Apple Music: http://flyt.it/MainlandOutcast
Spotify: http://flyt.it/MainlandSpotify
Ecstasy and sorrow, post-punk and pop, east and west - all those times when you’re caught in the middle, there’s Mainland. They are the soundtrack to moments of freedom and darkness.

Mainland - Outcast

This song is dedicated to J.R. Byrd. Growing up together; he was my best friend. We played in a few different bands together in high school and into our early twenties. This song was inspired by a cassette tape I kept and recently found again (photo of said tape featured in song artwork). On this tape are some very rough recordings of J.R. and me playing through songs he wrote for our bands. He was like a brother to me. Even when we had our falling out, it felt better knowing he was there. He has since passed on to the great music hall in the sky. With this song I hope to convey what he meant to me and how much I miss him. Rock on my brother...

Memories On An Old Cassette Tape

I REDID THIS SONG, GO LISTEN TO THE NEW ONE INSTEAD IT SOUNDS WAY BETTER!: https://soundcloud.com/wintersentinel/elements-final-fade-fixed

A cover of Lindsey Stirling's song "Elements", arranged by Chris Mills and Brian Enos
Chris Mills - guitars, keyboards
Brian Enos - bass guitar, additional guitars
Mixed by Brian Enos
Special thanks to Brian Trotter for pointing me to some recording software and helping me figure out how to use it
Watch the music video at youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF5lFGk1QoI

Story time: This was my first-ever experience with recording. Lindsey Stirling announced a "cover contest," and my friend Brian and I decided we were going to try our hand. So I downloaded a cheap DAW (I believe it was called Music Creator 6), and in two weeks we managed to figure it out and put this together (big thanks to Brian Trotter for helping me get started). I didn't have a real interface, so I was using a Digitech RP-something something (I believe 55? one of the lower-end models), which is why the electric guitars sound decent, but the acoustics and keyboards sound like absolute garbage. The drums are whatever automatically came with Music Creator 6. The guitar we used was my old Gibson Les Paul studio, and my brother's Ibanez 5-string something something bass. The keys were my old Yamaha digital piano. The classical was just recorded with a piezo pickup I had just gotten installed for this sole purpose. Fun fact: I improvised the classical guitar solo. Also, the first half of the bass solo (with the cheesy blues lick) is me, but the slap part is all Brian.

I ended up revisiting this  a couple of years later with better equipment/software and better knowledge (and no time rush) - the link is above. I still come back and listen to this version every now and then just to laugh at how bad it is - I particularly love the ridiculous drum parts, terrible classical guitar tone, and almost cringy final guitar solo. We all have to start somewhere, right?

"Elements" by Lindsey Stirling cover

I'm alone tonight again
And I'm reaching out for a one night stand
And I'm holding off the judgment and what I'll lose

If it's wrong enough to put me right
And if it's strong enough to get me through this night
Maybe I'll swallow it down if I so choose

Bring me back, darling 
bring me back down to better days
Let my resistance
And regrets all wash away
Have you gone darling 
And just left me here alone
To enjoy that sweet, sweet
Southern Comfort on your own

Did you think I'd wait that long
Did you think I'd keep holding on
To that cold and bitter woman you'd become

My advances, baby may seem tame
But I know I'm the one to blame
I'm to blame

Bring me back, darling 
bring me back down to better days
Let my resistance
And regrets all wash away
Have you gone darling 
And just left me here alone
To enjoy that sweet, sweet
Southern Comfort on your own

This is the song that really got me going. A few years ago, after not really making much of a name for myself and deciding that everything I had written up to that point was crap, I sat with The Bitch (my lovely Alvarez Acoustic) and decided to try and write some damn songs that I actually liked. This was the first, and once this one got out, all the rest followed soon after. I truly think if I had never written this song, I would have hung it up years ago. Any time I play a show somewhere, you can bet I'm going to open with this one. It's more than earned it's spot at the top of the set for me.

Memories On An Old Cassette Tape

John Skeels

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