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// November 13th, 2009 // No Comments » // billy the kid, facebook, free song, myspace, new song, share, twitter
Share Billy the Kid’s music through your Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, blog, website or email and we’ll send you a new Billy the Kid song.
Just let us know how you’ve spread the gospel of the Lost Cause and where you’d like your new song sent.
Love love love,
Billy
// July 2nd, 2009 // No Comments » // billy the kid, facebook, News
Epic Epic News!!! 
I complained to Facebook and they let me have http://www.facebook.com/billythekid !!
I’m in shock!!! I really didn’t think it would work, but it did! The squeaky wheel gets the grease hey 
// June 27th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // billy the kid, News
New Billy the Kid Interview c/o our friends over at Animal Nation Doesn’t Know Anything.
Don’t forget to check out Billy’s upcoming shows, July 8th at Room 5 in Los Angeles and July 28th at The Troubadour with Our Lady Peace. If you’re in Vancouver there will be an August 11th show as well, we’ll keep ya posted as details arrive.
Lots of blogs, photos and updates over at BillyTheKidBlog.com. If you’re a Blogger user, sign up as a friend and feel free to leave any comments and questions 
// June 16th, 2009 // No Comments » // billy the kid, blog, live
Today’s Question:
“how many songs have you written for acoustic guitar that you perform?
do you usually play by yourself, just with a guitar & singing? how often are you play with a back-up band, with drums & bass etc.?”
I just looked at my iPod and apparently I have 101 demos. Some of these are probably duplicates and some are likely songs that ended up being Billy and the Lost Boys songs but at any rate, I really only play about 10 of them live!
I’ve been playing shows with a band lately but it really all depends on the show. Last Thursday at the Hotel Cafe I did the first half of the set by myself (which allows me to play songs that are new or that I don’t have recordings of) then the band came and joined in for the rest. I’ve been super fortunate to play with some uber talented musicians lately…it sure adds a lot to the live sound to have a great backup band. I like the idea of playing a bit alone and then adding musicians. Sonically it changes things up and if people aren’t really in to one, hopefully they will be in to the other.
On Thursday, Randy (who has payed with the likes of Ringo Starr, Dave Stewart, Chantal Kreviazuk, Kelly Clarkson, Five For Fighting and Raine Maida’s solo project) played a cajone (this cool box thing you sit on) and a bunch of percussion stuff…he has a tambourine hooked up to a kick pedal so he can be playing a beat on the cajone, shaking a shaker, and then on the backbeat hit the tambo. It’s super cool! Andrew Doolittle played some ambient guitar stuff (what I like to call Whale Sounds) and Joe Karnes from Pedestrian was on bass this time around. My last show at Hotel Cafe we had Ben Peeler from the Wallflower/Jakob Dylan on guitar and Eric Holden from Five For Fighting and Josh Groban on bass. When in Vancouver, I try to steal Sarah Mclachlan’s band. If they’re not around to do it I just play by myself
Random Fact of the Day: I feel as if my best songs were the result of not writing anything down or picking up an instrument. I would just have something stuck in my head and make up words as the day passed. By the time I picked up a guitar, I already knew how the song went and just had to figure out how to play it.
Bowling at Pinz:
// June 14th, 2009 // No Comments » // billy the kid, News, raine maida, recording, the lost cause
I’ve been answering reader questions every day on the blog…head on over and feel free to leave a question or comment.
Also, got a new YouTube page. Just posted some shorts videos of recording with Raine Maida and Steve Mazur from Our Lady Peace, as well as my All Time Favourite Recording Moment with Stan Behrens. Head on over to http://www.youtube.com/billythekidofficial and don’t forget to become a Subscriber so you can be up to date on the latest vids as they are posted.
Thanks for your comments,
Billy the Kid
// June 13th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // billy the kid, blog, recording
This from Zimmy:
what kind of computer & programs do you think are good for self-recording? i listened to ‘catastrophe’ just now (the version you put back up). it sounds really good!! it always did. what did you use to record it? can you easily self-produce stuff with drums/electric guitar/bass as well? or is that too difficult for getting a proper sound? (sorry that the question is so technical!)
I use Protools and an MBox Mini to do all my demos. It only has a few inputs, which is all I need for laying down an idea. There are lots of similar programs, I know Mac computers come with Garageband and lots of people use software such as Reason etc.
When I’m doing stuff with a full band (like the new Billy and the Lost Boys album) I have access to a studio with a great live room that has drums and amps and stuff when I’m in L.A. but I know from experience (and 4 albums) that not everyone has this luxury. There are lots of ways to build your track with or without studio access.
Stuff like guitar and bass you can do “in the box”, meaning that if you live in an apartment or place where you can’t make a ton of noise, you just plug your instrument into your MBox/Digi002 etc and that goes in to your computer. Easy. There are a lot of programs to make beats with (or, just borrow beats until you can get yourself a real drummer) and I see a lot of people doing it this way when they’re in the demo stage. It’s great for playing along to, getting ideas and doing pre-production. Then you can email the track to a drummer who has access to a studio or book yourself a room for a few days.
If you’re doing the home recording thing (a lot of bands book studio time for drums and bass and then do things like guitars and vocals in the comfort of their home in order to save money and be able to take their time) then I would recommend one thing: invest in a good condensor mic. When I was researching what to buy I found a great used mic that was the same cost of a new one and I think that’s helped me get half decent vocal and acoustic guitar sounds in my crappy little concrete apartment.
Does that help at all?
Random Billy Fact of the Day Number 19: Two years ago I had never recorded anything on my own in my life. Now I’m working on an album where I’m producing, engineering and playing everything on my own except drums. How did this happen? I bought a couple books and spent hours trying to figure out how!
// June 11th, 2009 // No Comments » // billy the kid, blog, ray lamontagne, ryan adams, the band
This question hot off the press courtesy of THE BEEZE:
I’ve got a question, or two…
What is your favorite song of all time?
Who are your biggest musical influences?
ALL TIME!?!?!?
I ONLY GET ONE!?!?!?
gosh.
Atlantic City by Bruce Springsteen. I have listened to it about a million times.
Other tunes on the all time top listening list include:
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down – The Band
Joleen – Ray Lamontagne
Oh My God, Whatever, Etc – Ryan Adams (actually, everything by Ryan Adams)
Biggest musical influences? Hmmm. Much the same of the all time favourite song list… The Band, Neil Young, Dylan, Springsteen, Kathleen Edwards, Ray Lamontagne and Ryan Adams for sure. Musically, that is
Random Fact 15: I hate listening to my own music. In fact, I can’t even be in the same room with someone if my music is playing. This includes recording. I’m incredibly shy.
// June 10th, 2009 // No Comments » // billy the kid, blog
Anything you want to ask me?
Got a question, problem or concern?
Ask away!
Random Billy Fact 14: I love sending you mail
// June 10th, 2009 // No Comments » // billy and the lost boys, billy the kid, new, News, video
Hey Gang.
Couple things…playing some shows, including Tomorrow at the Hotel Cafe and July 28th with Our Lady Peace at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. Details attached, please let me know if you’re able to make it.
So, I got this new website, and I had an idea (stop me if you’ve heard this): If you put a link to the new site http://www.BillytheKidOnline.com on your Facebook, Myspace, Blog, Website etc., I will send you a signed promo photo and/or thank thank you letter. Just let me know where you’ve put the link and where to send you your mail.
Lots of new merch including hats, bags, aprons, key chains, mugs, beer steins and dog shirts at http://www.zazzle.com/billythekidlost
I’m in the studio working on some new Billy and the Lost Boys tunes as well as some new Billy the Kid material. If you want to keep up to date on the struggles of producing, engineering, writing and recording your own album (a first for me!) follow my blog at http://www.BillytheKidBlog.com
Last but not least: I’m thinking of starting a Video Blog. Anything you’d like to know or any questions you might have for me?
Thank you so much for your support…love you to bits.
-Billy the Kid
http://www.reverbnation.com/bilythekid
http://www.twitter.com/billypettinger
http://www.myspace.com/billythekid
// June 6th, 2009 // No Comments » // billy the kid, blog, comments
I’m not gonna lie, I’m pretty overwhelmed today.
Not in a bad way. No, not at all.
I put up this thing… a thing that says “if you put a link to my new site www.billythekidonline.com on your blog, forums, facebook, myspace, website, etc I will mail you either a hand written thank you letter or a signed promo photo.”
I honestly expected about 2 people to sing up for this endeavor. But now, I’m really overwhelmed.
Everything from car blogs to toy blogs, you guys are out there spreading the word. It makes a little happy tear go to the corner of my eye and try to bust out, but I say “No! You Will Not Escape The Confines of My Eye! Stay In The Eye, Happy Tear!”
I know awhile back I said I was going to try and blog every day. Some days though, I feel like I have nothing decent to say. Sure I could think of something, but why drag (the two) people reading this in to how my brain works some days.
Most of the time, I’m as happy as I could possibly be. The fact of the matter is, though, I’m still just trying to get by and this music thing is just struggle after struggle. I mean, I got some good things going, some new plans in the works, and my future is looking like it just might turn out ok. But right now we’re in the trenches people. Contracts, meetings and trying to spread the word about my music takes up my day so that I rarely have time to do my fav. thing which is create.
In case you wanted to know my day-to-day these days, it mainly consists of planning and executing ways to inform new potential fans that I exist. I know this sounds ridiculous, but this is really the only way I live. And, I am the only person I have helping me. Sure, I have a producer, my family and the love of my life are extremely supportive, but when it comes down to “marketing”, it’s just me and this MacBook that I am now writing on. Whereas some people who have been playing music, touring, recording and creating for as long as I have likely have some type of management, booking agent, record label, publicist or internet marketing help, I have: Me.
Don’t get me wrong, I am certainly not complaining. This is the path I chose, and most of the time, I prefer it this way. I guess I’m kind of a “lone wolf”. “Doesn’t play well with others” heh heh. The bottom lines is that my life, my music and the portrayal thereof is extremely important to me and I can’t stand people screwing that up and/or trying to capitalize on it. I’m just a kid who really liked making music, and most of the time I have my head on straight enough to realize that everything else is just a bonus. But in the trenches, it’s hard to know when the fighting will end.
That is, until I get an email, a comment, a facebook message…any little sign of life from someone out there that I either know or don’t know, telling me that they’re out there, they exist, and they’re listening. Most of the time I live a pretty solitary existence. You stare at a computer, a console or a highway and see the same couple of people most every day. I don’t mind this because I try to surround myself with the best caliber of people imaginable, making it very easy to tolerate them for extended periods of time
But it does get lonely. Every time you guys reach out to me, or show your support, or I get an email saying “You Have A New Order”, you don’t know how happy it makes me. I actually smile every single time. And it doesn’t have anything to do with money. It doesn’t have anything to do with “success” (which is a perspective driven definition, in my opinion) or “fame” (which I don’t believe in anyway). It’s just the feeling that there is someone else out there, like me, and we’re in this together. Lost.
Forever,
Billy the Kid
Random Fact 13: My first car was a 1965 Valiant that my foster dad gave me. It was the car that got be to band practice and shows for years. It was also the car that got my foster dad to his band practices and shows for years.
