Dear Friends,

It may look like I no longer make music, or that I must've fallen off the side of a mountain in a blaze of glory in an effort to save endangered baby elephants from tyrannical poachers and warlords, never to be seen again. (Neither is true, although I did almost fall off the roof of a bus and plummet to my certain death down a mountain in Nepal - long story).

I'm still very much here, and I can't thank you enough for still being there. It has taken a while to adjust to being back home from my year spent volunteering at orphanages around the world, but I'm back now. And lots and lots of new music is coming soon, and so much of it is influenced by my journey and what I experienced. I learned so much from each of the incredible kids I met along the way. They helped temper my soul, helped make me stronger. And I believe you will hear that in the music.

Thank you for your support, my friends. Talk soon.

peace.love.respect.,
bodi

Dear Friends,

I'm so, so happy to finally announce the release of my new album, The Fall of Atlas.

I put every part of myself into this record. I wrote the first song for it 5 years ago while I was on break working at an Italian restaurant. Since then, life has presented itself with some heft. It has been a humbling, beautiful, painful, triumphant journey, and I hope the changes that followed have seen me grow in a positive way…I think they have. I've learned one thing with absolute certainty: life is beautiful, even when it isn't. I made this album to show that.

3 years ago, I was working as a corrections officer in a max security juvenile jail. I'd work 12 hour shifts, then come home and work on the music for about 8 hours. Then repeat. Now, thanks to you, music is my full time gig. I went to Kenya for a while, and the experiences that I had with the children in the orphanages changed my life forever. I toured with some childhood idols, who became friends. Then, death arrived with unstoppable force. I hadn't really ever experienced death before the last couple years, and then I lost two grandparents, three friends, and my childhood dog within a years time. There may be no better teacher to show how truly fragile this dance of life is, and how much each moment matters, because they do. I made this album in testament to them, and in thanks to you.

Thank you for being with me through the rise and the fall. I promise I'll continue to be by your side through yours. Thank you for being a beautiful person in a world that isn't always so.

much love,

alex (bodi)
p.s. I'll be traveling the world for the next year or so, but let's stay in touch. www.thevolunteeradventure.com will have all of the info.

Deluxe Order: $15. Comes with  an autographed, individually #'d copy of the album on CD, a handwritten thank you note, and a hi-res digital copy of the album.

Clotho is the sister of fate responsible for spinning the thread of human life. This song is about cutting those strings, controlling our own destiny, and walking our own path.


Listen to the track below, and feel free to share and spread the word. You can download it riiight here.
Enjoy!

With the Give Back Friday sale wrapped up, I thought I'd share just where exactly your support over the last week will go. This video from Mercy Corps sums it up nicely:

http://vimeo.com/17542137

By providing women with fuel-efficient cookstoves, Mercy Corps helps reduce the pressure on forests that serve as habitat for endangered gorillas. More importantly, it reduces the time women spend gathering wood outside protected camps, when they are at a severe risk of assault.

As always, 50% of the net proceeds from merch/album sales will continue to be donated to Mercy Corps relief efforts in the Congo.

Dear friends,   

I'm incredibly excited to announce my next album:

The Fall of Atlas. 

It's written as a Greek tragedy, in 3 acts. I wrote the first song for it 5 years ago. Now, it's almost here. I'll be releasing it in January. Next week, I will reveal all of the guests on the album, followed by a single, then a music video. In the meantime, here is the album cover. I would love to hear your thoughts. Please spread the word. If you Tweet, write something with the hashtag #FallOfAtlas. If you facebook, please feel free to download the cover and share with your friends. If you send Wells Fargo telegrams, please draw one up and send it to your friend living out in the wild west.

Much more info soon, but I'm so beyond excited about this that I had to show you.

Thank you for being the best friends and fans a kid could ask for.

Much love,
alex (bodi)

There is a lot of new music and new merchandise in the pipeline, so it only makes sense to have a fancy new store to present them all to you!

Head on over to the Elephant Memories Online Store. I think you'll like what we've done with the place.

And, the first 10 of you who order from the store will receive 50% off your ENTIRE order. No limit on the order size!

On may 25th, I will be playing the Juan De Fuca Festival of the Arts in Port Angeles, WA - aka, the town I was born and raised. I kick off the ENTIRE festival, on the main stage at 4PM. Hit up http://www.jffa.org for all the details. Can't wait to see you there!

It's my birthday today. To celebrate, I'm releasing the official music video for the song, Zetta, about my grandma who died recently. I filmed it at her memorial service in Montana, and I hope you enjoy it.