Exit 8 Has Disbanded

I've been receiving e-mail inquiries from people asking if Exit 8 is still together. Unfortunately I have to report that Exit 8 has disbanded. We haven't played shows in quite a while and are not working any new material. I'd like to thank all those who have supported this band along the way. Please note that lead singer and founding member Mark Stancato is currently working with his new band Vine House. They are currently recording their first independent record slated for release in early 2007. Please visit vinehousemusic.com to check out the latest happenings.

Thanks again for all your support!!

Exit 8 Featured on XM SATELLiTE RADiO

Best e-mail I received this week! Just found out that we're being featured on XM Satellite Radio Unsigned (Channel 52). Tune in Friday night (Nov. 4) at 9:00pm ET for The R>A>D>A>R Report where Exit 8 will be featured as one of the 12 most notable artists in the United States this week.

The R>A>D>A>R Report on XM SATELLiTE RADiO
Friday, November 4, 9:00 p.m.
Encore Presentations:
Saturday - 4:00 PM ET
Sunday - Midnight ET
Sunday - 11:00 AM ET

What an honor. This is exciting news and I'm very grateful to Billy Zero, program director, in selecting us. If you're reading this - Thanks!!

Click here to tune in to XM Satellite's Unsigned (Channel 52) website and catch the show. If you don't have XM you can listen online with temporary FREE account here: http://listen.xmradio.com

Also, feel free to make requests for the tune 'Penny Waits' by sending an e-mail to unsigned@xmradio.com.

Exit 8 in top 1%!!!

Damn, it's already October..

Where does the time go? Seriously, it's like I went to bed in August and woke up yesterday. Actually, I didn't - we've been working extremely hard at finishing the new EP titled 'Teaser' and yes it's true we've completed our task at hand. We did a basic run of 50 copies and they turned out great! It's amazing that you can now order professional duplication runs of less than 500. It wasn't just two years ago when having anything less than 500 copies wasn't economically feasible or even possible. It's apparent that vendors in the music industry are adapting their technology to support the evolution of digital downloads and iPod's.

Most of the initial copies will be going out to industry, however we do have CD's available for sale. Click here to check 'em out. Also, you can now download high quality MP3 versions of the tunes through the good services of Bandspace.com. They're only $1 per download. Click here to download a copy for your favorite tune.

The initial response to the new EP has been really satisfying. The song 'Penny Waits' has been getting some great reviews on GarageBand.com and has a current star ranking of 4.6 stars out of 5. According to their rating system something like only the top 1% of songs submitted get a ranking higher than 4.5.

As always -- thanks for giving us a chance to live in your iPod and of course your support.

PS: I'll be playing an acoustic show with Ed Fingerling this October 20th at the Knitting Factory. Starts around 10 PM. Ed is a really talented songwriter and his music makes you feel good. I recommend checking him out!

Songs Are Done!

The songs are done, the mastering is complete and I'm happy. Big thanks to Dave Kutch at Sony for going the extra mile and making the songs all they can be. You can download the MP3's by visiting the music page or by clicking here. Now all we have to do is finish the design, solidify a photo, get 'em duplicated, and send away for the big fat record contract -- all before the end of August. Oh, the joys of making music in the 21st century.
-Mark

Steve Albini 101

I walked into Sony studios a few nights back to retrieve the latest copy of our recently mastered demo. Unfortunately the original mastering job didn't go over too well. Actually it was botched quite nicely, but I really don't want to go into that story. So I enter the studio and find Alonzo in the middle of re-mixing 'New Day.' This was a bit of a surprise since I thought I was picking up the finished product. Alonzo explained that he got inspired last minute to re-mix the tune after having a one-on-one session with famed music producer Steve Albini. Apparently, Steve was at Sony the night before working on a mix and invited Alonzo to sit in with him. This might not sound like a big deal, but it is. Steve Albini has been extremely influential in the independent rock scene producing many big albums including Nirvana's 'In Utero.'

Hey this blog is getting a little long. Anyway, Alonzo eventually played Steve our demo and as Alonzo explained, he really dug the tunes. In fact he started giving Alonzo some positive feedback on what he really liked and a couple of ideas on how to improve upon the mix. With his newfound inspiration Alonzo went back and re-mixed 'New Day' with a little more grit, grime, and edge. The result was a better mix with attitude. I have to say I’m pretty psyched and can’t wait to put the completed tunes on the site.

Even though we still don't have the finished product I'm glad the encounter happened. Hopefully my next blog will be titled 'Finished.'

-Mark

LA Thoughts

Just got back from LA this past Friday evening. I was only there for a couple of days taking care of some business, however two things really stood out to me. First - nobody walks anywhere. I was the only one on the sidewalk for a good mile. And second - every other car is a Mercedes. What's my point? It's good to be back in NYC.

Looks like we're heading into Sony studios tomorrow to finally put the mixes through the mastering process. It's about time. This whole process took such a long time. I feel like the music landscape has drastically changed since we started recording. Maybe it really has!

Lastly – I'd like to say thanks to Laura, Kristin, Erin, Eitak, Amanda, Gillian, Wendy, and Mia for your beautiful comments on our MySpace page. It's great to hear the positive feedback. Check 'em out!

-Mark

Mixes Are Complete

Finally!! The mixes are complete. Man, it’s taken some time however I’m happy to announce that the mixes for the new tunes are done. Click here to check out the latest mix of New Day before it heads to the mastering studio. The band recorded, edited, and mixed the songs: ‘Penny Waits’, ‘Swerve’, and ‘Courthouse Fire’ and Alonzo Vargas from Sony Studios re-mixed the tune ‘New Day.’ I’m very happy with the results and feel good that they’re done. After all I’ve been told I have a completion complex so I guess now I can relax – momentarily that is.

In other worldly news our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the bombing attacks in London.

-Mark