Through the distractions of life

Well I was hoping to announce a finished release, or even two, maybe even a release-date, in my next news post but we’re not quite there yet. We’ve been working with the two upcoming EP’s and the full-length album, “The Awakening”, in parallel but the first release out will be a two-song EP called “Between” and it is very close to done when it comes to the recording.

So far this round there has been quite a lot of experimenting, tryings, rerecording and rearranging in the studio, more than ever, both with the vocals, the guitars, the drums and even with the bass. Loads of time has been spent on this and on various small details to get the right final result (whatever that may be). I’ve definitely pushed the boundaries of my guitar playing and vocals way, way beyond and harder than ever before. I guess this is what easily happens when you don’t have a deadline, but hopefully it all leads to a better, a more perfect result in the end.

None of the songs on the EP’s will be on “The Awakening” so being an album-dude there’s the pressure and anguish of not releasing an full-length album but having only two songs carrying the weight of the release, with the focus much more centered, instead of normally, on an album that is, shared by some 10-15 songs. It will have to take its time, but we're getting there.

We’ve finally got our premiere live date for Järntrean ("Iron Three" in Swedish), also Fe3, where we run through songs from the first two Iron Maiden albums as a 3-piece power trio, booked and confirmed. It will take place in hometown Stockholm at Club Probation at Snövit (Ringvägen 147) this Saturday (October 5th). I’ve got my side-kick Andreas Mallander with me on fretless (!) bass and my long time friend Jan Viberg behind the drums. Feels really great to get that train rolling, it’s a project very dear to us and very close to our hearts.

Discussions about the whens, wheres and hows, and possible collaborations, when it comes to PM Saari Band live are being held as we speak, pretty exciting things in the planning but we’ll have to wait and see what comes of that. Besides this, I will do my utmost to keep myself down in the studio working with the music as much as is possibly possible and not to let myself be affected by the distractions, both good and bad, that life constantly seems to be throwing at me to keep me from it.

Rock on.
/ PM

The live band where it supposed to be

Photo by Carro Pettersson

Last Saturday we finished up our round of spring live dates in Ludvika at Open Stage Grand Finale Festival. Awesome way to round it all up, at this beautiful venue with the outdoor stage right by the water, add perfect sunny weather and that we did one of our best performances to date. It was really great taking the material live on stage and put it through the three-piece live jam machinery for a couple of gigs. Had a super-blast doing our little round with our friends in Blackribbon in the beginning of May, I go way back with every band member of the band that is led by my brother and pre 13 Chaos St side-kick and vocalist Jari. Loads of fun, as it was on our other live dates as well.

We’ve now, finally, reached our gig number 12 with the PM Saari Band and got the live performance, the jams and the chops pretty much where we want it. According to the original plan we were supposed to be here a year ago, but sometimes things takes time, and sometimes one’s just got to let things take its time.

Photo by Carro Pettersson

Next thing the focus will be on recovering my pretty beaten voice for a couple of days to be able to start recording vocals. I was supposed to do that in between the live dates but that was impossible since I pretty much wore my voice out every turn on the road. The thing is that it's not the singing but the talking that wears your voice out and when we were out I talked constantly 24/7. I guess that's what happens when you're out on the road with your best pals in your band, and add the dates with your best pals in the other band you're out with. Great times, loads of fun and impossible to shut up, but paying for it now.

Then I suppose the lack of sleep the last month, or three, probably has taken its toll on my voice as well. Was five days hanging with former Lizard Eye drummer Ralph Rydén and some friends down at the Sweden Rock Festival two weeks ago and the fact that I became a father for the third time a month ago, a new baby at home doesn’t exactly add to your sleeping hours. But it’s all cool, realising that I’m starting to get a little bit of hang of the singing and vocal things, like the last gig worked pretty well vocal-wise despite a cold and a pretty badly beaten throat and voice.

Photo by my right hand

'But now I’ll give my voice some rest for a couple of days, or whatever it takes, before starting to record my vocals and get some new stuff finished and then out. Need to have some level of clarity in my voice to nail the vocal tracks. After summer, or at the end of it, we’ll be back with a whole new setlist, including new songs, and we have some new real exciting live plans in the planning, and then all the releases that are being recorded.

Peace.
/ PM

The machinery is running

Our 2019 live bookings suffered a bit of a setback when two live dates in March got pulled back by the organisers just before they were about to be officially confirmed, but we have a couple of dates booked starting in may and we’re waiting for some more to be confirmed. Dates will be announced as we get closer.

With the "Poe", my Custom ESP Ltd
Viper-400 which was exclusively
used in this round of recording.

The recording goes in its own pace, living its own life, developing and forming into shape. There’s a lot of experimenting going on, I’ve probably never tried out, worked and reworked my rhythm guitars to this degree before. Usually it works better for me to do things quick, just a very few takes, whatever comes out gets down because otherwise everything tends to get overdone very easily. But this round I felt that I really had the chance and the time, and felt that the material deserved (demanded?) it, so I just went for it and it turned our really, really well. I’ve also been experimenting a lot with arrangements on these songs, which I always do though, but maybe even a little bit more, and also with other instruments like percussion for instance. It’ll be exciting to see what comes out of it.

Besides the drums the bass and rhythm guitars are also now recorded for the first two upcoming releases, two EPs that is, and I’m about to start recording the vocals and lead guitars for the first one, which will be titled "Between", and will feature my live rhythm section, Andreas “Drake” Mallander on fretless bass and Patrick Idman on drums.

We’ll be putting out shirts with alternative versions of the Tree Angel artwork at the official Saari Store at Zazzle. Every two weeks or so we’ll put a new one out and there are already a couple out there. Note that all designs are available on shirts in different styles and colors to suit your fancy. There are also various geographically located Zazzle stores to make it easier for you to place your order and getting it delivered. So check it out at the Saari Store - Tree Angel.

See ya.
/ PM