Hello, Good Folks. Here's issue #21 of Studio Notes—quick bits delivered to you each Friday.

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Today! We, Other Brother Darryl, released our debut full-length album, Roll Shine Roll. I'm extremely proud of this record that's been in the works for years. It's an honor to play drums and a little banjo with the Brothers. These songs pried me out of a 20 year musical retirement and I'm so grateful for that. If you dig "cosmic canyon" Americana folk rock with big 70s harmonies, check us out. And if you're in Boston on March 8, we're playing a record release show at the Lizard Lounge.

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Vocalist, ESSE, has been posting "harmony build" videos where she sings 4-part harmony covers showing how each part works on its own. It's amazing to hear how intricate the parts can be and how the final versions blend. Really fun to watch these. Also see Get Around by The Beach Boys, which is pretty magical when it all comes together.

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Music nerds can easily deep dive on guitar pedals, and I love all the tiny companies that spring up and make interesting sounds. Not to mention the design of the pedals themselves. If you like music and design, pedals are a sweet spot to rabbit hole on. Late night YouTube surfing brought me to the history of JHS Pedals, where owner Josh Scott walks through his company's lore in Alabama and then Kansas City. One part stood out to me: The DIY-ness of his hand-stamping the metal enclosures with rubber stamps he found. Those minimal icons shaped the brand, making it stand out and still informs the designs today as one of the more popular pedal companies. The JHS Show is extremely well produced and full of knowledge-sharing about all pedal brands.

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I have a real soft spot for the 80s movie, North Shore. And visiting those famous surf breaks on O‘ahu remains atop the bucket list. This interview with Matt Adler looking back at the legacy of the film hits all the nostalgia points for me. Next week, let's talk about its BMX counterpart, the classic movie, RAD.

What are you working on?

I'm waist-deep in the next type release, Scorekard, and doing some simple specimens. A few years ago, I made t-shirts that simply said, "STAY SALTY" in our Vault Alarm font. I love the ocean and anything salt water related. A few months passed and I got a cease and desist from a company claiming trademark on the words, Stay Salty. I reluctantly took the shirt down. However, every time I'm in a coastal town's gift shop and see hundreds of horribly-designed things with that phrase on them, I'm baffled by the spotty trademark enforcing of such a simple phrase. I've been searching for a replacement sentiment, but perhaps just SALT WATER is enough? Unless someone owns that as well.

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