The Tortured Poets Department ILX Pre-Cover Planning Thread

hi!

If MaresNest and Alfred are up for it, we have our roster complete.

Alfred, I ilx webmailed yer

Okay just to confirm the overall roster -- make sure to update your artist name if you want to change it, otherwise that's the credit.

Fortnight -- sund4r
The Tortured Poets Department -- sarahell
My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys -- Florin Cuchares
Down Bad -- Acoleuthic
So Long, London -- Mfktz
But Daddy I Love Him -- kurt schwitterz
Fresh Out the Slammer -- Tom D
Florida!!! -- Maresn3st/Aflred, Lord Sotosyn
Guilty as Sin? -- a hoy hoy
Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? -- Chris Irregardless
I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) -- Beer Swan
loml -- Elvis Telecom
I Can Do It With a Broken Heart -- HI DERE
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived -- Bo Jackson Overdrive
The Alchemy -- ShariVari
Clara Bow -- Moka
Bonus Track: The Manuscript -- Renegade Priests

Plus we have H.P. on backup if someone has to step away, thanks for that -- if anyone else wants to be a backup too, just post!

Repeating myself from above: Files MUST be sent to me by March 15th via ned at kuci dot org, preferably AIFF format, mp3 acceptable but please PLEASE, do not send it as a WAV. Release date will be April 1.

Per my initial post, we need cover art but I am not an artist. That said, I have created a placeholder. By all means if someone has a better one, share it! Anyway:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520763611_2af0838dd6.jpg

Also my current plan is to make it available for basic download only somewhere like mediafire or whatever -- I *could* place it on Soundcloud as I have with all the other ones and may still do but I also remember how Grady's YouTube account got completely nuked after LULU was up for a little while there and the amount of fame-driven fever pitch around the runup to this one tells me that floating it a little too publicly before release may be disastrous even for my basic SoundCloud setup, so. (I may place it there after the actual album itself is out.)

How do we feel about Bandcamp for these now?

IIRC Bandcamp only accepts files at full rate, so if we want to do that, no mp3s, just AIFFs please. We could set it up as a free download easily enough but again (even with the relative Wild West of the place in re actual covers) I kinda only want to put somewhere formal AFTER the actual album comes out.

Wait hold on, I have a better cover placeholder:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53521191716_63bf07f6c4_z.jpg

how did Ned hack my Grindr account

"Password, password...I know: JakeGyllenhallsThighs."

wondering if anyone would like to share their writing process some weeks out from deadline

not super familiar with the swift discog beyond the singles, I gather that isn't really important but it sounds kind of fun to anticipate what the record might sound like

does she move towards "country" again with this record? or is that maybe a decade or so on

Ultimately you shouldn't feel limited to actually sounding like her -- the goal is not to necessarily do a specific parody or pastiche of a 'typical' Taylor song, however defined. The pre-cover efforts certainly have contained many examples doing that for its various subjects over the years but it's not universal. If you want to hazard a guess with what it might all be like, though, feel free!

ok I think my song is ready. I think I nailed it.

sending it your way, Ned. I don't know if it's mixed too low... I don't know what I'm doing lol.

at least it's brief so I it's relatively painless.

First time trying to play guitar too so I don't know if I should so a second attempt lol... there's still time to learn and send a better thing before the deadline... I tried doing a sample based song but I had no idea how to do it properly and kept crashing garageband after a pair of frustrating hours without saving any progress and didn't feel like paying for ableton, so I asked a friend for a keyboard controller and a guitar instead.

I'm sure it sucks and not in an interesting way like idk, The Shaggs... which seems apt for a Taylor Swift pre-covers project so I might just leave it at that.

Good thing it's the last song, tho. There's no track to skip to.

Ach, missed this! One for the reserves bench, plz

You’re on it!

Anyway Moka's track is in as mentioned so the countdown begins for the rest of you. You have a month from today!

Mine's is finished, Ned, haven't got round to sending you it yet. Can my artist name be changed to Tom D (ft. Norman Stanley Fletcher)?

I’ve never done one of these and it sounds fun. Any room left?

Answering Tom: sure! Send when you can.

Answering Heez: no room, and you'd be I think third in line as a sub, but we'll see what shakes down. Keep an eye out for next time!

Below is the list with artist names -- the asterisk shows I have the file.

* Fortnight -- sund4r
The Tortured Poets Department -- sarahell
My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys -- Florin Cuchares
Down Bad -- Acoleuthic
So Long, London -- Mfktz
But Daddy I Love Him -- kurt schwitterz
Fresh Out the Slammer -- Tom D (ft. Norman Stanley Fletcher)
Florida!!! -- Maresn3st/Aflred, Lord Sotosyn
Guilty as Sin? -- a hoy hoy
Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? -- Chris Irregardless
I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) -- Beer Swan
loml -- Elvis Telecom
I Can Do It With a Broken Heart -- HI DERE
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived -- Bo Jackson Overdrive
The Alchemy -- ShariVari
* Clara Bow -- Moka

Bonus Track: The Manuscript -- Renegade Priests

Update! A little under two weeks to go! Tracks in hand marked with asterisks.

* Fortnight -- sund4r
The Tortured Poets Department -- sarahell
My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys -- Florin Cuchares
Down Bad -- Acoleuthic
* So Long, London -- Mfktz
But Daddy I Love Him -- kurt schwitterz
* Fresh Out the Slammer -- Tom D (ft. Norman Stanley Fletcher)
Florida!!! -- Maresn3st/Aflred, Lord Sotosyn
Guilty as Sin? -- a hoy hoy
* Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? -- Chris Irregardless
I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) -- Beer Swan
loml -- Elvis Telecom
I Can Do It With a Broken Heart -- HI DERE
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived -- Bo Jackson Overdrive
The Alchemy -- ShariVari
* Clara Bow -- Moka

Bonus Track: The Manuscript -- Renegade Priests

Have next week off work, was hoping to spend some time coming up with some… thing

uh oh

On February 16, 2024 at The Eras Tour show in Melbourne, Australia, Swift announced a second version of the album featuring a new bonus track "The Bolter."[3]

On February 23, 2024 at The Eras Tour show in Sydney, Australia, Swift announced a third version of the album featuring a new bonus track "The Albatross."[4]

On March 3, 2024 at The Eras Tour show in Singapore, Swift announced a fourth version of the album featuring a new bonus track "The Black Dog."

I have to re-record everything due to being a uniquely shitty guitarist

I'm happy to tackle one of the new songs.

Hold that — H.P., Heez and Mark G had all mentioned being on the reserve bench if there was space or opportunity. Can you three please confirm if you’d like to choose these and which ones? Josh if one of them bows out, a song is yours.

10-4. I couldn't get to it until next week anyway.

i work best under pressure. I have three sets of riffs written and will decide maybe tomorrow which one I'm using lol

same, presently waffling between lo-fi electro pop and somber acoustic country/folk, seems like the play would be to marry the two somehow but I am no Taylor Swift

will throw out again that I'm up for a collab if anyone feels like laying something or other down but doesn't have the time/wherewithal to write/produce an entire song in the next two weeks

I'll grab The Bolter

gladly pick up the slack if anyone needs to duck out for any reason. i understand we are already queueing on the subs bench

It's like getting concert tickets all over again. I'll pay $1500 to cover one of her unreleased songs!

Happy to give up my song for $1500

I've got four songs together that I will part with for $5000.

(Believe it or not, it was cheaper to fly to Australia and cover a song there than to cover a song here.)

just send "Bonus Track: The Manuscript" so that's covered off

Great! So updating, along with new open spots:

* Fortnight -- sund4r
The Tortured Poets Department -- sarahell
My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys -- Florin Cuchares
Down Bad -- Acoleuthic
So Long, London -- Mfktz
But Daddy I Love Him -- kurt schwitterz
Fresh Out the Slammer -- Tom D (ft. Norman Stanley Fletcher)
Florida!!! -- Maresn3st/Aflred, Lord Sotosyn
Guilty as Sin? -- a hoy hoy
Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? -- Chris Irregardless
I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) -- Beer Swan
loml -- Elvis Telecom
I Can Do It With a Broken Heart -- HI DERE
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived -- Bo Jackson Overdrive
The Alchemy -- ShariVari
* Clara Bow -- Moka

* Bonus Track: The Manuscript -- Renegade Priests
Bonus Track: The Bolter -- Mark G
Bonus Track: The Albatross
Bonus Track: The Black Dog

Again, per their earlier interest, H.P. and Heez have first claim to those last two; I'll ping them today so they can say yes or no. Josh and front tea for two are next up after them.

Whoops, sorry, redoing that:

* Fortnight -- sund4r
The Tortured Poets Department -- sarahell
My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys -- Florin Cuchares
Down Bad -- Acoleuthic
* So Long, London -- Mfktz
But Daddy I Love Him -- kurt schwitterz
* Fresh Out the Slammer -- Tom D (ft. Norman Stanley Fletcher)
Florida!!! -- Maresn3st/Aflred, Lord Sotosyn
Guilty as Sin? -- a hoy hoy
* Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? -- Chris Irregardless
I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) -- Beer Swan
loml -- Elvis Telecom
I Can Do It With a Broken Heart -- HI DERE
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived -- Bo Jackson Overdrive
The Alchemy -- ShariVari
* Clara Bow -- Moka

* Bonus Track: The Manuscript -- Renegade Priests
Bonus Track: The Bolter -- Mark G
Bonus Track: The Albatross
Bonus Track: The Black Dog

If there are any takers, I'd prefer to bow out :( I've fallen into a work vortex and my mind isn't in Taylor Swift covers right now!!

Okay that throws open "I Can Fix Him" -- Josh, would you like that one, just so we have the main album covered at least?

Josh, please take this and make it a cut up version of the Bob The Builder theme.

Also u.m.s. their song actually has "Bonus Song: The Manuscript" in the lyrics so I encourage all bonus song takers to make "Bonus Song" part of the actual title of their piece, regardless of lyrical choice.

I should say 'PER u.m.s.' etc.

When is the due date? I can do "I Can Fix Him," but probably can't get to it for a week.

xpost Hey Ned sorry to be pedant but it's "Bonus Track" not Song (I only say this because Chris says Bonus Track a bunch of times in the lyrics) (and as always thanks for herding cats on this!)

Josh: Due date is Friday the 15th so you've got time!

u.m.s.: Ah right! Man I'll have to redo the list here...

Okay, I think I have it right here -- Josh just mention if you want to be credited by a different name. And yes, "Bonus Track" should be the 'extra' lyric/title as desired for those last four!

* Fortnight -- sund4r
The Tortured Poets Department -- sarahell
My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys -- Florin Cuchares
Down Bad -- Acoleuthic
* So Long, London -- Mfktz
But Daddy I Love Him -- kurt schwitterz
* Fresh Out the Slammer -- Tom D (ft. Norman Stanley Fletcher)
Florida!!! -- Maresn3st/Aflred, Lord Sotosyn
Guilty as Sin? -- a hoy hoy
* Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? -- Chris Irregardless
I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) -- Josh in Chicago
loml -- Elvis Telecom
I Can Do It With a Broken Heart -- HI DERE
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived -- Bo Jackson Overdrive
The Alchemy -- ShariVari
* Clara Bow -- Moka

* Bonus Track: The Manuscript -- Renegade Priests
Bonus Track: The Bolter -- Mark G
Bonus Track: The Albatross
Bonus Track: The Black Dog