Music Behind the Story: I Want, More and RELEASE DAY!
HAPPY RELEASE DAY!
Not only is today the day for Magic and Mayhem Universe Blast Off 5 BUT I've got this beautiful story about former best friends turned enemies turned lovers to tell you about. Tomorrow you'll get all the deets about Gator Me Twice: Magic and Mayhem Universe, but today we're going to take a dive into the beautiful music that inspired I Want, More. (Part One... there was a whole lot of inspiration behind this story and the mini-series that it kicks off.)
It started with a song.
The comeback of Ozzy Osbourne. The super producer Andrew Watt. Inspiration.
When news came out that Ozzy Osbourne was recording an album with Post Malone's producer, I was like... huh? But then I heard "Take What You Want From Me," which was a brilliant mashup of today's hip hop star Malone supported by the hauntingly beautiful voice of Ozzy and who is this guitar player? What is happening?
So I did research...
OMG this kid! Kid, well, he's not a kid, but Andrew Watt just blew me away. Not only did I fall in love with the Post song, but the new Ozzy album is PHENOMENAL and then... I discovered that Watt has been around for a while and has quite a rock pedigree. Before he became producer to the pop star who's who, he had this little project with classic rock icon Glenn Hughes from Rainbow and Deep Purple. California Breed put out an album a few years ago that I'm TOTALLY in love with and here's a little taste.
The Ozzy/Watt project beat up my pandemic-induced melancholy and soon the story of super-producer Morrison Jones and metal statesman Aldous Archer began to form. Watt is SO like Morrison; a quiet genius who knows his shit and has written some amazing music. And of course, Aldous would require many things of Morrison, including collaboration with his former best friend and love of his life, Leland Elliot. Tense times ensue when Aldous leaves the rivals to work together on his comeback album—alone—at Morrison's compound, Bolder Breed Studios outside Portland, Oregon. For those from the area, you might recognize this gorgeous setting. Morrison and Leland have to face their past before they can even hope to make beautiful music together, and man do these two make beautiful music together...
This is post is the first in a series talking about the story. I want to make sure I give you all deets. Here's the link to the Spotify playlist for I Want, More. I'll be sharing more in a few days about the inspirations behind this story!
Love is All: Volume 3 is HERE
On June 22nd, Xio Axelrod, Wendy Gold, Megan Hart, R.L. Merrill, Connor Peterson, Susan Scott Shelley, and Sophia Soames will bring you seven brand new, swoonerific stories that celebrate love. Proceeds from the anthology will benefit the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, which serves to protect and defend the human rights of Black transgender people.
Custard and Kisses by Sophia Soames
Falling Faster by Susan Scott Shelley
Pole Kisses by Wendy Gold
Hands Off by Connor Peterson
I Want, More by R.L. Merrill
The Start of Something New by Megan Hart
To Build a Home by Xio Axelrod
If you are a geek like me and want to watch the rest of the interview, here you go...
I hope you'll pick up Love Is All Volume 3, which is 99 cents for just a few days. The Marsha P. Johnson Institute does important work to support Black Trans folks, and given recent events, they need our support more than ever. I'd love for us to be able to give a nice big check to the institute when the limited run of the anthology is up August 30th. I'm grateful to be a part of such a fantastic group of authors and such a fantastic project. Special thanks to Xio Axelrod for corralling us all into awesomery.
Stay Tuned for more on Love Is All, Vol. 3, Gator Me Twice: Magic and Mayhem Universe, and more Rock 'n' Romance...
