Zach Hodges Photography | Weddings, Engagements & Families in Temecula, CA » Music

FREE CHRISTMAS RECORD!

Zach — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:43:02 +0000

(Click on the link above, not the picture)

No joke, no catch, it’s free really. You don’t even have to give them your e-mail address.

Here’s the story: Before I got all into photography, I was a music producer in Seattle for 3 years. During that time I met Josh White, at the time the lead singer of Telecast, while he was in the studio I was working at recording his first record with Aaron Sprinkle. I ended up hitting it off with Josh and played keys on that first record and a long relationship began. Josh moved down to Southern California to be a worship pastor there and around that time he and I recorded Telecast’s 2nd record with a slightly new band. I would fly down for Christmas and Easter and concerts and really whatever Josh was doing that needed a keyboard player/producer guy. It was through doing this that I met my wife, got my first photography job at the church’s small magazine, met some of my best friends to this day (Luke-best man- and Bobby and the rest) and eventually moved down here myself. Shortly after I moved down, Josh moved up to Portland (Oh the jealousy in my heart in writing that!) and began working for a church called Solid Rock, a really awesome church if I don’t say so myself. The same trend continued, me getting flown up for Christmas and big services and all. Well, then came Telecast’s 3rd record, which we ended up mostly recording at the church in Portland. (poor Telecast, never really got off the ground properly.) I got to know the Solid rock folks really well, and this summer talks of a Christmas record began. Now by this time, Josh and I had come up with Christmas arrangements like 2 or 3 years in a row, so we had a pretty good catalog of interesting music already, it just never had been recorded. So, in August we recorded it with all the talented folks at Solid Rock. Christmas in August felt weird. But, now it finally feels right. Here’s the coolest part: The church literally wants to give it away. Free download to anyone online and free CD to anyone who goes to Solid Rock and gets one.

So, Christian or not, scroll up, download and enjoy! There’s some fun stuff in there. Happy Thanksgiving and…

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Credits:

Josh White: Vocals, Acoustic Guitars

Chris Greely: Electric Guitars, mixing

Luke Stillar: Bass

BGV: Tim Aylward, Emily Otteson and Henry White

Drums: Ryan Peterson

Trumpet: Todd Newell

Keys & Programming: Me

Produced by me, Executive Producer: John Mark Comer

Arrangements by Josh White and I

“Wonder as I Wander” music written by Josh White. (It was an old song he found words to and rewrote music to)

Colfax with Danny Donnelly

Zach — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:12:31 +0000

I got to go up to Colfax on Tuesday to record another song with Sherri Youngward and Danny Donnelly in Danny’s rad barn studio. It was super cool! Sherri’s Bible verse album is shaping up well and this was the last song to get added to the pile. I’d heard a lot about the amazing Danny Donnelly and his barn and it was all true! Great guy, amazing guitar player, great ear, all that. Plus, he has the most crazy/awesome 4 year old daughter you’ve ever seen, a really mellow little boy and a wife that can seriously cook. (Pear pie… freaking amazing) Cred to Sherri for all the photos with me in them.

And, of course, since I flew into oakland for the night, I squeezed in a little pizza and dairy ice cream run with my mom and sister!

This dairy place has been around FOREVER… I think people used to come here for their groceries. I mainly know it as a great place for ice cream in old town Pleasanton.

The dulcimer didn’t make it on the song, but it sure looked amazing.

cred to sherri on this one too. This was the passage we were making the song to

Bible + grandma’s reed organ = ideas for an album cover at 1:30am.

Jaymes Reunion!

Zach — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:37:58 +0000

Jaymes reunion is an especially ironic name for this band as it relates to me.

I got an e-mail from my old friend/room mate Tyson, who now runs BEC Recordings, saying he had a band in the Bay Area he wanted me to shoot. Cool, I’m going to be there for my sister’s birthday anyways, why not make the trip a write off? Turns out the band is Jaymes Reunion, named partially for my way old friend Cameron Jaymes. Cameron and I were in youth group at the same church waaaaaay back when. We were both into music but didn’t really keep in touch as we both went our separate ways after high school. Turns out he got signed to BEC and I got to reconnect with him and shoot his band. But it gets crazier. His guitar player, it turns out, is also my old friend Braydon Nelson. Our dads were friends and we too were both into music. He ended up going to Berkelee, graduating, then coming back. I heard little bits and pieces about him but it was mostly 2nd hand. So, this shoot turned out to be a crazy reunion of old music friends as well as a super fun shoot.

We ended up driving around Livermore and taking shots kind of wherever we could find. Great hang, good times, and I love the pictures!

Trent Reznor and the changing music business

Zach — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:24:11 +0000

I couldn’t sleep for the life of me last night, which drove Katelyn totally nuts (understandably). I did stumble across a really cool article from the New York Times though. All musicians should read this article, it’s about Reznor’s departure from the major label model and how bands like NIN and Radiohead are going indie. This definitely reflects my own experience; in the last year, the only records I’ve done have been indie. (Telecast was released on BEC but was independently funded) Telecast was recorded in an office studio, Jadon Lavik was recorded at his house, and Lendon was recorded at his house. Jadon had a #1 single on inspo radio that project! (Come Thou Fount) Truly this is where things are headed. Not that labels are useless, but times are majorly changing.

Trent Reznor Article

Speaking of music, I synced my iTunes up to the blog via Last FM. Love this internet stuff.