What’s that? I got a surprise pair of Creative Recs in crazy plaids yesterday? Oh my gosh, they’re not even available to the public and they were made just for me? Oh, weird.
I have to admit that until last night I hadn’t seen any of the current season of Project Runway. Which is odd, I guess, considering that I used to watch it all the time and my boyfriend won the season before this. But I had heard this season is boring, and we just don’t seem to have much time for TV – or any downtime, really – anymore.
But last night I saw my first episode of this season, and it wasn’t bad at all! Laura Bennett was filling in for Nina as a judge, which Christian was supposed to do, but I think we were out of town that day so he couldn’t. We watched the episode in the Bravo studios in 30 Rock (I really enjoy saying that. 30 Rock. Down the hall from SNL and Conan. You know. Tina Fey brought me some champagne. Tracy Morgan gave me a cupcake.) because Christian was guest hosting the post-show “Watch What Happens” thing for Bravo since Andy Cohen was away. The guests were Keith Bryce (who just got eliminated on last night’s episode) and Kara Janx, both lovely people. Kara is one of the sweetest people on the planet… actually, I hate the word “sweet” because it sounds insincere and fluffy. She’s just awesome to be around.
I had planned on spending the evening at home working on some music and maybe some lingering photo work that I’ve been putting off, but I’m glad I went out. Tonight’s the night. Tonight is the night is the night of work. Forever and ever I am a jerk.
Then this morning I got a text from Christian saying he was in a car accident. I called right away and he said his driver had been taking him from my house to his when another car hit them and flipped them over completely onto one side. Christian was hanging sideways in the back seat. Thank God he was wearing his seatbelt. He’s okay, he didn’t get seriously hurt, but his driver cracked the windshield with his head, and the person in the other car went to the hospital. Wear your seat belts, New York! Everyone, really. But NY cabs and car services drive like absolute maniacs – among throngs of other maniacs – and it’s insane to get into one without putting your seat belt on!
BRAD: i have a super important question for you
LISA: ok
BRAD: did you ever see a lassie go this way and that way?
LISA: are you singing that kids song? LISA: you’ve lost your mind.
BRAD: no it’s a serious question that demands a serious answer
LISA: i have. twice. LISA: in las vegas. LISA: both times.
BRAD: thank you for your honesty BRAD: now, did you pay to see the lassie go this way and that way? BRAD: and did the lassie touch you, for additional coinage?
Christian’s fashion week show is September 11, and I’m doing his runway music again. This time he’s showing a full collection of about thirty looks, compared to the twelve from last time for Project Runway. His runway is shaped so that it takes longer for a model to complete the walk, too, so put those together and I have to come up with at least fifteen minutes of music for the show. That’s twice the length of the song I did for him last time, “Control Me.” This isn’t a problem, really, it just means that I have very little time left to complete this as-yet half-finished song, and it’s making me nervous. Though I really like a lot of what I have so far. Any time I can put cello stabs and strings over an electro beat I’m happy.
For some reason Kathy started getting Rolling Stone at home. She never signed up for it and we don’t read it. But she flipped through it the other day and shouted to me from her bedroom “hey, Leigh is in a Gap ad!” And sure enough, Leigh’s in a Gap ad, looking amazing. I’m in a Gap ad, too. Only, mine is for having a gap in your front teeth. Or in your bangs. Any embarrassing body gap, really. That’s me. That’s what I sell.
This is You, Me, and Everyone We Know. Not to be confused with Me and You and Everyone We Know. They are a band from DC and their tour van burned up recently, so they were playing shows in donated clothes and towing their instruments behind.
I’m not thrilled with the photos. They’re not bad, I just think they’re not my best work. I’m not supposed to admit that, am I? The band was great, they’re all nice guys, but I just wasn’t really feeling the shoot til the very end. I think it was a combination of having a hard time lighting six people and shooting outside when I hadn’t planned on it. And/or I am a terrible photographer and everybody hates me.
When you get a voice message that begins with “B. Boogie it’s J. Madden” and ends with “gimme a call back, baby baby” you know there’s going to be some driving to Jersey in an SUV sometime in your near future. Lisa and Christian and I hopped in with Josh and Danny to go to Junior’s house so that I could photograph a band called You, Me, and Everyone We Know. And we ate at Friday’s. That was our Sunday.
Lisa and Christian were roped in to be my test subjects when I was setting up and the band was changing between shots. I haven’t finished working on the band photos, but these are some of the in-betweens:
I was supposed to go on the Today show with Sarah this week to promote the Cringe book but we were bumped indefinitely for the Democrats! Which is actually fine with me, because now I don’t have to stress this morning about what I’m going to wear on the Today show. This weekend I also got a really exciting offer to do a song for a project… vague, I know. I already have a treatment started and I can’t wait to finish it!
Junior sent me a song called “Luv Suxx” that he produced for his upcoming album… it’s going to kill! The singer he got for it, Franchesca, is like Christina plus Beyonce plus Whitney. The track is dancey, kinda like Katy Perry, kinda synthy Europop. It’s so good.
My buddy Alan MX just showed me a video he did for his song “Captain America Video.” It’s really cute, take a look.
And here’s my remix of the song. He’s going to be on my new album, too…
Alan MX: Captain America Video (Brad Walsh Remix)
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Last night Alexis Fox came over to do some photos, and I think that we achieved what I was going for below with a 60s vintage editorial feel…
Her makeup was done fantastically by Joy Fennell. I’m really happy with the results, and since Alexis is going to have a major label debut soon, I’m anticipating these being part of her promo push!
Inching ever closer toward figuring out the next album… I have a collection of about 15 demos that have been recorded. The next steps are: choose which ones are going to be included, find the time (somehow, somewhere) to plow through and finish them up and make them sound perfect, then package it all up and make it real. Goal is for it to be released in the fall.
I’m really excited about this one. It has some great guests, some of which will be a surprise, and a couple that I’ll tell you about right now. I’ve been working on some songs with Canadian gem Emm Gryner, and one with Michael Jurin from Stellastarr. These two are some of my favorite musicians on the planet, and I’m absolutely thrilled to be working with them! The songs with Emm are a really new sound for both of us, and the song with Michael is going to first be premiered as Christian’s runway music this September at fashion week, then re-tooled to be an album track.
Tonight I’m photographing Alexis Fox, a soon-to-break New York singer whose voice I am completely in love with. She’s vampy throwback big band and restrained Dick Tracy perfection. Her song “Down the Drain” is basically the story of my life. Soon I get some camera time with Beth Ostrosky and with Gideon Yago, and they’re both dreamy, so as long as I don’t say something stupid I’m looking forward to it.
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Tracks:
1. Alexis Fox: Down the Drain
2. Stellastarr: Sweet Troubled Soul
3. Emm Gryner: Symphonic
This weekend Christian and I went to Maryland for an event and to see his family. I got to meet some of his childhood friends and spend some time with the family (finally met friend Chuck and sister Shannon and loved them both). Being out of the city for a few days was great, save for the hour I was dragged to a gay bar in Annapolis with a national celebrity. That’s always fun. A super nice lady named Jasmine at Echelon Life invited him to host an event in Baltimore with Maserati to help raise money for childrens’ literacy, and he was surprised with some awards, including a thank-you plaque from the governor. He contributed a dress to a live auction and we watched a fashion show by local designers. It was a fun night, and then he stayed and took a picture with every damn person in the room. But that was fine, I made some friends.
Before the show started we were brought backstage so that Christian could choose which model would wear his donated dress on the runway. He had the balls to tell them to have a walk-off right there, so they did. Came down to two excellent walkers, who both walked again, this time side by side. I was gunning for Courtney in the red sweater but he chose the gorgeous black girl. As always.
Anytime we needed to travel, we had a Maserati to take us from A to B, driven by Alfred from the dealership, who was awesome. He came in a different car every time, each one fancier than the last. For some reason, the hotel wanted to change Christian’s name so nobody would know he was staying there. Because he’s Madonna. The “non-celebrity” name they chose? Glenn Miller. Also, I have to shout out Perfect Cupcakes, because they were just that. Look in the gallery below for the picture of drunk Christian hunched over the table eating a cupcake at two in the morning…
