The CK Tell All March 4th to RIGHT MEOW (Happy Helder?)

Hi yall

Web Boi Zach here finally back with that mini Biography style post about where we’ve been this last year. There’ve been a lot of ups and downs which are to be expected in the music industry but in the end grow and positive change to the world around you is all you can ask for and in a way we feel we’ve achieved those both with some success this last year.

I last gave yall a real update in March of 2019 (Yikes my bad) when we were prepping to get ready for our first national tour. I boasted bout all the places we were planning to play and all the fresh merch that was on the way etc. That was however before the unforeseen departure of our bassist of about a year at that time and a good friend Dylan falcon.

It’s hard to say we didn’t see it coming, as much as we loved playing with him and as much as I trusted him as an equal part of the band, some things were lacking, it was clear his heart was with his other band and as Karen and Is personal lives became strained and there was less and less time to put into the band (I.E. not changing the set list for different gigs, practicing and writing less etc.) We could tell he was enjoying being a part of the band less and so in January 2019 we announced to him we were doing another tour, a national one. We shared with him the budget the possible revenue and that’d we could break even if it all went well. It was at that point that an obvious barrier was crossed, He didn’t really have his heart in the group anymore, maybe we were all still friends, but his care for the band had faded, why would he want to be an equal part of the band financially and share in supplying tour budget if he had fading faith in the group.

It was at that time that we halted his involvement in the group, offering to play the last few shows before tour with us, but having lost our bass player with only 2 weeks before the road meant we had shoes to fill and we needed to fill them fast. However it was clear that continuing to practice at the lockout Dylan had generously let us use for the better part of that year he spent with us was no longer comfortable for him and the other group that shared the space so we were effectively made a nomad band, without a place to practice, and with minimal income to hit a rehearsal studio (Due to our tour savings) things were bleak. To Dylans credit he allowed us and fought really hard to help us use his space 2 or 3 more times to audition bass players and get them ready for tour.

It was at that time that Cody Sparti entered our lives. He auditioned and joined the band with limited time on the clock, but with unlimited drive. It appeared that he was at a space in his life in need of soul searching and the tour would the perfect scratch for that itch. We jammed and he was not only a good friend but a good counter balance to my over controlled, nervous and overly careful nature as tour manager. Not to mention his bass playing was the best yet for the band, maybe not wild, trebly and all over the place rock & rolly like Dylans, but Heavy, Clean and with a controlled attack that really focused the unit. We traveled the whole country together, it really felt like a band, like things were ok and maybe even great down the road (All regular tour drama aside). The tour was a huge success, we broke even and returned with a little money to get fresh merch started for all of those that had helped us initially fund the tour, it was great. Yall came out in spades to welcome us home at the Locker Room in Garden Grove and it was one of our proudest moments.

That cloud 9 feeling of accomplishment didn’t last forever unfortunately come December Cody grew distant, we were soul searching together on the road, but now that he came back he was forced with a choice to choose a direction in life. Mostly to my credit as a stern manager of the group he decided there was more that he needed to do in his life and more he wanted to do artistically and he faded away from the group. The month was now December 2019, Tides were high, waves were rocky and our boat was having trouble staying a float personally, we were getting ready to move house (Karen and I living under one roof for the first time) we were getting ready to reenter the studio to finish the album we started with Dylan was back in March of the previous year, bassless and broke.

However if there’s one thing CK has always been about, it’s about not letting it go to waste…the trains not gonna stop no matter how bumpy the track gets. We pressed on and shows were getting bigger, we were getting booked at venues we always wanted to play at but never got the chance. Satellite (With the help of the wonderful Kalynn Barnum), Hi Hat, Highland Park Bowl, Alex’s Bar, etc. and were also rocking for our favorite valley people in back yards, things with the band were great no matter how overwhelming the circumstances.

But then Covid-19 hit, it closed all the venues cancelled all our future shows and with it any grasp of growth and excitement for the future, our tour plans in June 2020 were all compromised and cancelled and we found ourselves at a stand still. “Oh, well” right? nothing new, but all the more painful cause nothing could be done…or could it? We put all of our energy in to making content, discontented by the idea of moving our album released date we put energy into making it event online as best we could, and having faith in things to slow down in time for our release show at the hi hat in May (which was postponed unfortunately). We shot video after video for each single and let nothing stop us, we had video crews canceling and directors dropping and everything was uncertain except our passion for our new music.

“You Gotta Understand” released May 23rd 2020 after the release of 4 singles and 4 music videos…we could not be more proud of the album we made, yall seemed to love it and were so glad you did. It’s the most mature and heavy album we’ve made to date and we did it all ourselves.

Because of Covid shut down that pretty much brings us up to speed. So where are we now??

We’re here, getting by, making music, planning for the future, our tour plans are on hold but the new album should start pressing onto vinyl for yall who helped us make it happen within the next month or so. We’ll be shooting more videos to accompany the songs on the new album and looking for a new bass player soon as things get comfortable socially. Most importantly we’re still the activist band you know and love, fighting for equality in the street and otherwise, standing tall and using our voices to amplify the voices of POC in these trying revolutionary times. Even have a Solo Ukulele album by Karen and a Acoustic cover album on the way, proceeds of which will be donated to help thoughs who struggle to overcome the trails of mental health and addiction.

We’re still here, times are hard, but music is love, and love with defeat hate.
So much love to every single one of you, never forget that you’re powerful, you are special and that your voice matters.

No Justice, No Peace,
xoxo,
-Zach