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altroutes2017

Paste Magazine The Alternate Routes Safe Haven

Safe Haven Official Lyric Video Premieres on Paste Magazine

June 8, 2017 by altroutes2017
AR Behind The Scenes, AR Music

The Alternate Routes are excited to be partnering with Paste Magazine to premiere the official lyric video for “Safe Haven.”

Head to pastemagazine.com on Friday June 9th to see the video before you can see it anywhere else!

The video was produced & directed by Jenna Pace of YOBRO Creative Catalysts.

“As a longtime fan of The Alternate Routes, I envisioned creating a natural and vibrant lyric video for their stunning new effort “Safe Haven” that showcases both the lyrics and the people behind the music. We shot on a chilly day right as Spring was breaking and nature was coming into bloom. My hope is that these visuals capture the powerful message that these five musicians crafted with so much heart,” says Pace.

Yobropro.com

It’s That Time

November 10, 2016 by altroutes2017
AR Music

THE ALTERNATE ROUTES HOLIDAY HIT: “IT’S THAT TIME”

It's That Time

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listen on Sound Cloud.

Buy the EP on iTunes

LYRICS:

Hurry up and wait, and hurry up again

Hey there how you been?

Yeah the same with me. 

Do you believe another year, has come and passed?

I really thought we’d make this one last, but “c’est, la vie.”

Its that time of year again, let’s sit back and pretend

That we have nothing to be afraid of

Cause we knew, we were made to love

Strung up some lights, and some tinsel too

Singing some songs we knew, from a long long time ago

Gonna make this feeling last all year long

I know where i belong, that’s in your arms

The holidays are here again, lets sits back and pretend

That we have nowhere else to be

Just you, just me

We’ll turn off our cell phones like we were kids and home alone

Like we have nothing to be afraid of, cause we knew that we were made to love

Let the season remind us dear, what it is we are doing here, 

That is to love and to be loved

Its that time of year again, let’s sit back and pretend

That we have nothing to be afraid of

Cause we knew, we were made to love

The holidays are here again, lets sits back and pretend

That we have nowhere else to be

Just you, just me

We’ll turn off our cell phones like we were kids and home alone

Like we have nothing to be afraid of, cause we knew that we were made to love

 

 

 

The Alternate Routes Somewhere in America

Somewhere In America

June 18, 2016 by altroutes2017
AR Behind The Scenes, AR Music

We want to share with you a new song called Somewhere In America. We have been working on this song in various forms for many years, but I made a commitment to myself to finally finish it in recent months. It is a very personal story, but unfortunately it feels as relevant as ever.

To clarify any confusion, Somewhere in America is written from my point of view, and the story is mine. It is not written for sympathy or remembrance. It is about empathy. It is inspired by the feelings of anger, sadness, hopelessness, and guilt I feel every time I hear of another life lost and family shattered by gun violence. My story is over a decade old, but new stories are occurring every single day.

If you are reading this, then you most likely have helped support AR over the years and we can’t thank you enough. Regardless of where you stand.

I hope you listen to Somewhere In America with an open mind. I hope you it leaves you inspired. I hope it is outdated in the very near future. It is possible. If we want it to be.

-Eric

 

“Somewhere In America” LYRICS:

The last thing that my father saw
When he was still alive.
Was the gun in the hands of a sick young man
with bright blue eyes.
A man who looked just like me,
As far as anyone else could see
A stranger, not an enemy
And my mother watched it all.
That was the last thing that she saw.

Somewhere in America
A phone’s about to ring.
Nothing can prepare you for
the news it’s going to bring.
Nothing ever changes
Just the names and faces.
Somewhere in America
A phone’s about to ring.

An unlucky break
wrong time, wrong place
I’ve heard them all so many times.
If your dad had had a gun of his own,
maybe they’d still be alive.
But I still can’t believe the resistance.
The denial, the insistence
When somethings broken
that clearly needs fixing
You can fight to change
Or you can fight to stay the same.

Somewhere in America
the news is about to break
Nothing can prepare you for
The toll it’s gonna take
Nothing ever changes
Just the dates and the locations.
Somewhere in America
The news is about to break.

How long is too long
Before the words you can’t say
Just speak for you.

The years have been kind ma
I’ve got a son now of my own.
When I think of what I’ll tell him happened to you
I still don’t know.
That the worlds a much safer place
That kind of danger,
you won’t ever have to face.
I pray he lives to see that day
No idea what I’m going to say.

Somewhere in America
A phone’s about to ring
Nothing can prepare you for
the news its going to bring.
All this while we’ve been waiting
taking time and debating
Somewhere in America
A phone’s about to ring
Somewhere in America

If you’re interested, check out the article on Upworthy or buy a SIA tee!

 

 

Tom Waits

Show and Tell

April 12, 2016 by altroutes2017
AR Behind The Scenes

I’m not sure if it’s a Libra thing,

or a writers thing, or a guy thing, or what, but I seem to move through life like I’m on a pendulum, throwing my enthusiasm in definitive directions, but only for a relatively short time.  I enjoy the feeling you get from rushing around in a frenzy and huffing and puffing and getting it all done.  There is one bi-product of this though, that is harmful to productivity and its something I count on my heroes to help me overcome.  I’m talking about the void, the aftermath, the morning after, when you seem to have created this empty space in which its ok to do nothing.  It’s the “well-earned Sunday-off” mentality.  Sure we all need a break, but when you’re on the pendulum, it means there can be significant amounts of time you spend neglecting your craft, your hobby, your loved-ones….. Whatever the case may be.  Balance is hard to achieve.

In these lulls I put on music that brings me back to motivation, and appreciation.  I just wanted to take a minute to speak about two heroes of mine.  Pinnacles of songwriting.   Songwriters who, in my mind, never leave the workshop.  Folks who live in constant service of the muse.  Even if it’s not true, the idea that there is someone out there more accomplished and talented than I, pushing their envelope and discovering new things, motivates me.  Here are a couple of songs and writers that make me want to be better.  If nothing else, you may want to give these songs a listen in some down-time.  Some very mellow down time…..

 

Tom Waits

Day After Tomorrow

This song is on Waits’ Real Gone Album.  Its a letter home written by a soldier, a commentary on the war he’s been through. Nothing I can say about the song, could speak as clearly or with as much meaning, as the song itself, that’s why I love it.

This is Tom

This is Tom

“What I miss you won’t believe, shoveling snow and raking leaves.”

When few words can do the work of many, when the same words can mean something different, each of the 100 times you hear them, that is something work towards I think.

“You can’t deny, the other side, don’t wanna die any more than we do.”

“Tell me how does God chose, whose prayers does he refuse?”

 

These are words that collect us together, they include everyone.  An atheist prayer, a criminals apology, bound by human flaw, no matter what choices we make.. Thee common denominator.  So many in songwriting strive to dwell in the existential.  Very few songwriters can do this from the pews, rather than the pulpit.

“And I know, we too are made, of all the things that we have lost here.”

Bravo Tom.  If its possible for something to feed you, and keep you hungry at the same time, this song does.

Gillian Welch

Revelator & Dear Someone $ Hard Times.

Gillian Welch won a lifetime achievement award at the Americana Music Awards this year in Nashville.  She went on after Loretta Lynn played to a sold out amphitheater.  I watched the amphitheater empty out while Gillian played, and I realized in that moment, that I am not on the pulse of what is meaningful or popular in music to the masses.  But it’s ok, because every time I have encountered a beautiful scene on a long drive to somewhere, or been alone with my son when he has discovered something new in the world, (to his own towering amusement,) every time I want access to feel something important, I put Gillian Welch on, and that is enough for me.  It is the music I listen to the most.  The writing is mystical, and enormous in its simplicity.  There is so much room for the listener in these recordings, and the sadness, the tearing up, the joy, the calm it induces, the impression of it always, is flexible.   Not to mention the harmonies…

I have no idea what these songs are “about.”  The word Revelator is a word Gillian made up, and then went ahead and defined in the song.  The artistic license in that decision alone inspires me to no end.  If you’ve ever been to an Alternate Routes show, and watched a 6 minute guitar solo, you can rest assured it is not Eric demanding he get to do that before we go on stage.  Allowing an artist to unfold, and to take his or her time is something I need on stage.  I need to be apart of something that redefines itself all the time, something that goes beyond where you thought it would end.

When I saw Gillian Welch play at the Ryman Auditorium. they played “Revelator” last, and the guitar solo was 8 minutes long.  When the audience found themselves beyond that wall, beyond the boundaries they thought the song was made of, and we all turned around and looked back at the shore from that long

This is Gillian

This is Gillian

distance we had been carried away from it, we had been somewhere unique and adventurous, together… and everyone stood up.  When music reaches, when it disorients us, when it brings us out of our own heads into a new place, where we don’t feel like we know anything, where we don’t feel expected to know so much, to a place without precedence , where we can be children and things are possible again, thats when music matters most to me.  That’s the music I’m trying to create on my best day.

So here’s to some pretty ditties and some lofty chatter.  Thanks for reading, I realized today I have no idea how to use apostrophes…

CMA Awards

Big Night for Old Friends at the CMAs

April 8, 2016 by altroutes2017
AR Behind The Scenes

In radio interviews and at shows we talk a lot about how we made a commitment to being musicians at a time in our lives when some of our friends were heading off to law school and med school, or joining the Marines, or heading off into the financial industry, or whatever.  If you spend 10 years working at anything, with a little talent and a lot of hard work, you are bound to ascend the ranks no matter where you start or what you’re doing.  Sunday night I was watching the CMAs (Country Music Awards) and a very cool thing happened, that seems to be happening more and more these days.

We were watching Little Big Town perform with Trombone Shorty and the performance was amazing.  Towards the end of the performance a cool-looking guy in great hat, and a mint condition Gibson ES-330 stepped out in front, joined the front row and ripped a guitar solo for 20k people at the MGM Grand in Vegas, (and God knows how many more people sitting on their couches at home.)  I turned to my wife and said, “Hey that’s Evan Weatherford, playing the guitar, I slept on a mattress in his living room once in a while, when I was living in Nashville.”  It was fun to play it down, even though the fact is, I was so ridiculously proud to know this guy, and there was something so exciting about knowing that a guy as humble and hard-working, and talented as my buddy Evan, has ascended the ranks and has made it as far as he has.  There is no telling what he will do next.

I’m telling the story because we are getting to a point in our music careers where the hard work is really starting to pay-off, and the seasoned players, writers, and musicians are starting to emerge at the top of the game.  Jay Joyce produced our first two records in Nashville, and its safe to say that he and Dave Cobb are probably the hottest producers in County Music right now, by far.  Jay produced Girl Crush, performed by Little Big Town and has been winning awards left and right.  He’s produced albums for Eric Church and Carrie Underwood, Amos Lee, Patti Griffin, and so many more. In a couple years, I would be willing to bet you won’t be able to name a top-tier recording artist who hasn’t worked with him, or is hoping to.  So here’s to my buddy Evan, I wouldn’t say we are great friends or anything, but at a time when we were both scraping away in Nashville he had a mattress I could sleep on, and I texted him after the CMAs, and he shot me a message right back.  Its little things like that, that keep you motivated, and make you proud to be swinging away in the music business.

Evan is on the far right in the red carpet photo, standing next to Jay Joyce, and the video of the performance is below.  Bravo Fellas.

Screen Shot 2016-04-07 at 8.27.36 PM

Evan Weatherford on far right.

http://www.axs.com/watch-little-big-town-trombone-shorty-join-forces-at-the-2016-acm-awar-80504

 

 

 

 

The Alternate Routes Nothing More Album

Nothing More – The Album

October 13, 2015 by altroutes2017
AR Music

We are proud to announce that our album Nothing More is available on ITunes.  This album was made over the course of a year.  We wrote the songs, deconstructed them, rehearsed them in basements and performed many of them for months before we got to the studio.  Then we recorded them with acclaimed producer Peter Katis, who happens to be our neighbor in Bridgeport CT.  We tried to pick songs that were subtle, and beautiful.  We did this because there was something new in that territory for us, and because we thought Peter could bring these aspects of our songs and our lyrics, the furthest.  I hope this album finds you in a peaceful moment, and if not, I hope it creates a peaceful place for your mind to rest, and for things to be new again.  I hope the sounds fill you with gratitude and quiet hope.  We are lucky to make music, thanks for taking some time check it out.  Cheers

 Itunes Link

-Tim

Nothing More

Live on the Lawn

Live on The Lawn Fairfield University

June 22, 2015 by altroutes2017
AR Shows

Live On The Lawn

 

Join us for a Free Full Band Headlining set on Saturday June 27th as we return to Fairfield University. Todd Carey opens the show. For more information, click here.

The Alternate Routes Nobody_Else

Nobody Else

April 9, 2015 by altroutes2017
AR Music

Narrow_Your_Eyes_Cover_06

 

We are excited to share with you our new single, Nobody Else. Some of you will recognize Nobody Else from our live show and album we released through Pledge Music as Narrow Your Eyes. That is because it’s the same song with a new mix and a new name. Why did we change the name of the song after printing a few thousand cds and albums? If you are interested, I’ll tell you tomorrow. But today is about the song.

Ever since I was a kid, I have always been obsessed with my age. Often thinking I was behind some kind of pre-determined schedule, looking around to see what other people were doing, and how far along they were. But now that I’m a bit older, (See there i go again…) I am starting to realize that is not a terribly productive nor enjoyable way to go through life.

Nobody Else is an ode to letting go of all that. You are who you are, and only you can figure that out. It is both liberating and terrifying. But mostly liberating.

I hope you dig it.

-Eric

The Alternate Routes It's That Time Single

Holiday Merch

December 1, 2014 by altroutes2017
AR Behind The Scenes

It's That Time

It’s That Time of year again and we have a few new items that we are excited to share with you for the Holiday Season!

We have a brand new EP of 5 new original holiday songs called It’s That Time. Well, they are not all holiday songs, but most of them are. This is available now on our merch store

Our two Holiday singles It’s That Time and Sing Me a Holiday are also available on iTunes.

We also have a very unique new item just for the Holiday Season. It is called The Alternate Routes Supper Club. It is a one of a kind handmade box, filled with our newest album Nothing More, The Holiday EP, and Tim Warren’s new solo album, Somebodies Child. PLUS a laminated recipe for an amazing six course meal. Give as a gift or keep for yourself. Let us serenade you will you prepare a holiday feast! Check it out Here!

Plus our newest album Nothing More is also available on our merch store.

Happy Shopping!

Tim and Eric
AR 14′

The Alternate Routes Nothing More Album

Our New Album Nothing More is available NOW exclusively on Pledge Music!

July 1, 2014 by altroutes2017
AR Music

Pledge Music is the only place to get our new album this summer. It will not be available on Itunes, at shows, or on our webstore. When you Pledge, you will receive three songs instantly! The entire download will be available once we reach our goal.

Check out how to get Nothing More HERE for more info!

We are offering many packages that we have never, and probably will never offer again. Exclusive performances, merch, and a few other goodies that we will be announcing soon! We hope there will be something for everyone.

It has been an amazing year for us so far, and being able to share this new music with you is definitely the most exciting part. We have spent over four years writing this album, and the music is done. What we need help with now is releasing it. If you Pledge, you will receive updates from us on the road, latest release info, and we will even solicit your opinion on artwork.

We feel that this is the fastest and easiest way we could bring the album directly to you! We hope that you love it.

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