Costa Nova votes for CHANGE!

I feel like Christmas has come early this year....I can't WAIT to cast my vote tomorrow. Yes, I know California is not a battleground state, but I still feel a swell of pride (and, indeed, that "H" word too) when I think of making my mark next to the name "Barack Obama." I recently learned the term Axial Age, and while I'm stretching the definition to fit here, I do feel that this moment is a pivotal one for our country, and cosequently for the world. LET'S DO THIS, PEOPLE!! I feel a massive tidal shift ongoing right now, and the election of Obama will be a signal flare launched high into the night....a rallying beacon for all of us who have wanted to believe that decency and common sense have not abandoned our great country once and for all. Electing Obama is a forceful statement of redirection, an affirmation of all the noble American qualities that have been hard to find in recent years. He is not a savior, but he is a reflection of the best of us - a reflection of our will to refocus our common goals as a nation. If we wish to honestly claim that we are a shining example to the rest of the world, we have to start acting like it. Tomorrow will be a great step in that direction.

And if tomorrow goes the other way, well, I'm moving to France.

GOBAMA!!!!!

-- kg

Next Steps

A little break and then into the next phase. On wednesday of next week we will start another chapter in the book of our Costa Nova lives. With each of us having different obligations to fufill ,we have not been able to play as a full band for a lil while now. Our playing with different combos of us within the fabulous four tho is a growth. Being able to play in different perspectives before next week is helpful so when we are back together it'll feel like being born again. We are born again a lot in this band and I think thats a good thing. Its also been a time of inspiration lately musically. From seeing Radiohead the other night at the Hollywood Bowl to listening to Tibetan Meditation to the new Verve cd, theres ideas a brewing. Plus the positive feedback from our recent show at Franky's Boutique during Sunset Junction just keeps you floating. Who doesn't like feeling like they're floating right? Its blissful. So as our regrouping and rebirth starts to happen, I'll just let you know the next time the skies sound like they are blazing with sound. It just might happen to be Costa Nova. 

Wheels Keep Rolling

Back from our shows last week in the Bay area and feeling good. Sometimes in life and in this band we have to do what we can to survive. This weekend is the big Sunset Junction weekend and for the first time in our history we are playing that day. Not at the exact festival itself but still right in the neighborhood at Franky's Boutique. Close enough to the big show. Cool shop as well and we'll be playing outside from what I understand. So as far as surviving goes......our amazing bassist Gilday had to survive by working all this week and going into the next. We can't make Costa Nova happen if we all don't have money to live so we all understand and support each other in that department. Its just another effort we all have to put out to make Costa Nova happen. Keeps the Nova heart beating ya know? So if anyone out there has a sum of money they want to throw at us to help us do this its always welcome. Anyways, so being that this is Sunset Junction weekend we decided its too important to play and we did not want to cancel. At first it was like OMG how would we ever do this without our amazing bass player? Well like I said we all support each other and Gilday gave us his blessings for us to do all we can. The 4 headed monster now has three heads this weekend and is going to eat you alive so be prepared. We are gonna do what we have to do to survive this weekend and after last night's rehearsal I think it'll be a lot of fun. Gilday will  be at our side in spirit and we will be playing this show for all 4 of us. Our love is with him in his work and travels and we can't wait to hear his blissful bass lines again real soon.

Hope to see many Angelenos discovering Costa Nova this weekend.

Much Love,

Andy

The Verve in Vegas 4/26/08

So a month and a half ago Kev, Andy and I piled into a car and rode through the hot desert on a pilgrimage to see one of the few US appearances of the newly reunited Verve. Words can't really describe what an amazing and inspirational experience it was to see one of our favorite bands.  

"Life's an Ocean" gave me shivers. Nick McCabe clearly demonstrated throughout the whole show why he is one of the most creative and innovative guitarists alive today. Hopefully someday we can command the stage and stretch out like they do live. Here's a Video to give you an idea of what it was like.

-Gilday
Costa Nova/Bass

Living in a frozen ice paradise.

I think I have always tried to create music that I would want to hear. That I would get lost in. Music that makes me go off to an icey wonderland in my head. I know sounds weird but I think I like the image of an icey wonderland cause its so serene looking. Has a calming effect. Most people think of a beach , which is cool too but I dunno. Maybe its cause I like to create a sound that gives me images of sliding glaciers and a noise I think they would make. I always thought that when it was snowing somehow it was so calm and peaceful. So thats where mellow dreamy sounds running out of the guitar speakers get real dreamy like you are floating on clouds. Like when you have those dreams that seem real......I always had dreams growing up of flying through the air. And it really felt like I was flying. It was scary at times cause you get conscious about what is going on then you just let go and feel strong enough to fly. This is life. But what I try to bring out of my guitar speakers is all these images in my head.Kind of how like a glacier has a wide bass from the ice melting down the sides because the top point is closet to the warm sun. The light from above feeds my mind Sometimes consciously sometimes unconsciously. Inside my body the day dream and nocturnal dreams melt from my mind down into my hands and fingers and bleed onto my guitar strings blending together as one. Floating through the guitar cable into the guitar head which decifers all the images coming through and translates them so they can travel through the speaker cable and then in turn.......they pour out of the speaker cabinet. Sometimes dripping out slowly like melting ice and snow, sometimes searing out like an icestorm and sometimes like a blizzard. Anyway these travel out into the airwaves of life , I hope you catch them and can feel what I feel to our music. Because it brings me great happiness and it would bring me great warmth to make people happy this way. Whatever the place is in your head that makes you happy and at peace I hope Costa Nova can be a part of it.
Much love,
Andy

Hot and getting hotter

Holy crap do I love it when it's hot outside. I walked out for lunch today and immediately felt a swagger in my step and a loosening of the shoulders as the heat just wrapped me up. Summer is coming and I couldn't be more ready. I'm always optimistic at this time of year: everything seems much more open and available when it starts to get hot. Even here in LA, where it's nice all year round, there's something special about the advance of spring. Makes me feel like a flag unfurling, saying "People! Check me out!" It also makes me wonder, "Hmmmm...what kind of trouble can I get into today??"

We've been cranking on this ep, and I can't wait for everyone to hear it. Every day we seem to grow a little more, become better at our craft, expand deeper into our talents. That's what this whole thing is about anyway. Just seeing how good we can get at what we love. And the new songs keep coming....like wax melting to reveal hidden treasures inside. I just want to keep going and going and going. We are providing soundtrack for summer, so let it roll!

-- kg

Recording News:

Costa Nova in the Studio

Costa Nova has been working furiously in the studio over the last few weeks recording our new EP at the Hobby Shop with Producer/Engineer Duane Burda (TGTES, My Ruin)  We are really excited at how great it is turning out and extremely grateful to finally have current recordings that reflect the new sound of Costa Nova after all the changes and advances of the last 2 years.   We are planning to have a CD release party in June or July so keep an eye and an ear out for our new music.  

Also in May, Kevin, Andy, and Gilday (and Courtney, the reluctant president of our fan club) all moved in together to a new house in Silverlake.  It has been awesome to have our own house and be able to just jam out on stuff whenever we want to.  Courtney hasn't wanted to kill any of us yet so it must be going good.  We're gonna have a house warming party in July to officially announce that 'Casa Nova' has opened its doors for business.  It should hopefully be the beginning of many killer after-parties to come.

hugs n kisses,

Gilday

Rolling Stones gather no moss......

Lately days just seem to be flying by. Mostly because we are so busy. It doesn't seem like there is enough time in a day to do everything I want. Especially with music. All I want is for Costa Nova to be our full time gig. No day job to pay the bills.No more worrying about someone else's store to run for them. I do put my heart and care into what I at work but its not any where near the same with how much I care about our music. Even with all the hard work we put into this band, it just never seems like enough because we are clawing and scratching to make this happen. Every little bit counts. Lately we have been playing shows to a really good response and those are the moments that really remind you that its all worth it. That all your hard work is paying off. Having faith in what we do is a huge part of just believing in our music. If we didn't believe it why would anyone else? I feel very blessed and that we are doing something very special. I just want the opportunity to share all these great feelings with the rest of the world,share our music, our love of music and all that goes with it. If you listen to our music and it makes sense to you the way it does to us, then thats bliss right there for me. Thanks to everyone who has been to one of our shows, listened to our music on the internet, and shown any interest in our band. Its about all of us and its for all of us. 

Andy