THIS FRIDAY NIGHT!! YOU'RE INVITED!!

The Buried Life (on MTV) is a show about four guys living their dreams, doing all the things they want to do before they die. Well, that's half the show. The other half is them helping other people realize their dreams.

They recently heard from a girl named Lexie. Lexie is 22 years old and she lives in Rochester, Minnesota. She is a TWLOHA supporter and her dream is to create a night that points to hope and help in her hometown. Lexie knows what it is to struggle with depression and self-injury and she wants other people who live with these issues to know they're not alone. 

Comments (21) | Posted in General, Music by jamie tworkowski

Comments (32) | Posted in Music by jamie tworkowski

Chloe reflects on Bamboozle Roadshow

“I lost my cousin to suicide three days ago.” - West Palm Beach, FL

“My daughter cuts and I don’t know why.” - Arlington, TX

“I’m schizophrenic and have been suicidal for the past few years, but I have hope." - Houston, TX

“My best friend is going into treatment this week. She’s been going in and out of centers for the past four years. I just want to help her.” - San Antonio, TX

“I’m bipolar and I passed it on to both my children.” - Clarkston, MI

“All I want to do is stop. Everyone is scared but I don’t know what to do.” - Charlotte, NC

---

Thank you. I wish there was something deeper or more profound to say to those of you who visited the TWLOHA table and shared your story at The Bamboozle Roadshow this year. But nothing feels like it’s quite enough or conveys how truly grateful my heart is for having met all of you. The comments above are just a few of the many stories I was fortunate enough to hear during the six-week tour.

The main reason we go on the road so much is to meet people where they are – to hear their hearts, and to present them with the idea, sometimes new, sometimes not so new, that they don’t have to live their lives alone. One of the biggest honors for me (and I’m comfortable saying this for our team as well) is being someone that a complete stranger trusts enough to share their darkest moments with. It’s beautifully overwhelming to be a person someone feels safe talking to about their struggles after only a brief introduction of names. My hope is that in these exchanges they (and possibly you) feel a bit of freedom from pain, and a sense of understanding. I also hope that you are able to be on the receiving end of conversations like this, to be someone that someone else needs.

I left for this tour with a heavy heart and hoped that the road would make it light again. What I found out was something I already knew. It wasn’t the road that was making things easier, it was people; seeing old friends, making new ones, and meeting all of you. It was sharing TWLOHA and parts of myself with others. “Your story is important.” We say that a lot because it’s true. What you have to say, and what you’ve experienced deserves to be known by others.

I wish for you this summer, and all the days after, that you have someone to share your story with.

With Love,
Chloe

P.S. Thank you to Bamboozle for letting us join your traveling summer camp. Thank you to so many of the artists for being curious about what we do, for wanting to get involved, or for showing continued support. We’re grateful for our friends in Boys Like Girls, Forever The Sickest Kids, Third Eye Blind, LMFAO, The Ready Set, and Cady Groves who all rocked TWLOHA at some point during the tour. And a big thank you to my dear friend Martin of Boys Like Girls for wearing a TWLOHA shirt everyday of the tour and for all of your support.

Comments (9) | Posted in Journal, Merch, Music by Chloe Grabanski

Hello Everyone,

If you can believe it, we are already in our second week of Warped Tour. This summer marks the sixteenth year of Warped and the crew has once again done an outstanding job bringing us a dynamic line-up of bands, vendors and non-profits.  We are so fortunate to be able to set up every day at this festival.

Emily and I are holding down the fort (tent) right now. We've also had some great volunteers, which helps so much. It is so good to see some familiar faces at the festival already. Thank you to you guys who have come up to talk and who support TWLOHA. It fuels us and helps us make it through every day of this tour.

And while we meet so many supporters who believe in our message, we also meet some who are skeptical. Last week, a younger man named Scott came asking about our organization. He walked up to the booth, read our mission statement, and asked, “I can see this (the mission statement on an info card) but I want to know what you really do to help?” After I explained to him what the organization does, he immediately opened up and shared some of his story. Once, in a moment of desperation, he was very close to attempting suicide. The only thing that kept him alive had been his wife coming home. Perfect timing. He is now seeking therapy and professional help.

At the Warped Tour stop in Ventura, all of the security guards were volunteers. And not just any volunteers, but military. A whole battalion had given up their time on a Sunday to make sure that the people at Warped were safe and having a good time. I ended up striking a conversation with one guard named Kevin. Kevin was short and had red hair. He looked young and his face was burnt from the long day. I pointed out his sunburn and we just started chatting from there. I explained the mission of TWLOHA and why we want to be at events like this, and he explained to me how he has suffered from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). He has been deployed to Iraq twice, and is now at home seeking help for his PTSD and spending time with his family.

Both of these young men share at least three things in common: they are both military veterans, they have seen the dark places that hurt and are hard to get out of, and both of them are seeking help to lift them out of those places. The reason I share both of these with you is because both of the stories of these young men are so hopeful. They both provide hope and show stories of redemption.

The government has a program called Military One Source for anyone who has served and is struggling that will assist and help pay for help. Both of these men have utilized these programs and found help. If you are struggling and feel like you need some assistance, I hope Kevin and Scott’s stories have given you some encouragement to seek it out.

I want to thank all of you again for coming to the tent to show support or curiosity. And thank you to Scott and Kevin for sharing some personal things. Kevin’s wife is pregnant with their first child, and he finds out soon whether it is a boy or girl.

Good luck Scott and Kevin. You made my day.

 With Hope,
Jason Blades

PS: CLICK HERE to see all upcoming Warped Tour dates. 

Comments (2) | Posted in General, Music by jamie tworkowski

A couple weeks back, we had the privilege of being part of Sasquatch Festival at the Gorge in George, Washington. It was an incredible event and to say that it happened at a beautiful place would be more than an understatement.

Comments (3) | Posted in General, Music by Chris Youngblood

I grew up throwing dirt clods for sport and listening to Garth Brooks and Vince Gill on cassette tapes. Bare feet and dirt roads.When I was older, four-wheelers and trails through the woods. In high school, I was a part of the self-proclaimed redneck crowd, donned in Carhart coats, socializing around their oversized trucks with lift-kits. I still remember when my dad moved out when I was in second grade into another trailer across town. He had cable, and I was introduced to CMT and music videos. All that is to say, I was raised in the country on country music.

Though my musical tastes are broad, country music emanates this feeling of home. There is this unparalleled community that happens in the country music world. There is a shared history and love of the South and its culture, a fondness for simple pleasures in life, and the sweet twang—all of these things bringing musicians and fans together.

Jess and I share an office, so when she looked up the information about CMA Fest, I was the first to hear about it. My job is mostly administrative and doesn’t require me to go on the road very much, but I knew that if TWLOHA was going to be at CMA Fest I wanted to be there.  Of the fourteen people on staff, Jess, Chris, and I are the only country fans.  Chris is from Georgia, so it’s a part of his soul. Jess is a diehard fan and has adopted a bit of a twang. But we were sure it wouldn’t work, because summer is our busiest season, and TWLOHA has never been involved with the country music world at all.

Jamie and Rich said yes. Surprised but incredibly excited, Jess submitted our application.  The CMA Fest only has three or four nonprofits, a much smaller number than we’re used to so we were unsure whether or not we would get picked. Next thing I know, Chris is packing the back of the Jeep like a jigsaw puzzle while Jess, Emily, and I organize pillows, snacks, and music for the long drive to Nashville.  Although Emily wasn’t a big country fan before the festival, she left singing along to Lady Antebellum and Carrie Underwood (and is still laughing about Blake Shelton’s jokes).

I’ve been back for two weeks and I’m still smiling and singing Zac Brown Band’s “Free” with a majestic hope in my heart. I said the words, “we’re a nonprofit raising awareness about depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide” with an info card in my hand and sweat trickling down my back 847 times, and I didn’t get tired of it. Some people politely listened feigning interest and others really heard me and tied a string from themselves to us because somehow our story was their story too.  

Peggy didn’t expect to be so drawn in. She stopped at the McDonald’s tent to get a snack for her granddaughter waiting at the picnic table when our funny name caught her eye. For the 321st time, I told a stranger who we are. Holding back tears, she told us about her niece Jeanie and how much Jeanie needed to know about us. “This is so Jeanie, all Jeanie,” she kept saying and shared how Jeanie has dealt with great loss and pain in the last year. Peggy walked away and wasn’t a stranger anymore.  

The next day, Chris was helping a petite soft-spoken woman with her blonde hair cropped just above her shoulders who was learning about us for the first time. I came up when she was paying for her Love is the Movement shirt. Holding back tears and digging in her wallet, her gaze not meeting our eyes, she said she lost her brother to suicide. I said I was so sorry to hear that and Chris asked her name. Asking someone their name gives them this unspoken validation that they matter even though they may be a stranger. Through her smile, she said her name was Lisa, and I knew I would never forget her. She looked at me and said, “Mom and Dad have never been the same,” and I said, “Yeah, it changes everything—nothing and no one is ever the same.” She nodded, and I asked when her brother passed sure that it was within the past few months. Her voice cracked as she said, “1986.” I tried to contain my surprise. I haven’t lost someone to suicide, so I haven’t dealt with that kind of pain personally. Her brother has been gone longer than I have been alive, and her pain at losing him is still so fresh and real. She held up her shirt, bowed her head, and said thank you as she walked away, and I wonder who is more grateful that she stopped at our tent—her or us?

At CMA Fest during the day different zones are open and most of them free to the public, but at five booths start closing up for the night for everyone to get dinner and make the trek to LP Field across the bridge for the evening concerts. Passes to the concerts were included with our booth package, so each night we joined more than 40,000 people to sing and dance to our favorite country songs. Anyone who enjoys seeing live music knows the magic of being in a crowd of people, singing the same song at the top of your lungs and getting goose bumps. It doesn’t always happen that way in the nosebleeds, but during Keith Urban’s set it was inevitable.

In case you haven’t heard, Nashville had an awful flood the first weekend in May. Most of downtown Nashville (where CMA Fest is held) was under water.  In the beginning, the media didn’t give it much coverage and the city wasn’t getting help from the outside. But Nashville banded together, pulled themselves up and did what they had to do to get their city on its feet again. Restaurants spent their days making bag lunches and giving them away throughout the city, while other people worked to repair the damage. A little more than a month later, they were ready to host the first ever sold out CMA Fest.

Keith played his whole set, then he talked about Nashville and the flood. He talked about how proud he was to be a part of a city with such a strong community, how people joined together without thinking twice, and how important it was for all of us to be there at CMA Fest, how much Nashville needed us to come. He dedicated his next song to the city and the people and launched into a cover of “With a Little Help from my Friends” with Little Big Town. The performers at Heavy and Light this year also covered this song, but this performance had a different force, a different power, a different magic with images from the flood flashing on the screen behind the band. We stood and we sang and we rocked (yes, we still rock out in country music). In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Charlie talks about this moment where he and his friends are singing together in the truck and he says he felt infinite (page 39), and this night, this song, this moment is infinite for all 40,000 of us.  

Depression doesn’t care if you wear a cowboy hat with Wranglers or skinny jeans with Converse shoes. I hope that through this small window into what may be a different world you see that this story may be your story too. It may look different and sound different, but pain is universal. Hope is too. That’s why we went because everyone is a part of this ongoing conversation. May your life look like this—where strangers become friends in an instant, where 40,000 people can feel like family, where a song and a few pictures become an infinite moment you want to tuck away so you can take it out again and again.

 So much love to all of you strangers reading this.
Know that there is someone down in Florida who believes in you.
Thank you for letting me be a part of your story.

whitney

Comments (11) | Posted in General, Journal, Music by Chris Youngblood

A guy called Erik Carlson asked if he could film our Naperville, IL event a couple months back. He said he wanted to ask some questions for a project he had in mind. We had never heard of him at the time but we are beyond impressed by what he put together. 

Comments (7) | Posted in General, Music by jamie tworkowski

Spring 2010 UChapter Tour - University of South Carolina from To Write Love on Her Arms. on Vimeo.

Comments (3) | Posted in General, Music by Chris Youngblood

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA

The TWLOHA Spring 2010 UChapter Tour visited the University of South Alabama on April 27, 2010. This event was one of 28 across the U.S. and Canada. The goal was to use the songs of Damion Suomi, Andy Zipf and Lauris Vidal to inspire conversations about pain, hope and community.

Comments (4) | Posted in General, Music by jamie tworkowski

The Spring 2010 UChapter Tour has come and gone... And the road was long. Very long. 44 days, 28 events, 18 states, 1 province, 2 countries, and 10,000 miles to be exact. For those who don't know, UChapters is a college and university program that TWLOHA launched last Fall. Each chapter is lead by students and exists to bring the mission and vision of To Write Love on Her Arms to campuses across the US and Canada (for now).

Our goal with this tour was to use the music of Damion Suomi, Andy Zipf and Lauris Vidal to inspire conversations on the themes of Pain, Hope and Community. Joining the artists was a TWLOHA representative - either Chad Moses, Jason Blades or myself (Denny Kolsch) - who served as a discussion moderator between the audience and artists. Each song revealed the reality of pain and pointed to the hope found in community.

On the road we had the opportunity to enter into people's lives and homes. We shared stories and meals, slept on floors, visited quaint little towns and big bustling cities. Life was given and it was received. I'm not going to lie, planning this tour for the chapters and our team was hard and at times very stressful. But every time I heard the songs of these freakishly talented musicians and the responses of the audience, I couldn't help but to believe it was all worth it.

Every night we talked about people as if they mattered. Like really mattered. We talked about how music and other art forms have the power to help us process the pain in our lives. And likewise, how choosing to "know and be known" is often the setting where this process occurs. That every person has deep value is something we agreed we must believe. But will we choose to believe this for ourselves?

 I can't fully express how much I was moved by all the life we encountered on the road. There were so many special people and stories. Below is the first of three videos produced by our talented filming friend Dustin Miller. All three videos are from different chapter events on the UChapters Tour. The first one is from the Virginia Commonwealth University / University of Virginia combined event, which was held in Richmond, VA on April 23.

If you are interested in how to become involved with UChapters please visit twlohauchapters.com for more information.

Thank you to all the chapters and friends that made this tour happen!



With Hope,
Denny

Comments (7) | Posted in General, Music by Chris Youngblood

(Written after Copeland’s last American show in Orlando, FL on April 11, 2010.)

There was a lot that went into that night – the planning, the expectation, the travel, and the history.

A dear friend described the night as "saying goodbye to a big part of high school." In the office, we have a sort of specific language that revolves around music. We realize that we are drawn to music that reminds us it’s ok to sing and scream and smile and cry. Music is a safe place and a common ground, and music is one place that we can run to in attempts to make sense of our lives. Copeland had always fulfilled that purpose for me, even when I couldn't recognize that was the reason they hit me so hard.

What began as a $40 investment in a pair of tickets ended up being much more valuable. I emailed the staff to request they not book me for anything on April 11th, but this was long before a few other developments came to fruition, namely the Spring UChapters Tour and the Pick Up The Phone Tour. Once I knew I’d be on the road all of April, I told our partners in PUTP to find a replacement for me for the stop in DC, as I would be too busy standing in line at the Social in downtown Orlando that night. On April 10th, we had an event in NYC and I quickly loaded out in order to drive to DC by 4 in the morning, hop on a plane at 11 am and land in Orlando at 3 pm. From there, the plan was to celebrate the life of a band that meant so much to me and return to DC by the next morning for a press conference on Capitol Hill. Sixteen hours later and $250 poorer, I was able to arrive in DC with an uncensored smile that painted each word leaving my mouth.

Like many of you, "Brightest" was first my exposure to Copeland’s music. This marriage between ambience and "emo” – the vulnerability and lack of answers presented in the first album were what drew me in and encouraged me that questions are useful and allowed and appropriate. I found a sort of romance in the idea that, on Copeland's website, they asked their audience not to pry for the exact meanings of songs because Aaron Marsh, they felt, had exposed enough of his heart in the music itself. And this allowed me to make their songs mine.

I have talked a great deal in recent months about how music and memory are in constant interplay; music allows us to time travel and revisit the most joyous of times, and also the moments where our hearts have failed others and us. As the set started winding down, I began to fear that my favorite songs would forever exist only in mp3 form, but I was gifted with the best encore that could have been scripted for me. The band began the encore with "Brightest," the song that had played a huge role in the development of my musical tastes. Next was "Testing the Strong Ones," which (in cliché fashion) I would say is the story of my life – the description of that gap between expectation and reality, the familiar scents of hospitals and the hope that pain will end soon, the frustration with and the longing for the supernatural, the guilt and sinking feeling, and the faces of Mema, Rebekah, and Diana, and the course of events that led me to find out what brokenness truly meant – that song became my hymn. I have been tested, scarred, and held. To me, this song is a validation. The words represented everything I could not find, or rather, was afraid to find because they would scare those around me. That song made me feel less "crazy" because it was proof that someone out there knew exactly what I was feeling.

And then Aaron then said the words that the packed venue was afraid to hear. “Thank you, we love you... We were Copeland." The finality of that statement presented a stark contrast to their very last song, "You Have My Attention." The song that, to this day, keeps me searching, seeking, hoping, and moving. Where "Testing the Strong Ones" describes the story of my life, "Attention" describes the hope for what my story will become. The song is about the knowing what you are looking for and keeping that in sight. Nothing else that matters. My favorite part of this song is that it doesn't want to end. It just keeps driving and cuts in and out until it fades completely. The only reason it stops it because someone behind a studio wall decided to turn a knob to the left.

There was life in that room, and it was palpable. That night had countless faces and memories tied to every note, and that is rare. Everyone had entered through the doors with a story, and at some point in the lives of these individuals and the life of the band there had been a lyric or line or chord or sequence of tracks that brought us all together for that night.

Copeland was the first band I saw after I stopped self-injuring. I saw them in Charlottesville, VA at Starr Hill. I stood directly in front of the piano. I cried for the first time without needing booze to fuel my emotions. I felt something for the first time in years. I am quite simply indebted to these musicians and their art. They got me through those first painful weeks of lucidity and sobriety. I find healing in their words, and I find resonance in their questions. I find beauty in the word play. And now, I find comfort in their memory.

 I am Chad because they were Copeland.

Comments (11) | Posted in General, Music by Chris Youngblood

Hey Guys.

We've seen some surprising doors open and we've been invited to borrow some amazing stages over the last four years. Jon Foreman pulled a Title shirt from the very first batch minutes before a sold-out Switchfoot show in South Florida. That was March 2006 and we were off and running. Since then, we've been invited to share a message of hope and help and community with thousands on tours with Anberlin, Bayside, The Almost, The Rocket Summer and Switchfoot - speaking not at 7 o'clock when the room is sparse and chatty but instead taking the stage in the most exciting moment, when the crowd expects the headliner. We’ve spent the last three summers all across America on Warped Tour, and we’ve had the privilege of touring Australia for the last two years of Soundwave Festival. NBC Nightly News introduced us to nine million people on a single night in 2008. Rolling Stone and MTV added to that number in 2009. And with a simple silly YouTube video, Joaquin Phoenix, Miley Cyrus and Liv Tyler put TWLOHA in front of two million folks.

And it wasn’t all bright lights and famous names. You have played just as much a part. Our message has spread in countless conversations at school and work and coffee. It’s happened in conversations with strangers and friends, sparked by questions such as “What does your shirt mean?” and “Why do you always write LOVE on your arm?”

Last night we learned about an exciting opportunity, a stage that we would certainly love to borrow. USA Today is giving away a full-page ad. Why is that exciting? Because every morning in America, nearly four million people wake up to USA Today.

What would we say to four million people?

It’s exciting to imagine.

Perhaps a simple message of encouragement, words of hope and help, meant to make four million days a little lighter. Or perhaps a letter to President Obama, telling him that we have to take better care of our soldiers – more are dying by suicide than combat and that’s a fact that screams for our attention. Or maybe it’s the chance to invite America to help fund IMAlive, a live online crisis network that we believe will save thousands of lives. It’s the first of it’s kind and long-overdue.

It would be quite an opportunity, quite the canvas to paint on, but we need your help to make it happen. We need your passion and your voice (and we need you to tweet).

Simply click here to post the following on your Twitter: 

“Let's bring hope and help to America. Please RT: #AmericaWants @TWLOHA to get a full-page ad in USA Today.”

Please invite your friends to do the same between now and Friday night (4/16) at 11:59pm EST. Learn more here.

Thanks so much your support. We’re all in this together.

Peace to you.

jamie

Comments (21) | Posted in General, Music by jamie tworkowski

This tour is an attempt to celebrate and support our UChapters in bringing the message and mission of TWLOHA to college and university campuses. Evenings of lyrics and conversation, on the road now thru April 28. 

Comments (8) | Posted in General, Music by jamie tworkowski

Once again, HEAVY AND LIGHT was something special. People came from across the U.S. and as far away as Canada for this evening of songs, conversation and hope at House of Blues Orlando. The night began with spoken word poet Anis Mojgani (he basically stole the show) and it ended with all of the musicians coming back to the stage to do two songs together. Here's the first of those - meant to make you smile. Feel free to sing along...

Comments (3) | Posted in Music by jamie tworkowski

A look behind the scenes at HEAVY AND LIGHT 2009. From sound check to food talk to the boys working on the encore... We hope to see you Saturday night when we do it all again.



You can buy tickets to Heavy and Light 2010, January 9th at the House of Blues Orlando through TicketMaster.com here.

Comments (2) | Posted in Music by Chris Youngblood

In case you missed it, HEAVY AND LIGHT '09 was something special. Here's a taste - 2 minutes and 33 seconds of Awesome. We hope to see you this Saturday at HOB Orlando when we do it all again.



You can buy tickets to Heavy and Light 2010, January 9th at the House of Blues Orlando through TicketMaster.com here.

Comments (5) | Posted in Music by Chris Youngblood

Comments (20) | Posted in General, Journal, Merch, Music by jamie tworkowski

We're excited to give you yet another reason to come to FL next month:

Comments (8) | Posted in General, Music by jamie tworkowski

Steven Smith of Fuse talks storytelling, branding, technology, touring and more with TWLOHA's Jamie Tworkowski, Charity:Water's Phillip Crosby and Invisible Children's Alex Collins during CMJ 2009 in NYC. Zach Williams brings the music.

Music for Good (CMJ Panel) from To Write Love on Her Arms. on Vimeo.

Comments (2) | Posted in General, Music by Chris Youngblood

Comments (21) | Posted in General, Journal, Music by jamie tworkowski

Hey Guys,

For those active in the field of Mental Health, Fall is the season dedicated to Suicide Prevention. Over the past three years, TWLOHA has been privileged to be part of ongoing conversations on topics such as suicide that often are not talked about. We’ve been on the receiving end of countless stories that demand not only an emotional response, but also a tangible response. We are moved by the fact that suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for young Americans. We are challenged with knowing that suicide is the most preventable form of death. These facts require attention, action, and conversation.

By being a part in these conversations, we developed a friendship with the National Hopeline, which runs the network many recognize as 1-800-SUICIDE. This free and confidential service has been operating for 11 years now and has answered over three million phone calls. Three million lives that in a moment of courage and confession reached out for help. Three million people reminded that their life matters and their story is important. Three million stories that might have ended too soon.

Last year we launched a campaign to help pay 1-800-SUICIDE’s phone bill and ensure that their legacy of hope would continue. This year we are taking the commitment a step further and helping 1-800-SUICIDE along with PostSecret produce the first ever Suicide Prevention Music Tour featuring Blue October. The month long venture is called the Pick Up The Phone Tour. It is one thing to write checks, but what is closest to our hearts is proactively meeting people where they are. Keeping our vision in mind, proceeds from this tour will be going towards developing a new online chat network called IM Alive (Instant Message Alive) which will work much like 1-800-SUICIDE: free and confidential.

The tour will be starting with a conversation, that you are invited to, on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. on October 21st. Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October along with Reese Butler, founder of 1-800-SUICIDE, will be addressing Congress on these issues. If you want to be a part of this first day and acoustic set, please visit PUTP.org and reply to the RSVP at the bottom of the page (while the event is free, the space is limited). Tickets are on sale now at PUTP.org for all the other dates as well as brand new Pick Up the Phone shirts. We can’t wait to join you for these nights of hope and healing, but even if you cannot join us on the tour, we would encourage you to check out the shirt and start conversations in your own community.

For more information on the tour and what we believe about these issues, please check out our PSA below. We are really excited about this video and we hope that you will help us share it. It’s a combination of Jamie’s words, James Earl Jones' voice, video work by our friend Dustin Miller, and dozens of caring strangers that all came together in about two days… and we could not be more proud of the finished product.



See you on the road.
With hope,
Chad

Comments (12) | Posted in Music by Chris Youngblood

Today, while reading the liner notes for The Avett Brothers new album, i came across a mission statement.  Non-profits are supposed to have mission statements but i'd never seen one from a band.  The words are meant to explain some other words, the album's brave title, "I and Love and You". i found it all brilliant and wanted to share it with you.

Peace to you.

jamie

"The words "I" and "Love" and "You" are the watermark of humanity. Strung together, they convey our deepest sense of humility, of power, of truth. It is our most common sentiment, even as the feeling of it is so infinitely uncommon: each to proclaim these three words with his or her very own heart and mindset of reason (or lack thereof); a proclamation completely and perfectly new each time it is offered. Uttered daily and nightly by millions, the words are said in an unending array of circumstances : whispered to a newborn in a mothers arms; shared between best friends on the playground; in the form of sympathy - said by a girl to a boy, as the respect continues but the relationship does not. It is said too loudly by parents to embarassed children in the company of their friends, and by grown children - to their fading parents in hospital beds. The words are thought in the company of the photograph and said in the company of the gravestone. It is how we end our phone calls and our letters... the words at the bottom of the page that trump all those above it, a way to gracefully finish a message, however important or trivial, with the most meaningful gifl of all : the communication of love. And yet the words themselves have been the victims of triviality, a ready replacement for lesser salutations among near strangers, burst forth casually as "love ya." Truly? To what degree? Why, how much, and for how long? These are questions befitting of the stature of love, though not the everyday banter of vague acquaintance. The words have also been twisted by the dark nature of deceit : To say "I love you" with a dramatic measure of synthetic emotion; a snare set by those who prey uponn fellow humanity, driven to whatever selfish end, to gain access to another's body, or their money, or their opportunity. In this realm, the proclamation is disgraced by one seeking to gain rather than to give. In any case, and by whatever inspiration, these words are woven deeply in to the fibers of our existence. Our longing to hear them from the right place is maddeningly and simultaneously our finest strength and our most gentle weakness.The album "I and Love and You" is inashamedly defined by such a dynamic of duality. As living people, we are bound by this unavoidable parallel. We are powerful yet weak, capable yet temporary. Inevitably, an attempt to place honesty within an artistic avenue will follow suit. This is a piece which shows us as we are : products of love surrounded by struggle. The music herein is, in many ways, readable as both a milestone and an arrival. A chapter in the story of young men, it bridges the space between the uncertainty of youth and the reality of it's release. The record is full with the quality of the question and response. As far as questions go, there are plenty-normally residing within the tone and delivery of the lyrics themselves, which, ironically, are sung with so much confidence. Among songs and thoughts so driven and purposeful, the most basic relatable doubt comes through with a resounding clarity. Outside of the eternal theme of romantic love, the album speaks thankfully upon a landscape of light-filled rooms, word-filled pages, time machines, forgiveness, singing birds, ocean waves, art, change, confessions of shortcomings, and reasons to continue on. Hope and a cause for smiling follow naturally. In the midst of all this, there are allusions to the less-than-ideal conditions of life : the loss of memory, the inability to control temper, insecurity, indecision, jaded indifference, and the general plague of former and current weakness. "I and Love and You" is an album of obvious human creation, chracterized by it's best and it's worst. Emotional imperfection is a reality for those who recorded the piece, just as it is for those who will hear it. The conclusion of the song from which the title is taken admits that the words "I love you" have become "hard to say". And perhaps that difficulty is as common as it's counterpart. Perhaps the inability to say these heaviest of words is as much a part of life as the lighthearted candor of those who say them without any difficulty at all. And so it ends with the phrase whispered to and by those of us most defeated and most elated... I and love and you."

 - The Avett Brothers

 PS: You can hear "I and Love and You" (the song) along with new songs from Paramore, Switchfoot, Paper Route, Athlete, Ryan Adams and Noah Gundersen on our MySpace playlist. We just added these today...

Comments (18) | Posted in General, Music by jamie tworkowski

We were going to post a blog today. Instead, we decided to try something a little different. The image below is an attempt to include you in the process. (click image to enlarge)



We hope you guys can make it. We hope that you might even go as faras to get together with friends and with family and watch together. Ultimately, we hopethat when the cameras turn off, you keep talking.

Click here to watch the live webcast on October 5th at 8PM EST. Music by Damion Suomi and Andy Zipf. To join the conversation, send all questions and comments via Twitter by starting your Tweets with @TWLOHA. You can also help promote the webcast by posting the banner below on your page or making it your profile picture.



Add this banner to your page:
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Comments (10) | Posted in General, Music by Chris Youngblood

Hey Guys.

A few months back, i got the chance to spend a couple hours with Mike Shea in New York City. Mike is the founder of Alternative Press Magazine and we had a good time getting to know each other over lunch in Union Square and a long city stroll. Mike and i swapped stories about AP and TWLOHA and music and mutual friends and all sorts of stuff. Somewhere in there, we talked about ways to work together and he asked if i had any ideas. i told him that i would love to write... He asked what i'd want to write about and i told him i wasn't sure but that i'd love to be honest and that i'd do my best to challenge people and encourage people. i told him that basically, TWLOHA is an attempt to get to the heart of things, to remind people that they're alive and that life is worth living and perhaps that there are things that need to be said and things we're supposed to fight for.

Well... My first article for AltPress went up today and i'd love for you to check it out. (i must warn you that it's a little bit spicy...) Our hope is that if the response to the online article is good, then they may invite me to write for the (print) magazine.  If you dig the article, feel free to comment, let AP know, etc.  Thanks for walking with me as the journey continues.

Click here to check out the article on AltPress.com

Peace to you from NYC, where Fall is starting to happen.
: )
jamie

Comments (7) | Posted in General, Music by jamie tworkowski

Hey Guys.

Our friend Stuart was here last week, visiting from Glasgow, Scotland. He spent a few days with our team, helping us daydream about the future of TWLOHA in the United Kingdom. Stuart will be working with our friend Olivia to make some things happen there very soon. Keep an eye on www.twloha.com for details.

On that note, we're excited to announce that TWLOHA will have a booth at Greenbelt Festival, where our friends in Athlete are among the headliners. Greenbelt is happening this weekend in England. There will be TWLOHA info and merch available, and we hope you'll say hello to Olivia from our team. Also, if you're interested in getting involved, Olivia would be a great person to connect with.

Comments (13) | Posted in General, Merch, Music by jamie tworkowski

Here's a great video of our friend Damion Suomi talking about his music and where he's been and where he's going.

Comments (1) | Posted in General, Music by jamie tworkowski

Comments (30) | Posted in Merch, Music by jamie tworkowski

We have a new friend called Craig Owens. He sings in a band called Chiodos. We have a new tank top called Filled. They've been hanging out lately. We tried to think of a better name for Filled but we just couldn't do it. We should have asked you because you probably have a better idea...

Anyway, the purpose of this blog is to let you know that our new Filled tank is available on Warped and it's also available in the TWLOHA Online Store. It's hot in half the world right now so Filled has been making lots of friends. Craig has been stopping by our tent lately and he seems to have a lot of friends as well. 

We hope you have a great day. We hope to see you soon.
jamie

PS: We also have new stickers. Big ones, small ones, ones for cars... You'll find those in the Promote section of the Online Store.

Comments (4) | Posted in Merch, Music by jamie tworkowski

Hey Guys.

i am sitting at the coffee shop where i come when i'm home, the one that's not Starbucks, the one that plays good music and makes the town feel almost like a city... i have a theory that people go to coffee shops - well, i'm sure we go for coffee - but i think we go to feel less alone. i could write this in my room but i choose to drive across town to sit among the people. i might not talk to anyone but somehow it's better to be here...

It's been a busy week, a busy few weeks really. We've got lots going on, getting ready for the summer. Lots of design happening, lots of ideas and getting ready for Warped Tour...

i'm actually just writing to share some cool news and also to invite you. In the Spring of 2007, we were part of Anberlin's Cities tour. We were on the road for close to two months, all across America. On that tour, we got to know the guys from Bayside. Bayside is a rock and roll band from New York City. Growing up, i thought they were from my tiny town in Florida because they played here so much.

After the Anberlin tour, Bayside invited us to be part of their U.S. tour and then after that they invited us to spend the summer with them on Warped Tour. It's safe to say we spent most of '07 with them and it's no small thing for a band to share their stage or bunks on their bus. That's where they make their living and that's home.

Bayside's singer is Anthony Raneri and Anthony played our first "Heavy and Light" night at the Social in 2008. He came back to play it again this past January at House of Blues Orlando. And then we spent a couple weeks together in Australia, for Soundwave... All of that to say, Bayside has been incredibly generous and supportive, and Bayside has become part of the TWLOHA story. Anthony has become a friend and we take none of it lightly.

This brings us to now. Anthony is hitting the road for a short solo tour w/ Andy Jackson (Hot Rod Circuit) and he's invited me to speak at his solo shows in Gainesville and Orlando (Florida) next weekend. i'm honored and excited, and if i'm honest, a little bit nervous. Saturday night (6/20) we'll be at 1982 Bar in Gainesville and Sunday we'll be at Back Booth in downtown Orlando. Back Booth is special because i went there with Renee when i first met her, to see Band Marino. We took a photo in the photo booth that night and that photo made ended up on NBC Nightly News a few months back.

So Anthony is part of our story and Back Booth is part of our story and then it turns out that Sunday is Father's Day. As a lot of you know and remember, Father's Day is a day that matters to us... It's a day we've thought and talked a lot about. And then on top of all of that, there's this other thing. There's this other story that's bumping into ours and it's a big one. This other thing is a surprise and it's a weird one because it's connected to Sunday but we can't explain it until after Sunday... (You just sort of have to trust me that it's big and it's cool and eventually this will all make sense.)

Anyway, this is me inviting you to these two shows. On a certain level, they're small and on some other levels, they're huge and i suppose that's the case with almost every story. Anythony has a stage and he believes we have something important to say and so he lends us his stage and we go because there's going to be people in the room and people are the most important thing on the planet. (And then there's this other thing, this surprise, perhaps another stage...)

It would be really cool if you could help us spread the word and it would be the best if you could come. Beyond the speaking, some folks from our team will be hanging out and we would love to meet you...




TWLOHA.COM FOR INFO

Thank you and please have a great night.
We hope to see you soon.
: )
jamie

PS: Here's a really cool photo of Anthony's band Bayside at Bamboozle last month. Thank You to Jered Scott for sharing this photo with us.

Comments (11) | Posted in Music by jamie tworkowski

"Hope isn't something you create, it's something you let inside."

Came across these words on John Mayer's Twitter tonight:

Something to think about...

Oh and if you have a couple minutes and you're a person of the twitter, we may have accidentally started a campaign to become friends with Mr. Mayer. i've often wondered if he's ever heard about TWLOHA, and what he might think. John seems like a guy who's trying to create things that matter and move... he gets music (obviously) but he also seems to get the power of words and importance of moments and the value of design - he values these things and i'm glad he's willing to speak up about them. 

This comes in contrast to a weekend where i saw a lot of bands led by singers who say the same things and say a lot and say pretty much nothing at all. There were certainly exceptions but it was strange and sad to watch band after band play to thousands of people and to hear them basically miss the moment - the chance to say real things, the chance to invite people to think or feel or ask a question or believe... 

It made me thankful for the artists we've connected with, folks who are trying to move people, folks with something to say in their songs and between their songs, folks willing to be honest, willing to be real, willing to dream instead of hiding behind bad laughs and empty chatter...

Maybe this applies to all of us. It's been said that "All the world's a stage." We all have an audience. We all have some kind of influence. We all have a story and a voice. Our lives are our songs. Our hearts are our songs. It's okay to ask real questions. It's okay to say real things. Let's make things that matter and move, and let's chase after those things as well.

Peace to you tonight.
jamie

PS: Didn't plan to write a blog. Was just going to share the JM quote as a bulletin... There will be a long-overdue it's-been-too-long new blog soon.

Comments (28) | Posted in General, Music by jamie tworkowski

Hey Guys.

i mentioned something called Summerset in the "Welcome to Australia" blog. Summerset was a house that i lived in a few years back, along with Rich and Byron from the TWLOHA team. This was about seven years ago, so it was long before TWLOHA, but i think it had a lot to do with shaping the people and ideas that would become TWLOHA. Summerset was more than a place - i suppose we remember it as something more like a season or a chapter or the good kind of gang. We were a pack, we stuck together, we dreamed each other's dreams. We fought for each other. We shared money, food, couches and cars. And i suppose we lived this way because we believed that the dreams were more important than the details. We were better as one than apart. There was always music or talk of music, and it was also the season when i first started to get excited about writing...

Read more

Comments (10) | Posted in General, Music by jamie tworkowski

Hey Guys.

We're in Austin, Texas for the South by Southwest music festival. There's 40,000 people in town for this. The busiest street is Sixth and there are these two banners on the corner of Sixth and Trinity...

Comments (9) | Posted in General, Music by jamie tworkowski

Hey Guys.

i want to begin by saying that we're in Melbourne now, and so much of our focus going into this trip was on our time here in Melbourne, getting to visit people and places affected by the fires. We had plans to brings artists to shelters, to offer their time and their songs in trying to make life a little better for folks who have lost so much recently. Anthony from Bayside, Stephen from Anberlin, Aaron from Underoath, and Jordan from New Found Glory were all excited to go. 

Because of the weather, we had to cancel our plans. Unfortunately, the weather is simply too dangerous in the areas that have already been affected. The concern is that there will be more fires because of the temperatures and the wind. 

i mentioned the guys who were planning to go because i think it's important to say that they care, that there are people on this tour who are thinking beyond the stage and the shows. i walked up to Jordan from New Found Glory a couple days ago and gave this awkward introduction, started trying to explain our plans and he stopped me mid-sentence with "I'm in." 

The good news is that all of us will be at Soundwave tomorrow, and we'll get to spend the day with thousands and thousands of people from Melbourne and the surrounding areas. My guess is that everyone there tomorrow has been touched by the fires in some way, and that some have known significant loss. It's our hope that tomorrow will be a special day in the middle of a difficult time for people here. 

There's no easy transition. i'll simply say that the fires have been on our mind and remain on our mind. Again, the good news is that we're excited to spend the day with the people of this place tomorrow. Say a prayer for Victoria.

The trip has been great so far. Here's my best attempt at bringing you here with words:

I went and said hello to the Bayside guys just before they went on stage at Soundwave in Sydney last weekend. My friend Jack plays guitar in Bayside and I asked him how he was enjoying Australia. This was his response: 

“I’m trying to think of one good reason why I shouldn’t move here, but I’m having trouble coming up with anything.” He eventually added that living in Australia would put him far from his family, though it was the only negative he could find.

We heard similar things the next day when we introduced Aaron and Spencer from Underoath and Stephen from Anberlin to Bondi Beach. At Bondi, the shops and cafes and houses stand along the water like an audience, and whether you prefer city or coast, we all agreed it would be hard to find a prettier place or a setting more alive. (I’m a surfer so I may be a bit partial.)

Our (TWLOHA) team on this trip to Australia is Chris Youngblood and Rich Sullivan and myself, and we are here primarily for Soundwave Festival, which happened last weekend in Brisbane and Sydney and will happen again tomorrow in Melbourne. Sunday is Adelaide and then we get one day off to fly across the continent to Perth. Adelaide and Perth will be firsts for us so we’re certainly excited. 

Chris was our first intern and when I met him, about two years ago, he had never left Georgia. I think his first time out of Georgia was to help us at The Almost show in Columbia, South Carolina. Over the last couple years, he’s become a big part of our story and our team. On our better days, Chris reminds us that community is not some idea for blogs and stages. It is something real and needed, as we have become his and he is part of ours and mine. He traded everything he knew to join our team.

These days, Chris handles everything in the realm of the internet and social networking for TWLOHA. He also spent last summer representing TWLOHA on Warped Tour and will be back out there again come June. Chris and I just took a long walk down Chapel Street in Melbourne, Australia, and this makes me smile because it’s safe to say that he is a long way from Georgia at the moment. 

Rich is one of my oldest friends. A few years ago, we shared a room in a house nicknamed “Summerset”. Byron Cutrer is TWLOHA’s Director of Operations, and he lived there too. Well, technically he didn’t live there, but he slept on the couch probably five nights a week. Summerset was a bunch of guys who liked music way too much, doing life together and wrestling with dreams we didn’t know what to do with. We walked through a lot together. We look back now and smile because so much has changed since then, but also because the things we began to believe back then are the things we get to believe now with TWLOHA. 

Anyway, Rich was part of the first “Stop the Bleeding” tour we ever did, to Nashville and back in 2006. He has been a friend ever since, played a major part in HEAVY AND LIGHT last month, and started full-time with us just after that, focusing on all things related to music and events. 

Okay, back to Australia. (Sorry for the detour, but I feel like I am usually the one who writes these things and I like the idea of you getting to know the folks behind the scenes.) 

We’re here for Soundwave and we’re off to a great start with Brisbane and Sydney. Brisbane is a beautiful city on Australia’s east coast, the furthest north we get to go on this journey. Brisbane’s downtown is really cool – lots of shops and really clean and alive with lots of young people walking around. Sydney is hard to describe – I haven’t been everywhere but it must be one of the world’s great cities. It is a beautiful mix of harbor and hills and skyline and beaches. In trying to explain it to folks back home, I’ve found myself saying that Sydney is like San Francisco meets Seattle meets the tropics. I don’t know if that’s remotely accurate but that’s what comes to mind. To say it a different way, I could totally live here. 

The folks from Soundwave have been incredibly generous and inviting to us. We arrived the first day in Brisbane to find that they had set us up our own tent, more space than we needed, right next to the main merch tent. They have something like 50 bands to look after, not to mention thousands of people coming out each day, and we were blown away that folks from the Soundwave team kept coming by asking how our day was going, asking if we needed anything. It’s an amazing thing when people believe in what you’re doing, when people get excited and start sharing whatever they have, opening whatever doors they can. 

The kindness we found with the Soundwave team didn’t end there. It must be an Australian thing because people have been really amazing to us, thanking us for coming, asking how we like Australia, asking our plans for this place and how they can get involved. We’ve had countless conversations with folks here who believe in the work and mission of TWLOHA. It’s been exciting for me personally, to see the passion and belief in the people here. There’s something powerful about finding things are true around the world, that we share ideas and needs and solutions, that we’re all people in need and that hope is contagious and universal. 

Read more

Comments (14) | Posted in General, Merch, Music by jamie tworkowski

To our friends in Australia,

We don't know what to say. 

i'm sorry.  We're sorry. 

We'll start there.   

Why?  Why does it snow in one place and rain in another while a third place burns? 

Why is life like that?

The following words kept me up most of last night.  This came in an email from a friend in Melbourne:
"A few days ago i read a text message that a mother had received from her son who was trapped in the fire - it was his goodbye.  This woman broke down in front of me at the thought of never seeing her son again..."

My friend went on to say that he had stood on what used to be a football ground. He said that 56 people had evacuated to this place at the last minute, believing it was safe because it was away from the trees.  All 56 of them were killed. 

i don't know what to do with stories like that.  i don't know what to say in response. 

i suppose we just want to say that this has our attention, and that we're going to do everything we can to help.  We're talking to friends, especially in Melbourne, to see what's being done and how we can get involved.  Rich, Chris and i head to Australia for Soundwave Festival next week, a trip we already had planned, before the fires.  The timing is certainly surprising.  It hit me late last night in reading that email from my friend, that we have to do something, we have to respond.  We have to be creative and do what we do best... i emailed some of our friends who are playing Soundwave, guys who are part of our story.  Amazing to think we'll be over there with some of our close friends (Anberlin, Bayside, Aaron Gillespie) in a moment like this.  Everyone is willing to help, to say this matters, to do something in response, to go beyond just saying words from a stage...

In closing, i just want to say that our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Australia right now, especially those that have lost ones and homes.  We don't want to offer you cheap answers.  We do want to say that your questions matter to us, your pain matters to us.  Your families, your towns, your stories, your memories.  Real things.  They matter.  You matter.   

As much as possible, across an internet and across all the oceans, we want to say that we're with you right now.  Australia is a place that moves us, that matters to us - i mean that personally, that i fell in love with Australia last year.  We're excited to go back and we hope to see you soon.   

Peace to you, from all of us in Florida and around the world. 
jamie



We will be at all five dates: Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. (Yes, Perth!) Look for the TWLOHA tent and check the calendar for more info.

Comments (42) | Posted in General, Music by jamie tworkowski

Hey Guys. 

Denny and i spoke to a small group in Altoona today, in response to the recent suicides in the community here. It was a privilege to be in the room, just to be invited into the the conversation. We heard from a mother who lost her son, friends and classmates, parents and counselors, and even the School Superintendent. It was an honor to show up on behalf of this global community (you), to tell our surprising story of lives changing, people finding hope and help.

More than anything, we came to say that this place matters, these people here, the lives lost and the ones in the room and the many outside. We came to say we're part of the same story, that the hope we believe in, the help we point to - we believe those things for people here as well. And for the great loss, the people who can't come back, we simply said we're sorry. We acknowledged the enormous questions and did our best not to offer anything cheap or tiny in the face of those. No magic formula or easy answers. People cried because there are things in life worth crying about.

i found out today that the Anberlin guys will be here (Des Moines) tomorrow, on their tour with Between the Trees. So i decided to stay an extra day to spend some time with them, and to say a few words at the show tomorrow night. Hope to see you there.

Also, the Superintendent and some other folks here asked us to come back, so we're going to come back soon, to speak at one (or some) of the high schools. We've been moved by the story here, and it isn't just the loss. We're moved by the people that we met today, the folks remembering and believing and asking for change. We'll certainly be back, and together, we'll continue to say these things that we believe. We'll do our best to meet each other in the questions, and to say that life is worth fighting for.

Peace to you tonight.
jamie

PS: Don't tell Josh Moore, but i bought him a shirt today, at a store called SMASH. It says "The prettiest girls in the world live in Des Moines." It's a Jack Kerouac quote. i don't know if Josh has been here, but i think he's gonna smile.

Comments (19) | Posted in General, Music by jamie tworkowski

Last night began like this:
You can watch HEAVY AND LIGHT from start to finish HERE, thanks to SyncLive.com.  You'll have to create an account but it's free and super easy and honestly, it rules.  It's basically like a DVD.  You can skip forward or rewind.  You can watch specific parts.  The sound is really good.     

Here's what a few folks had to say...
Jon Foreman: "My favorite night of the year so far! Good friends with incredible talents singing together for a night of validating the worth of the highs and lows of the human experience."

Dustin Kensrue: "It was encouraging and life-giving to see so many people gathered with their guards down.  It's a rare thing in our culture to cultivate that kind of honesty and openness, and the way TWLOHA has managed to create that atmosphere was clearly seen last night.  It was beautiful to behold."

Aaron Gillespie:  "It was my favorite show of the last couple years.  It reminded me of how I imagine the 50's in Nashville, with Johnny Cash and his friends learning songs backstage and then everyone playing together that night."

My two cents: Last night was a dream come true on so many levels.  A few years ago, we started imagining these nights that could be more than music, nights where you could fill a room with hope and honesty, nights where you could also point to community and treatment.  It was unbelievable to see so many people willing to listen last night, people willing to engage this conversation.  And then obviously, the music was incredible and to be able to do it in this venue that we love, in the city where this began... It was a night we’ll never forget.

We want to say thank you to Jon and Dustin for flying across the country to be there, Anthony and Zach for coming down from New York, Mr. Josh Moore for coming from Carolina, and Aaron Gillespie for making the drive over from Tampa, after being on the road for basically the last six months. Thanks to the House of Blues for having us, and thanks beyond words to everyone who came from everywhere to be there last night. It was seriously a beautiful night, and i needed it as much as anyone.  More very soon, pictures and sounds and words.

Peace to you.
jamie

PS: You seriously need to watch the webcast.  All i can tell you is that it's safe to say there was some collaboration.

PS2: Here's the link to the Intro Video on YouTube.

Comments (14) | Posted in General, Music by jamie tworkowski

HEAVY AND LIGHT Live Webcast!!

Hey Guys,

We've been busy getting ready for HEAVY AND LIGHT and we have some really exciting news to announce. There are still tickets available for tomorrow night but, for everyone who isn't able to make it to Orlando, we will be broadcasting the entire show right here. This live webcast is being made possible by SyncLive.com and they are helping us make this happen and there are a couple different ways you can watch the show and help spread the word. The night starts at 6:00 PM EST and ends at 10. You can watch it right here in this blog or you can go to our profile on SyncLive where the format will be chat style and you can join in a conversation with people from all around the world by clicking the link under the video player. You can tell your friends to watch by grabbing the embed code from our profile and posting the player to your page (blog, bulletins, etc).

Comments (23) | Posted in General, Music by Chris Youngblood

Hey Guys.

Sitting here listening to Land of Talk's "It's Okay" on repeat.  Not sure why, just been feeling safe in this song for the last few days.  Her voice is calming.

There's a great article about HEAVY AND LIGHT in today's Orlando's Sentinel. Check it out HERE.

We drove over to House of Blues today to get a feel for the room.  We've been there a hundred times but there's something different when you know they're about to hand you the keys, when it's yours for a night.  The room was completely empty and Chad was trying to figure out where the shirts will go and Rich was working on internet stuff and i was wandering around talking to myself and thinking about Sunday - up in the balcony thinking about family and friends and down on the floor wondering who will be standing there and where they will come from and how they'll be feeling.  It's an amazing room but it's empty until you fill it with stories.  People make a place.

The airplanes start arriving tomorrow so there's been lots of last-minute calls and texts and ideas.  Like last year, there will be some great surprises, some bright moments.  i'm still blown away that all of these guys are playing our show.  i would be excited if any one of them were playing and instead it's something like an all-star team.  More than half the names are known but we like the introductions as well.  You found us because our friends shared their stages so now we do the same.  There is a rookie by the name of Zach Williams who we think people need to meet.  He sings his stories with an urgency, something like a screaming.  Maybe we like him because we believe that there are things in life worth screaming about.  Maybe we find something true there, some sort of freedom.     

Heavy and Light is about winning and losing together.  It's the idea that we were meant to live that way -  we were meant to share things, to walk together.  It's the idea of being honest about pain and hope.

Also, we think music is pretty great so there will be a lot of music.  Music reminds us that we're alive, that it's okay to feel and care and ask and move, that maybe it's okay to be honest.

We hope to see you Sunday when the lights go down at six. There are still tickets available. Come with a friend or simply bring your story.  Your story is important.

Peace to you.
jamie
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Comments (4) | Posted in General, Music by jamie tworkowski

Last summer, we were approached by a music video director named Robby Starbuck about working with him on a music video project for the band A Skylit Drive. After hearing why he wanted to incorporate TWLOHA into this video and the response from the guys in the band when he pitched the idea, we had no hesitation.

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Comments (23) | Posted in General, Music by Chris Youngblood

Hello from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.

Comments (2) | Posted in General, Music by jamie tworkowski

Hey Guys.

We've been working on tour stuff today, excited to kick things off this Friday night at UGA in Athens. (As a sidenote, i am a little sad about having to miss Coldplay. They're playing Orlando that night.)

i want to say thanks to everyone who responded to yesterday's "Meet Zach Williams" blog. i talked to Zach for a while this morning and he was really moved and encouraged by all the kind words. He wrote a blog in response and you can read that HERE.

We're excited to announce that Zach Williams will be joining us for three dates on the upcoming East Coast Tour.  He will be playing the first two shows, Friday in Athens and Saturday at Clemson. He'll also be joining us in Brooklyn on Saturday, 11/15. That's a show we're just now announcing and that one will have to be "An Afternoon with To Write Love on Her Arms", because it starts at 4pm. Super excited about this one as i spent a few days there last week and it got me thinking... that maybe life in NYC has a lot in common with life in community. Both require sacrifice. Both mean being vulnerable. Both can be really difficult, but people choose NYC and people choose community because, ultimately, they believe it's worth it. There are easier places to live but ask any New Yorker and they'll probably tell you that it's the greatest city in the world, that they couldn't imagine living anywhere else. It seems there's something healthy about living life with other people, living among stories and conversations, inviting those things and choosing those things. And then it seems like there's something about inspiration as well, like we were meant to be moved. For me, there's something about being in a place where so much is happening, something about all of that history and beauty, something about that skyline... 

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Comments (7) | Posted in General, Music by jamie tworkowski

We just added a new song to the MySpace playlist... 

i'd never heard of Zach Williams until my friend Jon Tyson invited me to see him play last Tuesday in NYC. Jon is one of my heroes and his text said "Trust me" and since i'd never heard him say that, i pretty much had to go.

i went to see Zach play at Rockwood Music Hall, which is a tiny perfect room in Manhattan's Lower East Side. It turned out to be one of the best shows i've ever seen in my life. i keep telling people about it and i'm pretty sure i sound like an idiot because i can't begin to explain it and i just go on and on. For me, it was everything i love about music and so much of what i hope to find in this life. The packed tiny room was also a picture of community. When Zach sang "Take me to Brooklyn", his friends screamed and it was obvious that Brooklyn is them and theirs and they are a gang of the best kind, the kind we were meant for.

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Comments (13) | Posted in Music by jamie tworkowski