Hi gang,

Welcome to the new Colorway website. Have a look around and check out some of the songs. We’ve got all the lyrics up and some pictures from the recording sessions at Sonelab. There will be plenty more to come as this little band learns how to walk, then run and then take a nice coffee break, then get back to it all again.

Plenty of people to thank for the content you see. First and foremost is Bronwen Hodgkinson at Ardent Design. She’s been a dream to work with and I’m so happy to have her as part of the Colorway team.

Tom Pappalardo at Standard Design brought my childhood dreams of a rock and roll band logo to life. And he also is responsible for the CD (and eventual vinyl) layout for this album. His work can be seen all around the valley and beyond. Check out his site for some inspirational design.

Pietro Spica and Laura Nugent agreed to let me use their amazing art for the CD and, subsequently, the website. The pieces you see hang in my home and I see them every day. And each time I see them they make me smile.

Thanks to Tom Adams for his work in the studio both taking video and photos. His work speaks for itself.

Thanks to Jodi Nicholas for her band shot and studio pics (as well as backup singing). My world would be incomplete without her. (and now a collective “awww.”).

The sounds you hear wouldn’t have sounded so good without the help of Mark Alan Miller at Sonelab. We’ve had a long and storied history of the past twenty years or so. It was a fantastic experience to work with him again at his new studio. I encourage anyone thinking about recording anything from a demo all the way to a full-blown rock opera to contact him. He also does amazing mastering work.

And so many more people who have helped bring this project to life. But I’ll stop now and let you all poke around.

I hope you like what you see. It’s a work in progress and I plan on adding as things progress. Please feel free to comment on the blog if you like it or if you have any suggestions. I’m all ears (well, I’m, like 2% ears, the rest is made of cabbage).

We’re all here at the starting gate. Let’s see how far it goes, why don’t we?

And on we go . . .

~FAJ

PS: a reminder for local folk that the CD is available for sale at Turn It Up on Pleasant St in Northampton. They’re good people.

Here’s a great piece (our first bit of press) written by Gary Carra that ran in the Valley Advocate on 4/23/2013.

Nightcrawler: Color His World
F. Alex Johnson begins a new chapter in his sonic storybook with Colorway
By Gary Carra
April 23, 2013

Life. Love. Loss.

Each one is responsible for prompting countless musicians to put pen to paper since time immemorial. Stir the three together as Valley veteran F. Alex Johnson has done with his latest project, Colorway, however, and that’s one potent sonic cocktail indeed.

“I’ve been put through the proverbial mortal wringer over the last five years,” he confesses, “from losing my close family to cancer, parting ways with the Drunk Stuntmen, my band of 15 years… getting clean and sober, traveling the world with the Young@Heart Chorus.”

Joining Johnson on this highly personal audio odyssey are bassist David Hayes (best known for his popular Facebook page “The Weather Nut”), and Drunk Stuntmen on-again, off-again journeyman drummer J.J. O’Connell.

The fledgling trio is currently holed up at Sonelab Studios with esteemed engineer Mark Alan Miller recording tunes for the debut album they hope to release by late May.

A June 29 CD release party proper at the Iron Horse (iheg.com) is also already set in ink.

“The songs are strong and the two guys I chose to share the stage and studio with will bring these stories to life in a new way,” Johnson revealed. “I’m breaking out the ‘61 Strat for a few, acoustic on the others, and I’m finding there really is no alley to hide in when you are in a trio. There’s no other feeling like it, even playing solo, which I’ve done. You’re out there with your guitar and two other guys have your back.”

http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=16669

Saturday, June 29 @ 10pm:

Colorway’s debut live performance at The Iron Horse Music Hall, Center St. Northampton, MA.

Dave Houghton opens (Fancy Trash) in a rare solo appearance.

Tickets: Advance $10 / Door $13

Buy tickets online at NBO
or buy direct from Colorway ($10/no processing fee/free shipping): info@colorwaymusic.com

For more info call the box office at 413-586-8686 or write to us.