All About Hem

September 2004 Archive (Older news link at bottom of page)

September 29, 2004 -- More Tour Dates

There are two new tour dates, in Boston and Burlington. I for one am quite pleased about that! Check the tour page for more information. Ticket information for those and other shows will be added as soon as it becomes available.

ASCAP has up some nice audio interview clips with Dan Messe interspersed with songs from the new album. You'll need RealPlayer to listen to the audio streams. I added information to the meanings page based on these clips for "The Fire Thief" and "Carry Me Home." You can read a trasncript of the clips (minus all the adorable "you know's") here.

"Eveningland" preorders through Hem's store have begun to ship, so look for those preorders soon.

Apparently the new "Birds, Beasts & Flowers" EP was released at least in some places yesterday though the release date does seem to be next Tuesday, October 5. I wasn't lucky enough to find the EP in a store by me, but check your local stores and you may find it.

September 28, 2004 -- New EP Released Today

"Birds, Beasts & Flowers," a new EP split with the band The Autumn Defense hits stores today! [Edited to add: Oops! Now it's October 5. Luckily that's only a mere seven days away.] It features three songs from Hem, including live and/or unreleased versions of "Half Acre," "Pacific Street," and "St. Charlene." It's a perfect album to keep you busy and smiling until the new full length album "Eveningland" is released next Tuesday.

Entertainment Weekly now has the Sept. 24 blurb about Hem's downloadable mp3s up at their site, minus the picture of the band.

In site news, I added a little information about "Half Acre" and "Pacific Street" to the meanings page.

September 23, 2004 -- Eveningland & NPR

NPR's "All Songs Considered" Fall Music Preview includes a preview of "Eveningland." You can hear the program here and the song "Jackson" here. (If the links don't work, check the archives which will have the show after the next edition of "All Songs Considered" airs. ) Also, as a reminder, Hem appeared on NPR's "All Things Considered" on July 1, 2002, and you can hear that show here.

September 20, 2004 -- Eveningland clips

Sound clips from each song on the new album Eveningland are now up at Hem's Official Site. Go, listen! I'll be here when you get back!

September 18, 2004 -- Entertainment Weekly

The September 24, 2004 issue (#785) of Entertainment Weekly includes a blurb in the "Download This" Music section about Hem. Click here to see a (poorly made by me) copy of the blurb, including a new little picture of the band.

September 17, 2004 -- Tour News & More

Another tour date trickles out! Hem will be in Northampton, MA on November 8 at the Iron Horse. More info about that, and other upcoming shows, on the tour page.

If you're curious, the live tracks available as bonus, downloadable mp3s when you preorder Eveningland were recorded at The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC in August 2003.

September 10, 2004 -- Tour News & More

The first batch of fall tour dates have been announced. If you'll be in New York, Philadelphia, or Arlington, VA in November, you're luckier than me! Also, a string of UK dates are in the works for February. See the tour page for details. More dates should be announced soon.

On October 8 Hem is recording 6-7 songs (and presumably an interview) at WXPN in Philadelphia for broadcast on the syndicated radio program World Cafe. No broadcast date yet, but you can find stations that carry World Cafe here.

As the release of the new album approaches, there will probably be album reviews popping up in a variety of publications. I'll do my best to find and archive or link to them, but if you find any articles about the album or the band, I'd be most grateful if you dropped me a note about them. Thanks!

September 4, 2004 -- Birds, Beasts & Flowers Release Information + mp3 Information

We don't have to wait until October's "Eveningland" release to hear new Hem tracks! Hem and The Autumn Defense teamed up for a split EP called "Birds, Beasts and Flowers." It can be yours on September 28, and is available for preorder at Amazon. The songs aren't technically new as they're on studio albums (tracks 1 and 3) or were previously available as downloads at Hem's official site (all 3), but they are newly released versions of the songs. Further CD info (as complete as I have now) is on the discography page, but here's the track listing:

1. Hem - Half Acre (Recorded at Radio Denmark)

2. The Autumn Defense - Bluebirds Fall (Previously Unreleased)

3. Hem - Pacific Street (Recorded at Radio Denmark)

4. The Autumn Defense - You Know Where I Live (Previously Unreleased)

5. Hem - St. Charlene (Previously Unreleased)

6. The Autumn Defense - Mayday (Previously Unreleased in the US)

More information about The Autumn Defense can be found through the link above, but briefly, it's a two-man band including Pat Sansone (keyboards & guitar, of Wilco) and John Stirratt (bass, also of Wilco and formerly of Uncle Tupelo).

To see a picture of the album cover, click here.

If you preorder Eveningland through Hem's official site, you get access to six exclusive tracks downloadable as mp3s. The tracks are:

1. Eveningland (Long Version)

2. Oh No (Eveningland Outtake)

3. Tennessee Waltz (Live)

4. Hymn #1 (Eveningland Outtake)

5. Lazyeye (Rabbit Songs Alternate Version)

6. When I Was Drinking (Live)

In less recent but still interesting news, I added information to the discography page about a 2001 complilation called "This Is Next Year" that includes Hem's song "Horsey."

September 3, 2004 -- Eveningland Release Information

Hem's second full length album "Eveningland" will be released on October 5, 2004 through Waveland/Rounder. (Waveland is the band's own label.) Excellent, excellent news! You can preorder the album through Hem's official site. Preordering will not only get you the album, but will give you access to six exclusive outtakes and alternate tracks from both their albums and an exclusive t-shirt offer. For more information, visit the official site or Rounder's page for the album. Just look at the album cover - you know you want to order it.

The album's track listing and order is as previously announced, except that "Dance With Me" is now listed as "Dance With Me, Now Darling." No detail is too small for me to pounce upon. Clearly.

In site news, I updated Hem's live show taping policy in the FAQ and changed the meaning a bit for the song Horsey after getting a little more information (thank you, kind person!).

Check back soon for more information on the exclusive tracks and East Coast tour dates.

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