A narrative prequel to their debut album SUADADE, Sinful Things is Spells and Curses creating a sonic representation of their live sound, with a twist of lemon. The result is a rock album, full of unabashedly epic intentions. The perfect companion for floating through space.
theRave: Vocals, Guitars, Synths & Bass
theProfessor: Drums & Percussion
Ben Schigel: Mixing
Mitchell De Koning: Editing
Calvin Edwards (FY Agency): Front Cover Photo
Oh Dorothy, sweet Dorothy,
Did you truly think I'd leave you?
Simply put, I was merely getting a hold of my bearings. It's a new age my dear, and with it comes a new sense of purpose on my part. I've learned so much in the past few months; both about myself and about the world I wish to leave behind. All I can say for now is this is only the beginning...
I've developed quite a storm coming your way. Forecasts says you'll be dripping wet, but knowing you, you won't mind much. That's good. It's good that at least some things haven't changed. Everything else seemingly has. That's not a bad thing, though. I feel there's a great liberating feeling that occurs when one sheds away the past and embraces new skin. I think you of all people will come to appreciate this most of all.
New spells and curses.
More questions and answers.
ALL
IN
Time
Love and nothing but,
theRave
This is the first single off our newest Sinful Things (In Stores June 2nd).
It's a compilation of live footage from a handful of shows from our first tour.
When we were wee wittle guppies. #AhMemories
You could also listen to it via:
\\ Spotify //
\\ iTunes //
\\ Google Play //
\\ Apple Music //
and EVERYWHERE ELSE music is sold + streamed.
Like most of the CYAF tracks, this cover is an experiment of sorts. It's more or less an indicator of what I'm trying to do with regards to the vocal production for some of the tracks on the upcoming EP (particularly the vocal harmoniessss!). It was also really fun going crazy with the guitar to get some the "out there" sounds you hear on this track (yea, that's not an orchestra sample I got there, tehe!)
Initially, this cover was only going to be vocals and guitar. But then it gave me "Little Wing"-vibes and I decided to throw on a mallet instrument too. After that came the guitar solo and all the crazy aural experimentation that comes along with it. Everything sounded great, but then I figured it could use some drums to make it more trap-soul-ish. I didn't even want bass on it to be honest, but after some more experimentation, I figured why not and VOILA:
Things have been kinda quiet here, haven't they?
Well I assure you, that's perfectly normal.
This is what's to be expected when new music is being made 😉
Though we're recording our next batch of EP's, we still can't seem but miss playing live for you. That's why back in April we made our (somewhat) surprise announcement that we'd be playing the opening night of the 2016 Queens Night Market (which had 10,000 PEOPLE in attendance! YIKES!).
A few months of recording later and we're still getting that itch.
So here's the scratch:
We'll be returning to Desmond's Tavern's to introduce you to some of the new songs! So drop by and join the party as we set forth a night filled with new melodies, riotous jollity, and tasty libations.
Desmond's Tavern 433 Park Ave S, New York, New York 10016
Sat. Aug 6th / $8 / 7:30pm / 21+
cya then
Here's a clip of us "putting on the lotion" at our show The Bitter End.
Special thanks to Marsin Digital for capturing this beautiful moment!
Join Spells and Curses on YouTube ► http://goo.gl/gG53G2
At long last, here we are.
After almost 6 months of playing, we're about to embark on the most defining moments any artist or band can ever go through. We are very proud to announce that we're taking the show on the road, but will first take baby steps. In addition to playing New York, we're hitting up Connecticut and New Jersey for the first time!
Also, if you haven't noticed... we're ending the show at the ever legendary Bitter End. So you can bet your bottom dollar that we'll cap it all off with a bang. Mark your calendars and get your tickets!
*Any additionally added dates will be included in our live section*
Be sure to follow up on our facebook, twitter, instagram, and newsletter to keep up to date on any additional (and secret) shows!
To celebrate SUADADE's 1-year release, we decided to give the acoustic treatment to 3 songs off the album. Each song was done in one take, re-arranged, and put together to be brought to you.
The third and final video of the series, features "If Only You Knew".
Shot by Rey Santiago Cut by Alfred Ying
Dearest Dorothy,
In celebrating 6 months since the release of the Blackbird music video, I've decided to once again give you a peak behind the curtain.
Here it is, the very informal (and crudely written) video treatment for "Blackbird". This final revised treatment was written on July 13th, 2013. That explains why some of the links included are dead today.
It's about as detailed as you'd expect from me. This was written directly for the video's director, Alex S. As you can see, I had Kanushree Jain in mind for the lead, and boy am I glad she joined the project.
Enough chat. Without further ado, here is a small peak into how my mind works, I guess:
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
"Blackbird" Music Video Treatment
↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
To celebrate SUADADE's 1-year release, we decided to give the acoustic treatment to 3 songs off the album.Each song was done in one take, re-arranged, and put together to be brought to you.
This is the second of the series: Illunga [Acoustic]
Shot by Rey Santiago Cut by Alfred Ying
To celebrate SUADADE's 1-year release, we decided to give the acoustic treatment to 3 songs off the album.Each song was done in one take, re-arranged, and put together to be brought to you.
This is the first of the series: Black Sclera [Acoustic]
Shot by Rey Santiago Cut by Alfred Ying
You read correctly.We've gone INTERNATIONAL! This means that Suadade and all future releases will be available worldwide, from all online major music retailers.
Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself:
iTunes //// Spotify //// Google Play //// Amazon //// Tidal
Heck, you could even SHAZAM Spells and Curses now!
This opens the door for many possibilities, but above all, bringing the music to the people.
Here's to a sexier 2015.
BACK TO WORK!
The music video for “Blackbird” has finally been released!It may have taken a while, but I feel this to be the best initial step into the visual realm of music.
The experience of creating the music video was pretty extraordinary. I remember when I wrote out the treatment, I listed exactly what I wanted for this video. I had everything sketched out from the look of the video, the locations, and wardrobe, to the lighting, the feel, and most of all, the story. Everything you see for this video was exactly as I had pictured it in my brain. Same shots, same camera angles, everything right to the last frame. That's the genius of Alex S. He delivered in the most important way. He was able to take what I had written on paper, bring it to life visually, and edit it together so that it all makes sense.
THIS, ladies and gentlemen, is what a director that's dedicated to getting the shot looks like.
Then you also have the talent of our two actresses; Kanushree and Vidushi Jain. Kanushree (our main character) showed a dedication and professionalism to the project that I am truly thankful for. I recall telling her that a significant portion of the video would feature her in sweats, while jogging with no make-up. Now I don’t know how most girls would have felt about doing any of that (while being filmed, no less), but she never once complained or had any doubts; just a dream to work with.
It’s been a blast hearing people’s interpretations of the video! A lot of them were pretty far from what my original story, but they still made sense (I love when great art does that)! Here’s a 2 tidbits about the video from my side of the fence:
What the heck is it about? It’s a story that’s happening within 3 concurrent yet alternate timelines/realities. Without getting too specific, after bottling her emotions for so long, we witness a girl having a breakdown. During this breakdown, she breaks through to alternate reality where she is with a person she lost. However, she is comatose because her being doesn’t belong in that universe. As soon as she snaps out of it and returns to her own reality, she realized that her body has been jogging mindlessly for hours. In a nutshell, it was an attempt to display what it looks like to experience the utmost echelon of an emotion, and in this case, the emotion was despair.
Why did you release it on 02/03/15? As you may remember from previous posts, numerology has a way of factoring into my decisions, one way or another. Simply put, it made the most sense. There were actually a ton of reasons that pointed to this date, but in my never-ending haste, and because I didn’t log any of them down, I can’t remember a single one. If you’d have asked me a week ago when I still had them fresh in my brain, I would have had an answer, but a week is a lifetime for a musician. Rest assured though, that there were quite a few signs. I’ll edit this post if I recall any. (They were really deep too =/)
I hope you guys enjoyed the video as much as the team and I enjoyed creating it. If you haven’t seen it yet, well, what the heck are you waiting for?!
This is because of you. This is for you.This is from me.
It took a bit longer to make than the other tracks in the CYAF series, but it was worth it. I worked hard on having the arrangement take this song to a new zip-code, while still maintaining the same grey skies as the original. I'm pretty proud of this mix too; it's a step in the right direction for me.
Sometimes you overwhelm me. I hope this gives you some insight as to why.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
I was rushed with a surge of inspiration this week to record this song when I re-discovered it at random. I guess something about Halloween just fires up my creative juices. The entire process for this track took me 2 days to finish, from arranging to mastering. That's a personal best!
I've got a new found appreciation for Joey Jordison. He was already one of my favorites, but he's hands down top 5 after breaking down what he did on this track (with the help of additional percussion). It's not even one of the harder Slipknot songs! I didn't wanna do an exact copy, so I tried to keep to his spirit, while still having some fun myself.
In addition, I was playing around with some vocal production moves. James Spader was an influence.
Lastly, I've been dealing with this terrible cough all month. I figured I'd try screaming it out, but that didn't work. You don't have to take my word though, listen for yourself:
Hi there,Welcome to the website and it's first post. I think you deserve an explanation. Consider this it's preface.
I am Spells and Curses. I am the only wizard behind these curtains, Dorothy. This will always be me talking with you. Other people may come in and help contribute to my part of the conversation (musically or otherwise), but at the end of the day it will always be just me and you. Our dialogue.
What started as an idea and has since turned into many things. I'll explain this in the coming weeks so that you can get the most out of this experience, but don't worry about that now.
Enjoy the music. More will come.
theRave
