March 28, 1996

Hi everybody. I feel I should inform you that Dave Wright has stepped down as our lead guitarist, and we made an artistic decision to continue as a three piece. Dave left for many reasons, none of them bad, so there is no dirt as far as that issue is concerned. Dave and I agreed together that him stepping down was, sadly, the most effective way to transcend some boundaries we were facing. Anyway, that is that. The only way to go now is forward, so forward we go.

Holger Petersen took me out for lunch last week and basically dropped me from the Stony Plain Records label. That sounds really mean. In actuality, it is the best thing for me and Stony Plain. The word "dropped" has negative connotations, but it's basically just an industry term. Stony Plain has made some great moves forward in the last couple years in the country and blues fields, and it's a direction that they're well equipped to contend in. Anyone who has seen my new band (as Holger has) can tell you that it wouldn't take Einstein to do the math on this one. So, Holger and I agreed that we put out a great body of work worthy of the history books one day, and so my tenure at Stony Plain ends with Jr. Gone Wild. I regard this as amazingly fitting. Both myself and Stony Plain are off to new things.

What not being on a label means to me is that now I have to answer to no-one (good). I also have to pay for everything myself (bad). I can do whatever I want (good). Now I can't afford to do half the things I want (bad). I get 100% artistic freedom (good). I get 100% artistic freedom (bad). How is having 100% artistic freedom bad you ask? Well, that means you're responsible for the end result. For me that is going to take courage, but mostly I just have to overcome my laziness. The best thing, though, is I can make plans, and at this point I need approval from only two other people besides myself. And with this group, that's easy. We're all on the same page.

Please check out the live show update thing Steve does. If you can come out to see us, please do. We're hoping to start a following, but we need people to do it. I know, I know, who's going to go see a band without knowing what they're like? Well, Steve and I are working on putting a song or parts thereof on the page for you all to download. Hopefully soon. We're cutting a new demo tonight (March 28, 1996), so maybe the results could be heard by you in the near future. I guess you'll just have to stay tuned...

Remember, the MMB home page is interactive. Just e-mail me or Steve, and that's all there is to it. Thanks for listening.

Mike McDonald