Hello Farrell, and hello to everyone who has contributed to helping the completion of this very special record.
I began my work with the pop/punk/folk rock band called “Moxie” – now known as “Moxie Star Park” – back in the spring of 2000.
They had parted ways with their former producer and decided to record their next record with me and my brother, Jack, at our studio, Cloud 9 Recording – www.cloud9recording.com. Twenty years later, Cloud 9 is still alive and well and we still have all the gear that we used to make the Moxie record all those years ago. My brother and I also started a guitar effects pedal company called Analog Alien. Analog Alien started off as a little side project and has grown exponentially – www.analogalien.com. This will become more relevant at the end of this letter.
The Moxie record was tracked on two-inch 24 track analog tape. The entire project wound up on 5 reels. Unfortunately, though the record was practically finished, the band broke up and the tapes went into storage.
Twenty years later, almost to the day, Farrell contacted me and said that she wanted to revisit the tapes and see if there was an album to be made.
I can’t tell you how happy this made me. Those sessions with Farrell, Wendy, Lindsey, and of course “Katie from Wales” were some of the most fun and creative sessions that I have ever worked on. I always wanted to record and produce the next great all-girl band and I really thought Moxie was it!
I explained to Farrell that since the tapes were 20 years old, they would need to be baked in a special oven before they could be safely transferred to a digital format. I baked the tapes in August 2021 and was able to successfully transfer the tracks.
Farrell and I both listened to all the tracks and agreed that there was definitely a great record on the reels and that with the exception of the possible need for a little add-on here or there, we could go ahead and proceed with mixing.
I believe Farrell had planned to fund the project on her own but then, realizing the cost, decided to do a Kickstarter campaign to try and raise the funds.
I thought this was a great idea but I didn’t realize that it would affect the timeline of the project. My work with Analog Alien is always busy, but at this time of the year, it goes into overdrive. I knew that I would not be able to mix the record to accommodate the timeline that was laid out in the Kickstarter campaign.
Though I was heart broken, I wished Farrell well and told her not to hesitate to call me if she needed anything.
After several weeks of listening to mixes from other engineers, it became apparent to Farrell that the only way the record could be finished as it was meant to be was for the tracks to come back to where they were created.
I was both honored and moved deeply by this decision. I want to say that this record is very special to me and I will complete it with all the love, heart, and respect that it deserves.
That being said, I want to say to all the people who contributed to this record that Farrell has always been a straightforward, no nonsense person. Her heart and soul (along with the other members of Moxie) are in this music and she only wants it to be the best record it can be, so please have patience.
I will try to get out a mix or two before the end of the year, but I promise – barring acts of God – I will mix the record in January 2022 and with any luck have a finished product some time in February.
In closing, I just want to say thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I wish you all a joyous holiday season and a New Year filled with health, peace, and happiness.
Kind regards,
Joe Napoli