"Writing new music, and feeling excited about it. Breaking some new ground for me, because I've been unsatisfied with doing sort of more of the same. And because TP has a new 'other' guitarist (Bill Pohl) and is not likely to have a regular full-time keys person. That is causing me to think in terms of an live ensemble of 2 guitars, reeds, and accordion-or-piano (Elaine), as well as bass and drums (that's one configuration). So, I've been writing new material using the guitars as if they were mainly monophonic, like violins (if you use a fuzz, etc.), and this has gotten me writing a lot of chamber-music-like independent lines that, combined, created a harmonic whole. But the "whole" is always shifting and morphing....and that's got me excited. So, like sub-units, trios or quartets of guitars, reeds and keys, accompanied by bass and drums. Certainly, I've had passages like this before, but this new line-up is making me dig more purposefully and deeply into it. Plus I feel that my harmonic 'language' or approach has become more crystalized and almost 'automatic'. Once I set about writing, it just comes. I have to guide or channel it (or not)."
This should not be taken, btw, to mean that TP is NOT going to be an "avant prog rock" band anymore. Not at all. My goal is to show how far so-called "rock" can go in the direction we've been exploring.
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