One Day More!

One Day More! Overflow!

"Overflow" by Living Waters on Bandcamp! Click to order....

The Lajoies had a little private listening party last night. Wow! We are absolutely floored. This album is an absolute work of art. As we talked we said some of the following.

We said that anyone unfamiliar with Living Waters as a family will be suitably impressed with the genius production, for sure. But if you are a real Living Waters person you will rejoice in the deep roots in our past on this thing. There are many familiar songs and that core blend of songwriting styles and personalities, and featuring Mike, Mark, Greg, Dave, Denise & Tony at various points. And, then, there is a new 'flow' by Josh, someone steeped in reverence for who the Living Waters family is, and yet bringing a new genius to it all.

Further, we said there really is a wonderfully coherent theme to the whole thing that is so cool, something you hardly see anymore in albums. The key idea is taken from "City of Joy". It's a song that isn't on the album, but has been on every one of our full-length albums to this point. The idea is that there IS a Place that we can go with our deep needs as individuals and as a faith family, and that Place is the Person of Christ Himself, especially in the Bread and the Cup. We see this mentioned in "Sing to Jesus", "When Sunday Comes", "Covenant Love", "Let It Reign". In our pain and misery, there is one who understands, whose Heart is pouring out Grace to help us change. The image that jumps out is that of Light or Fire that shines from the Rain of Grace. "...He can brighten up your darkest night...", "The dark-ness is gone and now I see the light", the aftermath of the storm, the Light of the World, Sonrise, etc. That's why finding the album picture we did with the flowing Waters and the Light was so awesome.

Sometime this evening we will press the release button on Bandcamp, and you will all be able to hear for yourself!

"Overflow" by Living Waters on Bandcamp! Click to order.

Peace & Love & JOY,

Mark LaJOIE!

"Overflow" Album Artwork & Future Plans

"Overflow" Album Artwork & Future Plans

"Send forth your LIGHT and your truth: they have led me, and brought me unto your holy MOUNTAIN, and into your tabernacles. And I will go in to the altar of God: to God who gives JOY to my youth." To you, O God, my God, I will give praise upon the harp...." Psalm 43:3-4 (These words traditionally have been part of the "Introibo ad altare Dei" Psalm at the beginning of Eucharist. They echo this album theme!) 

Here is our brand new "Overflow" album cover and song list image. For the first time we actually paid to license the pictures so they could be undeniably ours. We fell in love with the bursting sun rising with the Living Waters flowing down from its saving source, the Cross of Our Lord; it fits perfectly with the theme, from "He can brighten up your darkest night" to the climax of our album in "LIGHT of the World" & "SUNrise".

The other image is a propos with the Waters bubbling out from the Cross. And, yes, this song list is a big 'reveal', isn't it? We have removed "Honey" from the album and will instead release it as a single - look for that.  We did that because we have added a new, secret tune, "Nothing But Love" that fits the flow of this album perfectly in a thematic sense. You'll have to wait for the release for that! It's a jazz-touched ode to the Lord's love in His Passion that flows from Covenant Love so well. We also put our old live song, "I Will Go" in as a bonus track, now. Several of the tunes have and are undergoing re-mixing and last-minute tweaking. As far as we can tell, the album will really be released on Bandcamp on Christmas Day. As far as Spotify, iTunes and other digital distribution that may be released a little later.

We are talking about using this 'Water Cross' picture for a proposed "Living Waters Songbook" with chords, lyrics and tabs. Great idea, huh? We are now also talking about creating a studio Christmas album, like "Overflow", for next Christmas. Another topic is renewing and refurbishing some of our previous releases, cleaning them up to a higher quality. There are so many possibilities. Greg and I are feeling some old age creeping into our hands, so we want to get down as much as we can as soon as we can. Please, pray that 'le Bon Dieu' can continue to inspire and direct us in the way He wills for His Kingdom.

Peace & Love & JOY,

Mark LaJOIE! of Living Waters

"Let It Reign"!

"Let It Reign"!

Let It Reign (Studio Version) CLICK to listen!

{As of this date, Josh is still working on final last touches to the vocals, but we are posting the song is as, for now, so you can hear it!} - December 2, 2018

When Mike & I got together to sing our parts for "Let It Reign", there was a real energy in the room. Mike had done a really cool demo for us to work with. For the first time on a recording that I can remember, we were doing a shared lead vocal - and it was awesome to do! Josh had us singing live together in the same room, bouncing our parts back and forth. It was so fun, and so real. We are probably going to re-do some of the vocals, but, I think this helped drive our other vocal performances, and actually set us up for a fantastic total session that day.

Another really cool thing, Joshua Loell, Greg's son, and our producer on this album, decided to turn this song into a totally cinematic-style production. (Well, he kind of knows a thing or two about cinematic-style production, doesn't he? He has won an award for best film score at the San Diego International Film Festival. He is sure to win more in the future.) This is a song that lends itself very well to that style. We didn't know when we started this project that we were being produced by such a talented young man.

The theme of the song? makes it a perfect one for this album. No matter what storms or hurricanes in our lives, we can find all the grace we need 'when Sunday comes' in the Cup and the Bread; we can be the Light of the World. And, as Mike said, you can't get more of a "Living Waters" song than this, can you, with all those references? It makes me think of the deer altar picture we use, based on Psalm 42. Just in time for Christmas! SO! Without further ado...let it reign....

Peace & Love & JOY,

Mark LaJOIE!

Let It Reign (Studio Version) CLICK to listen!

Living Waters Featured on RN Chart Topping Artists From Boston!

Living Waters Featured on RN Chart Topping Artists From Boston!

Yes! Our song, "Honey" is being featured on this play list.  

Just CLICK on the PIC to see and hear:

Hail Mary!

Hail Mary!

Hail Mary studio version CLICK to listen!

Mike came out with a beautiful demo of the Hail Mary this past year, and I knew it had to go on this album we have been working on, as a group song. But, Josh had an idea. He wanted to use all the LW singers to create a more orchestral, angelic version that would have the group's imprint on it. To be honest, I think we were baffled as to what exactly he meant by this, but we dutifully showed up and laid down our vocals. As we listened back, frankly? we were all a little disappointed. It didn't seem quite up to what we would expect, like we just hadn't 'got' it, so we just put it on the shelf for awhile. Well! Guess what? Josh's vision was not only right, I would say it was divinely inspired. Just listen to what he was able to do with this. Just listen to it. It is amazing without a doubt, beautiful beyond words. I've heard a lot of "Ave Maria"s but this? I think is the best. Mike carries the melody, of course, but I'm in there blending on the bottom and Dave & Denise are shining at the top of the mix. It's the sort of creation that makes me glad I am alive to experience it.

Peace & Love & JOY,

Mark LaJOIE!

Hail Mary studio version CLICK to listen!

I Will Go! Restored!

I Will Go! Restored!

I Will Go (one take live) CLICK to listen!

Well, it has happened! We are going to have a classic live cut on our new album (probably as a bonus track)! This is sort of a rule we have around here; we want to put at least one old classic live LW song on every album. We put "Home Is Where the Heart Is" on our last album, "Still Flowing".

We were going to try and restore "Roll the Rock Over", but that will take more work than we have time for right now. We had posted our one take live version of "I Will Go" on ReverbNation before, but now, we have taken this jewel out, dusted it off, polished it and put it out here to be heard. Josh removed the tape hiss, re-balanced the right and left ear so we can hear Denise better, and corrected the volume, and? voila! It is ready to go. It is invaluable for hearing what we sounded like in concert back in the late 80's early 90's.

If you want to 'read all about it', as Anna Post would say, go to this previous post about this song and "Let's Stay" from our "Sons" recording sessions:

"One Take Live"

I Will Go (one take live) CLICK to listen!

Pre-Order Our New "Overflow" Album!

Pre-Order Our New "Overflow" Album!

Just go to the Bandcamp player on this blog page and press "pre-order" and you will get a download of "Sing to Jesus". We are reducing the price to $5, but you can contribute more if you wish. (The download will be zipped.)

We are shooting for a Christmas release. There are a few songs still waiting for their final mix, but we are confident it will be ready Christmas Day or during Christmas season. When we release it, it will be sent to you by email link. Here is the tentative line-up:

Sing to Jesus

Let It Reign

Covenant Love

Honey [to be replaced by a secret song!]

Anna Post Writing

When Sunday Comes

When He Came Into My Life

Hail Mary

I Will Go (live) [probably will now be a bonus track]

Sunrise

Light of the World

{UPDATE:  December 13, 2018

Honey is now going to be a stand-alone single.

Sing to Jesus
When Sunday Comes
Covenant Love
Nothing But Love
Anna Post Writing
Hail Mary
When He Came Into My Life
Let It Reign
Light of the World
Sunrise

I Will Go (live) BONUS track}

We are so excited! We love you all and hope you will be blessed!

Peace & Love & JOY,

Mark LaJOIE for Living Waters