Hey guys, it’s been a ridiculous amount of time since I’ve popped in here.
The tumblr journal is going well… and I’ve found it really easy to update with pictures and mp3’s and all the random stuff I’m not computer savvy enough to post here on LJ. Anyways, what am I using capitalization for?

so… the weather has been nuts here in franklin. in a week, i’ve seen just about all my friends and partied hard (if coca-cola and buttloads of ice cream really qualify for a party). i’ve been to a freaking wedding! (unbelievable!) and actually cleaned out miss anne’s interior (miss anne is my car, ya big perv). it’s been nuts. non stop. i’ve even been writing a lot. and now, i think i need to slow myself down. any time we’re off tour, my time is divided between two things: 1) go nuts and eat everything and don’t take care of myself cause i don’t have to work. 2) recoup from being nuts. start eating healthy again, get sleep, don’t talk as much… boring stuff. if i wasn’t hoarse, i wouldn’t be starting part 2 for at least another 3 or 4 days. but i had sweet cece’s frozen yogurt 5 times in the past 4 days and talked until i can’t talk anymore and i think it’s time to grow up just a smidgen. the word smidgen is cringe-worthy. had to.

you know when you leave a hair band on your wrist and when you take it off it hurts?

so, keep an eye out for a couple pics from the wedding. (i didn’t take many, mostly cause i forgot. wompwomp). some pics from my time at home… and as soon as we start rehearsal… which i think is like a week from now… i’m going to post a “menu” of our new merch items. all of this will be on the tumblr blog so i can easily organize all the attachments. the new merch is awesome. we’re pulling designs from many of our friends and quite honestly, it’s the best and most cohesive line of merch we’ve had in a long time. i’m proud of it, for sure.

and while i’m getting started about this next tour. let’s discuss.
i’m pretty sure you’ve heard of Relient K. (if you haven’t, don’t tell anyone and run – don’t walk – to their myspace). those dudes are awesome. and i am a long time fan of their records. i remember someone giving me “Two Lefts Don’t Make A Right… But Three Do”. and singing songs about chapped lips and chapped stick on my way home from school.

and opening the shows for the tour is a band called fun. their name couldn’t be a better summary of what you are going to experience when they take the stage. their debut record “aim & ignite” is just ridiculously good. if you like incredible vocals and creative arrangements… or the sound of gods making love… then you will like them.

good music happening this year. everywhere! and a lot of good music on tour with us. we’re a very very lucky band to have so many talented friends to share the stage with. i noticed a post on the LJ community asking for new music suggestions and a lot of you suggested some seriously good music. it feels like we’re all growing up together and discovering (or re-discovering) a lot of music that maybe we wouldn’t have been into 5 years ago when all of this started. so i got to thinking… how could we discover more music together? apparently, at old hardcore and punk shows, there would be a bucket at the door where kids could drop mix tapes in and take one out. it was a way to pass music along cheaply and easily. not to mention, a great way to strengthen your scene. think about all the local bands in your town that you want people to hear or your favorite song that you always always have to put on all your mix cd’s. would you guys want to do this at our shows? i figure, the next tour is super short. all of 14 shows. it would be an amazing way to test run this whole thing. i’ve talked to fueledbyadam and johnny minardi about it before but it’s been a good year since that conversation happened. i wanted to bring it back to you guys and figure out if you’re into it or not.

here’s how it might work: we’d put a box or bucket at the merch table with Aaron Holmes (merch man of the stars)… and you’d bring either a tape, a CD, or a USB/memory stick thingy, with all your favorite songs on it. let’s say about 10 songs, to keep it simple. you drop one in at the beginning of the night… and if you wish to, at the end of the night you take one out on your way out the door. i think it could be awesome. maybe we’ll even put our own mixes in the box every now and then. the point is to share music that YOU love. we don’t get enough PHYSICAL swapping of music anymore. it’s always online. “here’s a link to this” or… “go to their myspace”… and now maybe we have a chance to relive something that we almost missed!

let me know your thoughts in the comments.

i’m also going to start doing band bio things on my tumblr for all the bands that come out on tour with us. so that people start getting a better idea of who they’re seeing on stage. ooh! i could even try to get interviews with those bands and post em up. so many possibilities. here we go.

can’t wait to see you guys in a couple weeks
hayley