The Habit by Mark Nichols - w/ Lyrics by Brian Bryson
The Habit Project, as it is called, was a show put together by the activist/writer/director Brian Bryson, who enlisted his twenty or thirty drama kids to interview adults about their habit behavior and experiences. While this was going on, Brian gave me lyrics he'd written, and these demos are the first result. After these were recorded, music director, Julie Lewis, taught the kids the music, and then all was performed using Brian's meticulously curated excerpts from the conversations the kids had videotaped of themselves talking to the previously mentioned adults. The catch was that the kids mimicked word for word (and gesture for gesture!) monologues and dialogues ripped straight from the adults they'd interviewed. It was a tremendously moving and popular show, and I believe is still performed when possible by Brian's company, The Walking Elephant Theater Company, in northern CA and on the road.
These recordings are very rough and quick, and were originally meant as learning demos for the kids.
To me, The Habit Project was a welcome job at the time in 2008 or so. Left to myself for a couple of weeks in a tiny closet studio on a farm somewhere in Sebastopol, CA, I think the only time I left the house the whole time I saw Tom Waits at the local hippy coffee shop and laughed, cause I thought, "he's probably doing the same thing I am, standing in some studio chipping away..." Anyway, all that solitude, and thanks to Brian's lyrics, I was able to treat the subject a little crazily, like habits are themselves. Enjoy. Oh, one more note: I've recently quit drinking, smoking (anything), driving and meat. - Mark Nichols (Los Angeles, 2014).
*ALL PROCEEDS DERIVED FROM THE BANDCAMP RELEASE OF "THE HABIT" WILL BENEFIT THE WALKING ELEPHANT THEATER COMPANY. http://thewalkingelephant.blogspot.com/
If you have a desire to perform the play, contact Brian Bryson at the Walking Elephant Theater Company
Tracklist
| 1. | The Tower | 3:43 |
| 2. | Anhedonia (Unfinished) | 0:29 |
| 3. | Beast of More | 2:02 |
| 4. | Hey Friend! (Habit Project Mock Commercial) | 0:52 |
| 5. | Sinking Ship Song (Depressing Ending) | 2:13 |
| 6. | Second Thought (unfinished) | 0:54 |
| 7. | Enough | 3:20 |
| 8. | I'm Your Addiction (Mark's Version) | 2:20 |
| 9. | Serenity | 2:33 |
| 10. | Give It All to Me Before You Die | 1:32 |
| 11. | I Do | 1:39 |
| 12. | I'm Your Addiction (Brian's Version) | 2:20 |
| 13. | My Inner Addict's Trying To Kill Me (very unfinished) | 2:14 |
| 14. | Second Thought - (Bob Dylan Version) | 1:49 |
| 15. | You're Not My Mom | 1:48 |
| 16. | Idiots | 2:18 |
| 17. | Wordless Blues | 1:19 |
| 18. | Sinking Ship Song (Happy Ending) | 2:56 |
| 19. | Serenity Final Version | 2:31 |
| 20. | Think About Think (Dance the World Around) | 3:12 |
Credits
All music and Instruments and Vocals by Mark Nichols. All music by Mark Nichols except "I'm Your Addiction (Brian Version)" and some of "I Do", music by Brian Bryson. Most lyrics by Brian Bryson, some by Nichols.
