, for the love of God I baked a ham like 5 days ago and I swear I've eaten the left overs two times a day. Ummm I don't want cereal...I wish I was at my mom's, they always have the best food. The best,10pm-a-little-buzzed-from-practice-boyfriend-annoyed-with-me-food. CUP OF NOODLES OMG YES. For some reason cup of noodles was like the best thing I could ever hope for. Annnnddd I think I want an english muffin...yaaaa. Yaaa a cup of noodles and an english muffin...annndd my easter basket full of chocolate covered whatever. Where is that, I want that. I binge, and watch River Monsters

*side note* - This is why I don't like boating or "floating the river" well this and my genuine dread of being seen in a swimsuit in public bur...have you SEEN this show? THIS SHIT IS REAL PEOPLE. I ain't gettin eaten by a nuclear waste mutated trout or what the hell ever. Nu uh. HANFORD IS RIGHT THERE. God only knows what freaky deaky water animals lurk below you in your stupid ski boat with mounted speakers blasting Power 99 and throwing your bud light bottles below..you're only going to piss them off, and wake up the terror circling below you in the murky darkness. SEE YOU ON 1,000 WAYS TO DIE BRO.

I am still hungry. Whatever. I chug two water bottles...damn you zum zum mug. I wake up Stephen, we watch 2 more episodes of "Game of Thrones" which we are OBSESSED WITH. Stephen and Ben like it because it's like some game called SKYRIM on xbox or something but I like it for the obvious reasons you'll just have to watch it sometime. I pass out, wake up at noon because Gus somehow opened my bedroom door? Jedi-Cat.

Stephen gets home from work and I ask

"What's a "baby orange?"

Stephen: "You're so cute."

Perfect. This is why I can never "talk shop." Leave the talkin to the men. I'll just look pretty and sing my songs. Fair Enough.