Update on the Famous Canadian Rock Opera Band’s Album Release
Howdy-doody, folks!! Last night, Bryant Didier, the Southern Time Band’s bassist/producer, recorded and mapped out the 8 songs of the album-to-be ‘Lost in Love No More.’
This recording will serve as a template for the other members of the Southern Time Band to start getting ideas about what they might contribute to the songs. If funding one way or another comes in, the band will commence its first workshop of the songs in August. As well, we want to record two demo songs from the album by the end of the month.
What is the Southern Time Band? It is the rock opera band for the cinematic rock opera ‘Southern Time’ T wrote. We produced a multi-media stage production of Southern Time back in 2005, but it was always meant to be on the big screen. T is the lead singer of the band, is HIV positive, and nearly died from AIDS in 2009. Another of the band’s vocalists, Justin Anantawan, is also HIV positive. We want to not only make great music and film but also want to help end AIDS by 2030.
We are not famous yet, but we want and need it to be, so please share the cause and spread the word about our rock opera band to your friends.
Our Plan of Action
We will continue to rehearse weekly in September until our backup singer Justin Anantawan (who is currently away), rejoins us for another workshop around the start of October. We want to prepare the songs for performances, which will begin mid-October. Our goal is to start recording the album starting in January 2020.
The songs that will be on the album are ~
- Lost in Love: T’s journey with HIV (which has really been a journey with love) in a nutshell.
- Time: Expresses T’s state of being while living with HIV for over 23 years thus far, namely, timelessness…
- Desert Moon: Expresses the feeling of desolation and despair T felt the few years after testing positive in 1996.
- Searching for Love: The song on the album that’s most like musical theatre. Self-explanatory.
- Lies: T wrote this song in his late 20s when he realized most of everything in our world was a sham, including the lies he told himself.
- Neville: The song T wrote when the professor who infected him with HIV and he started to truly reconcile.
- Hey Charlie: T wrote this song in 2018, the year that the professor died. He and T became the best of friends by then.
- When The Fire Dreams: Yet-to-be-completed by the Southern Time Band as a whole! A song of triumph over despair.
We are currently awaiting word from the Canada Council for the Arts regarding whether our two grant applications were successful or not (should find out in the next two weeks). We have also been trying by any means possible to find an angel investor. If Southern Time Productions and the Southern Time Band (under Southern Time Productions) are to help end AIDS through the power of music and film, the first studio album of the Southern Time Band must garner a global reach after the album’s release. This will require heavy promotion and music videos made before the album’s release, with a world tour following. These endeavors will not be inexpensive.
But there is no rest for the wicked. I have faith now that Southern Time will happen like never before, but there are two sides to faith. One must do their part if the Universe is to reciprocate.
Our Request
Which is why we are asking you to help if you can and feel so moved. Time is of the essence, and the potential positive impact the Southern Time project can have is enormous but time-sensitive. You can donate directly through our PayPal account, which is on both www.southerntime.ca and www.southerntimeband.com. There is also this crowdfunding site (where all funds will go to us), which is still in operation – https://chuffed.org/project/lost-in-love-no-more – that you can donate through. We will also be launching a Kickstarter campaign soon. So, even you cannot give to the project at this stage, please get the word out to all you know who might want to and can. We already have more than 15,000 Instagram followers and nearly 7,000 Facebook likes. Like and follow us!
Also, the Southern Time project is not just about our music and film, or even people living with HIV — it is about making the world a better place FOR ALL. And, what better way to do it through non-violent means such as music?! So join the Southern Time Community and submit music videos of YOU or somebody you know singing. We will post them to our social media platforms. Please email them to t@southerntime.ca.
The Southern Time Band is also for hire! Want some ‘jazzy-classical musical theateresque art rock‘ to entertain your guests at your party or your corporate function? The instrumentalists of the rock opera band are some of the best musicians in Canada. Contact us today!
