Patrick Cornell Blog

For you new readers, a different single will be released each month on iTunes and other digital music stores worldwide from my new album, Wrecking Ball, from April - November (8 singles recorded at Johnny Cash's house/studio, The Cash Cabin).

We're going to kick things off with a single that some of you have already seen a video for–Wrecking Ball (also the title track to the full length album).

Wrecking Ball is available NOW at these digital music stores, click your favorite store to download:

MySpace

Zune

Patrick

R.I.P. The Album (2010)

2010-03-08T08:56:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry to report to all of you a major loss in the music industry, after a long bout with the music buying public, The Album, IS DEAD!!

So, Patrick Cornell (that's me) no longer releases albums, or EP's (which is a mini album of 2 - 7 songs). Nope, he only releases Singles from now on. This will be more fun anyway, it'll give me something new to talk about each month, all year long–and something new for people (you) to listen to each month.

As most of you know I recently recorded a new album at Johnny Cash's house/studio, The Cash Cabin. I will be releasing a new Single from that collection of songs each month of 2010 from April - November (8 Singles) on iTunes and all other digital music stores worldwide. Each Single will have it's own artwork as well. And for the month of December, to end the year, I will release the full album, in it's entirety, which will include 3 unreleased bonus tracks (11 song album).

The full length album, however, will only be available for purchase exclusively on my Website, PatrickCornell.com or at live performances.

Now, why is this? Because the vast majority of music buyers don't buy full length albums any longer, they buy individual songs, or, Singles, as they're called. Even if you are one of the few that still buys the whole album when your favorite artist releases one, you're one in a million.

The most active music buyers today are ages 15 - 25 and they don't even own CD players let alone buy full albums to play them in. They go to iTunes, listen to the 30 second snippets of each song on the album and buy the three or four they like best. The truth hurts, but that's the truth folks–just ask iTunes, or musicians for that matter, or Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins.

Corgan was recently asked by Chris Isaak on The Chris Isaak Show what his opinion of The Album was. Corgan laughed and replied, "Releasing a full length album today is like recording 11 songs, giving 3 of them away for free, and throwing the rest in the trash, that's all people are going to listen to anyway."

Don't get me wrong, I'm not upset about it or going to try and fight it, in fact, I embrace it.

There you have it–new man, new plan, new Single in April.

Patrick

Wrecking Ball Video

2009-12-16T20:05:00.000-08:00

I want to thank all of you for the crazy amount of emails and Twitter Tweets about my new song Wrecking Ball. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who's had their heart broken.

Here's the brand new video for Wrecking Ball.

Thank you!

Patrick

18 Months And A Broken Heart

2009-11-23T09:24:00.000-08:00

18 months and one broken heart since I wrote the first song for my new album I'm sitting in Hendersonville, TN in Johnny Cash's studio, The Cash Cabin. I am here with Johnny's son, John Carter Cash, Grammy award winning engineer, Chuck Turner, and my producer, Paul Reeves, listening to the story of the hardest days of my life play back through two small speakers and I'm thinking, "I can't believe I made it through the heartache of losing the only woman I've loved (a girl named Kristy for those of you that keep asking) and still managed to get it all down on tape."

Sitting in Johnny Cash's creaky ol rocking chair, rubbing my fingers back and forth into the deep grooves of his initials he carved into the arm of the chair with his pocketknife, I realize the experience I'm having here has been experienced by few. It was only three years ago that I grew tired of thirteen years of playing in bands that always broke up and decided if I was to achieve my musical goal of being a solo artist, I was just going to have to do this by myself. So, I locked myself inside my tiny, Hollywood Hills, guest house for months and recorded my first solo, six song EP on my 12" laptop, playing all the instruments and singing all the songs myself.

Today, three years later, after two, solo, EP's, thousands of personal emails, phone calls, and demos sent to music reviewers, record companies, publishing companies, management companies, booking agencies, PR firms, and law firms, hundreds of coffee shop gigs, house gigs, club gigs, singer/songwriter gigs, one gig where not even one person showed up except the bartender (who wasn't even in the room while I played my set), gigs where people clapped and gigs where people laughed, and a mini UK and Midwest tour with nothing but me, my acoustic guitar and some big dreams (possibly delusions) of being a star, the band I'm watching right now through the control room glass record my new album have played with Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Sarah McLachlan, and on bass is Johnny Cash's own bass player, Dave Roe. Needless to say, I'm in good company and a far cry from that first Hollywood Hills laptop recording.

So what's next? Well, I've spent 18 months writing and now recording the best album of my life (my 3rd), every song about the woman I loved leaving me (partially my own selfish fault), and have handed it over to the powers that be: my management, my producer, and the Artist Development company that helped me put this all together, Paul Reeves Entertainment. Next comes a video shoot, some live radio station performances, and a single that I hope you'll hear on your radio next spring along with the album release. Click here for a preview: Preview New Songs

Every time I accomplish something musically that turns out to not be quite as big as what I'd hoped for I call up my Dad and say, "Well, now what?" to which he replies, "Keep getting up to bat Patrick." I believe this time I'm going to get a hit.

The girl is gone but the songs remain.

Patrick

Artist Development

2009-09-12T08:24:00.000-07:00

Back in the 70's there was this thing called "Artist Development," which meant a record label would sign an artist or band to their label and nurture their career until they had reached their full potential. Bands like The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers or Fleetwood Mac all started as complete unknowns but with the help, or development, of their respective record labels, they became superstars. Of course, good songs helped, but the reality is that without the record label taking the time to help their artists with their songs, their look, their promotion and giving them major financial support, no one reading this (or anyone else on the planet for that matter) would have ever heard of these bands. That is because none of these bands would have ever made it past playing in the garage. Mick Jagger may have ended up a gas station attendant. Tom Petty may have ended up a guitar teacher in his hometown of Gainesville, Florida.

The point is that without a full staff of people helping a band or artist, the chances are slim to none that anyone will ever hear them. This is because today, a record label will sign 50 bands that all sound similar, send their single to radio (which you might hear once) and see how many people call in to request that song again. If lots of people (you) call in to hear it again, the record company gives all their money to promoting that one band. The other 49 usually get dropped by the label and go back to their day jobs (waiters).

Luckily, however, their are a small number of people out there who realize that Artist Development actually worked, and are going back to the way things used to be done. You haven't seen or heard from me in a few months because I've been spending quite a bit of time in Nashville, TN (or on a plane every weekend flying between LA and Nashville) to work with a new Artist Development company, Paul Reeves Entertainment, that has taken me on as a client to help develop my career as a solo artist. I've been working with Nashville producer, Paul Reeves, in developing my songs, vocals, and overall vibe as and artist. In two weeks I'll be recording my third album in Nashville, TN at Johnny Cash's house/studio, The Cash Cabin, with an array of Nashville studio musicians, recording engineers, producers and Johnny Cash's own son, John Carter Cash.

It will be a full length, 9 song album, which will go to radio in the spring. I'll be doing live radio performances and music video shoots this winter to promote the record before its release and hopefully touring the country. I'll keep you posted on the progress. Thanks to all of you who have stuck around to see this thing through.

Patrick

The Road, the heart, and Johnny Cash

2009-07-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I made it, after 7 gigs, 13 days, 5 states, my Midwest Summer Tour ´09 is over. Thank you to all of you that I met along the way! Thanks for the vocal lessons Hal, thanks for the French Toast Bob, Mom and Dad, thanks for having me :) And to all of you that got me drunk after the gigs, beers on me next time...

I'm back in LA (for now), but can't stop thinking about Chicago. Never thought I'd say that but something inside me wants to pack my shit immediately and head to the lake. I spent two days wondering around Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, Bucktown, and Lakeview and LOVED every second. Hmmm, Chicago bound?? Time will tell. For now, I'm neck deep in pre–production for my forthcoming 3rd album.

I spent the 4th of July weekend in Nashville, TN (my second home) at the end of the tour, to mend some fences with an old love I hurt and subsequently lost a few years back. Four years of regrets can wear a man down and if I didn't accomplish anything else on this tour but making my way south for a face to face atonement for my sins, I'd have been satisfied. Not only did she allow me to make peace with her, I also re–wrote my entire new album while there with producer/songwriter Paul Reeves and created an album I never thought possible. Paul and I met on a recording session here in LA in 2004 and have since toured the country together. As things usually go in Nashville, we were sitting around his house on a very late, very rainy, 4th of July evening, drinking whisky and strumming acoustics when Paul said, "Play me your new songs," the rest is history... or at least will be...

I have since been invited to record my new album this September in Nashville at Johnny Cashs' lakeside house, the Cash Cabin. The Cash Cabin is now a private recording studio owned by John Carter Cash (Johnny and June's son) and is where Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash recorded most of their later material. I'm incredibly honored to be able to make my music where artists like them, as well as Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, John Prine and many other legends have made theirs. You'll hear my new songs on the radio very soon :)

The road can be tough at times, but it has always led me to places and experiences I could have never dreamed—places my heart and soul need to go to survive. This time it led to apologies accepted, soft and kind words, and and a rebirth for my music.

Patrick

Midwest Summer Tour Dates

2009-06-19T07:34:00.000-07:00

6/24/09 Cincinnati, OH @ Blue Rock Tavern & Speakeasy

6/25/09 Columbus, OH @ Victorians Midnight Cafe'

6/26/09 Dayton, OH @ Canal Street Tavern

6/27/09 Kent, OH @ The Robin Hood

6/28/09 Cleveland, OH @ Barking Spider Tavern

7/01/09 Indianapolis, IN @ Melody Inn

7/03/09 Louisville, KY @ Derby City Espresso

Check out the "Shows" page for set times and locations.

See you on the road...

Patrick

Home Sweet Canal Street

2009-06-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

It's funny, when I moved to LA 11 years ago, the last place I wanted to go was home. 11 years later, I couldn't wait to step back on the stage where it all began for me—Canal Street.

As I arrived from LA with my highway companion, six hours before showtime, my guts were in knots. Not since High School, (the last time I played in Dayton) had I felt nervous about performing. Now, this feeling could have partially been due to the three hours of sleep I had the night before, or, the tequila shots I sucked down on a Beverly Hills, hotel, rooftop prior to that three hours of sleep. Regardless, I wanted to puke.

As I walked out from the backstage doors I quickly realized, "Shit, I know everyone here." I had just played in the U.K. a month earlier in front of drunk Irishmen that I'd never met before without flinching but I now found myself wanting to chicken out of playing in front of my own Mom! I did the show, screamed my ass off, drank way to much, and passed out in my old room. It was perfect.

Thank you to everyone that came out: old High School friends, family, old High School enemies, everyone. I appreciate all your kind words and I look forward to seeing you all again in three weeks when I'm back in Dayton while on my Midwest, summer tour.

Patrick