POSTS

I have lived long enough to learn that chemistry cannot be scheduled, confidence cannot be borrowed, and any evening improved by good music can usually be improved a little further by dimmer lighting.

Some of you were clearly raised by people who confused “having opinions” with “being worth listening to.”

For the record, the new songs still sound like us. Maybe a little older. Definitely less interested in proving it.

Not everything needs to become a product. Sometimes you make something because the people in the room still know how.

Some nights you want candlelight, satin sheets, and a record spinning low. Other nights you want clean pajamas and eight uninterrupted hours. Maturity is knowing both can be seductive.

At my age, you stop chasing every beautiful thing that walks into the room. Mostly because the knees have filed paperwork. You learn to let the beautiful things come to you.

Frequently asked question: Are you making new music? Answer: Occasionally. Follow-up question: Are you releasing it? Answer: We did not say that.

A gentleman never kisses and tells. He may, however, write a tasteful bridge about it twenty years later.

A good bass line should do what a good lover does: arrive on time, know when to hold back, and never make you ask where the groove went.

Arc Fault Records is pleased to announce Riley Carter as General Manager. Riley joined the label in 2020 in a web and artist-services role and has since grown into every part of its daily operation. The title now reflects the job she has already been doing.

Sunday rehearsal became dinner and then somehow became rehearsal again. We still remember most of the songs.

I was once banned from a hotel in Cincinnati. The official explanation involved a chandelier. I maintain that the chandelier was poorly installed. I also maintain that a gentleman should be allowed one appeal.

I have discovered streaming statistics. This was a mistake. Somewhere in Belgium, one person has listened to “Silk After Midnight” 312 times this year. Whoever you are: drink some water.

Young musicians today have in-ear monitors, digital boards, wireless guitars. We had one microphone, three extension cords, and a promoter named Kenny who disappeared halfway through the evening. Somehow the show still started. Kenny did not.

We have enough unreleased music to disappoint everyone in several distinct genres.

There is an art to entering a room late. Too early and nobody notices. Too late and they have already ordered appetizers. The same principle applies to romance, though the consequences are more expensive.

There is a rumor that I once wrote an entire song about a woman whose name I never learned. This is false. I learned it eventually.

There are songs you write because you are heartbroken. There are songs you write because you are in love. And then there are songs you write because somebody walked through the studio wearing red boots. Art comes from many places.

People keep asking what happened to the chest hair. Nothing happened to it. It simply negotiated better working conditions.

Just listened to A Gentleman’s Guide to Misbehaving all the way through for the first time in years. I owe several women an apology. I also owe whoever played bass on track six a drink. Apparently that was me.

I have been informed that calling a record Whole Lotta Reggie displays an astonishing level of self-confidence. If the shoe fits, polish it.

The hair is silver. The knees file formal complaints. The top three buttons remain unemployed. We carry on.

We are not secretly back together. We never stopped talking long enough to get back together.

Somebody asked whether Sweat, Smoke & Satin was really recorded live. Baby, you can hear a glass break during the second verse. By the third verse, somebody had lost a shoe. We certainly did not add either one in post.

My doctor says I should exercise more. I reminded him that I spent most of 1978 dancing in platform shoes. He says that does not carry over. Medicine has become unnecessarily rigid.

A young man at the grocery store told me his grandmother used to play my records. I thanked him. Then I went home, poured something expensive, and spent forty-five minutes reconsidering the passage of time.

We recorded three takes tonight. Riley liked the one where the lights flickered and everybody stopped.

They told me the new photographs needed to look “age appropriate.” Baby, I am the age. The shirt, however, remains negotiable.

Gentlemen, if your shirt has eight buttons, God did not intend for you to use all eight. A little mystery is good for the circulation.

Riley Carter has been named Director of Label Operations. She will oversee artist services, digital publishing, release coordination, and the internal systems she has effectively been running for the past year.

A decade later and rehearsal still starts with four people asking who has the key.

We had a wedding. It was not elegant. Not elaborate. Just perfect.

Will uncle Reg be there?

Still here. Still loud. Still no release date.

More or less? That is the question.

Riley found an old voice memo, Evan found the chords, and now we have a song none of us remember writing.

She said yes. ❤️ I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us. Whatever comes next, I'm glad I get to do it with her. Merry Christmas, everyone.

I think I'll keep him. ❤️

If a band rehearses and refuses to release anything, is it still a band or an extremely loud support group?

Riley Carter has been promoted to Artist Services Manager. Since joining Arc Fault in 2020, she has rebuilt artist pages, standardized release materials, and made “please attach the attachment” part of company policy.

Muscle memory is a strange kind of grief. Your hands remember before the rest of you is ready.

Five people. One room. No announcement.

We wrote half a song tonight. Nobody knows what the other half is, but the first half is good.

We have a standing video call every Thursday. We spend eight minutes discussing music and an hour watching Nico fight with his camera.

Sometimes staying functional is the entire accomplishment. It still counts.

Bad Reception made a new demo by emailing the same file around until it became unrecognizable.

Nico got us separated at work for using the overhead announcement system to find me while I was standing beside him.

First week at the home improvement warehouse. I now know where twelve kinds of screws are and none of the things customers actually ask me for.

Everyone is sending me files called FINAL and none of them are final.

Arc Fault Records welcomes Riley Carter as our Web and Artist Services Coordinator. The role includes website updates, artist pages, release materials, and the unenviable task of collecting approved biographies from musicians. Riley has been helping Tessa Ward and the artist-services team informally since Bad Reception began working with Arc Fault. At some point ‘can you look at this?’ became enough work that payroll needed to be involved.

First remote rehearsal went great if the goal was to hear five different versions of the same song at five different times.

Arc Fault Records staff will be working remotely until further notice. Releases already in progress will continue where possible. Shows, travel, and in-person sessions are postponed. Please take care of yourselves and each other.

Arc Fault Records is proud to welcome Bad Reception. This is not a new relationship. We covered the band in the early Ohio years, helped around the edges of the Dead Air sessions, and then watched our friends take a major-label opportunity that was larger than anything we could offer at the time. Now we’re working together formally. Bad Reception will retain ownership of its new masters while Arc Fault handles release, distribution, artist services, and media support. There is no mandatory album schedule attached to the arrangement. They went where we could not take them then. What they need now is something we can build together. Welcome home. — Arc Fault Records

I have been informed that ‘it was funny’ is not an apology. So: Riley, Jace, I’m sorry I posted the picture without asking you. It wasn’t mine to share, even if I thought everybody already knew and even if the lighting was objectively excellent. I will not post pictures of either of you without permission again. I also apologize to Evan, who has apparently been appointed my posting supervisor for thirty days despite having done nothing to deserve this. This is a real apology. Tessa read it before I posted it and made me delete the sentence about the burrito.

Following the unauthorized publication of a photograph earlier today, Bad Reception would like to address the resulting speculation regarding Riley Carter and Jace Holloway. We can confirm that Riley and Jace are in a relationship and have been for some time. They are happy together and would have preferred to share—or not share—that information on their own terms. Neither Riley nor Jace intends to provide further details. We ask that fans and media respect their privacy and refrain from treating their personal lives as public property. As for Nico Alvarez, Bad Reception has elected to retain its drummer. Effective immediately, Nico is on thirty days of supervised posting. Any photograph involving another member of Bad Reception must be approved by that person before publication, and for the next month all proposed uploads will also be reviewed by Evan Parker. Evan was not consulted about this assignment. We consider the matter resolved. — Bad Reception

My life is over. 😭

Three shows. Not a tour. NOV 15 — Pittsburgh NOV 16 — outside Cleveland NOV 17 — Columbus, afternoon Short sets. No “return” language. We can decline any date independently if circumstances change.

Bad Reception said yesterday that they’re still a band. That is the story. They’ve played a few small rooms, rehearsed when life allows it, and declined to call any of this a comeback. I wrote about why the lack of a grand announcement may be the most important part of their return for Arc Fault today.

It’s been a while. The five of us have started rehearsing together again. We’ve played a few small shows, worked on some new material, and spent a lot of time figuring out what Bad Reception looks like now. We’re not announcing a comeback tour or a new album today. We’re taking things at a pace that works for us, and we’re not interested in making promises just because people expect us to. What we can say is that we’re still a band, we still like making music together, and we’re looking forward to doing more of it. Thank you to everyone who gave us the space to get here. We appreciate you more than you know. — Bad Reception

We are playing a small room next Friday. No comeback campaign. No new release. Short set, old songs, a couple things we are still figuring out. If somebody needs to stop, we stop.

Riley says we can’t call it a band meeting if nobody takes notes. I say remembering it in our hearts counts.

I hate how much I want this to be something. It probably isn’t. That should make it easier.

My tax software asked if I wanted to upgrade to the version with "expert assistance." No. I want the version that stops asking me questions I already answered.

Hi.

Some days safe feels like bored. Some days bored feels suspicious. Apparently you keep doing it anyway.

Meal prep is leftovers with ambition.

Small update because people keep asking: Riley is home and continuing treatment. That is all I’m sharing. Please let home be home.

The building in Nelsonville where Bad Reception began was destroyed by fire this week. Nobody was inside. We lost equipment, tapes, notes, and a room that held most of our history. We are grateful to the crews who responded.

They tell you to name five things you can see. Nobody tells you what to do when all five things are doors.

Bought vegetables on purpose. Cooked them before they became refrigerator evidence. This is apparently what victory looks like now.

Being good at the schedule is not the same thing as getting better. Annoying distinction.

Physical therapy update: I can lift my arm higher, it hurts less afterward, and nobody has used the phrase “surprisingly decent” this week.

If you “know what really happened,” you know less than you think.

BAD RECEPTION ENTERS INDEFINITE HIATUS Bad Reception announced today that the band is stepping away indefinitely following the cancellation of its remaining appearances. Riley Carter is receiving medical care, and Jace Holloway remains away from performing while continuing his own recovery. Arc Fault will not speculate beyond what the band has chosen to make public. We wish all five members privacy and time. — Arc Fault Entertainment

Bad Reception is going on an indefinite hiatus. After the last several years of recording and touring, we’ve decided that we need to step away from the band and give ourselves time to focus on our lives and our health. There are no shows, recording sessions, or release plans scheduled. We don’t have a timeline for returning, and we don’t want to make promises we may not be able to keep. We’re grateful for everything this band has given us, especially the people who have supported us from the beginning. That support means more than we can adequately put into a post. We ask that you respect our privacy and give us the space to take care of ourselves and each other. Thank you for understanding. — Bad Reception

Hospitals are just waiting with worse lights while strangers decide whether the person you brought in is allowed to leave. Then they ask if you want coffee like coffee is a category of help.

Bad Reception has canceled all remaining appearances. Riley Carter is receiving medical care. Jace Holloway remains away from the band while continuing his own recovery. There is no timetable for either of them to return. We ask that fans and media respect their privacy.

It turns out somebody can throw up directly in front of you and the world keeps happening. You can even stay. I would have preferred to learn this under literally any other circumstances.

Trent Harlow will not perform with Bad Reception again. We will not discuss private details involving Riley, but we are aware of what occurred after the January 12 show and have ended Trent’s involvement with the band. There will be no replacement announcement and no further appearances involving Trent. — Bad Reception

Riley has been located and is receiving medical care. Thank you to everyone who shared accurate information and respected the request not to speculate. Please remove screenshots containing private phone numbers. There will be no further update tonight.

youre not him your not him i know your not him but theres blood now and i cant remember whose it is or if its still there i keep counting and i keep getting it wrong i know how many there are supposed to be i know i know i cant get the sound out of my head and every time i close my eyes im back there again and somebody is calling me but i cant hear them over the ringing 🔇🔇 i keep thinking if i get the number right maybe itll stop but theres always somebody missing and i know hes not there i know hes not there but i keep looking anyway and i heard him i swear i did i heard him say something and i cant remember what it was and i cant remember if i locked the door or if i was supposed to leave it open 🚪🚪🚪 the cable is red its red i know its red why cant i find it 5 5 5 5 5 no no thats not right 🎸⚡️🎸⚡️🎸 i cant sleep i cant make it quiet i cant keep doing this please make it stop 😭😭😭

You're done.

You break my nose and I’m still the bad guy. Unreal. I tried to be there for you. I tried to help. I tried to treat you better than the people you keep defending, and this is what I get for it. Hope it was worth it.

We are trying to locate Riley Carter. She left the venue after tonight’s show and has not returned home or responded to calls. If you have seen Riley or have reliable information about where she went, please contact local law enforcement using the number below. Do not approach her, post rumors, or organize your own search.

Has anyone heard from Riley?

I know things have been difficult lately, but you don’t have to shut out the people who are trying to be there for you. I’m not asking for anything. I just wish you’d let somebody help instead of acting like you have to handle everything yourself. You deserve better than what you’ve been putting yourself through.

I guess some people are too busy to answer a message now. 😂 Just remember that not everybody who checks on you wants something from you. Some of us are genuinely trying to be there for you.

Some flights are longer than the timetable says.

If I can still do the thing, everybody needs to stop deciding what it costs me.

You really need to stop apologizing for taking up space. I hate seeing talented people made to feel like they have to ask permission to exist. Especially when the people who should be encouraging them are too wrapped up in their own problems to notice. You deserve better than that.

Stop asking if I’m tired. People who are tired get to sleep.

January 12 — Ohio. One previously booked local show. Doors at 7. This is not a tour announcement.

I know you don’t like compliments, but I’m going to give you one anyway. You looked incredible tonight. And before anybody makes it weird, I’m talking about the performance. Mostly. Seriously, though. You should smile more. You’ve got a beautiful one.

Playing the notes is not the same as listening. Apparently this is controversial.

New year, new beginnings. I hope this is the year you start putting yourself first instead of letting other people’s problems decide what your life is supposed to look like. You’ve got too much going for you to spend it waiting for somebody else to figure themselves out.

You’ve got one of the best voices I’ve heard in a long time. Don’t let anybody convince you to play it safe. Some of us actually appreciate what you’re capable of. 😉

Good talking with you tonight. It’s refreshing to meet somebody in this business who still cares about the music instead of just the image. You deserve to have people around you who take you seriously.

Bad Reception will complete a limited number of previously contracted post-tour appearances. Trent Harlow will perform on bass while Jace continues his recovery. These dates are not the beginning of a new tour. Additional information will be shared only when appropriate.

You cannot schedule somebody back into being okay. I know. I checked.

No emergency is not the same thing as fine.

Physical therapy is mostly somebody watching you do a simple thing wrong with impressive consistency.

Scheduling update: Bad Reception will not be appearing at the two previously announced December events. Ticket holders should contact the venues directly regarding refunds. We appreciate your patience and ask that you respect the band’s privacy.

Has anyone heard from Jace today?

Sleeping in your own bed is underrated. I assume. I’ll let you know when it happens.

The You Heard Me The First Time tour is officially finished. Four months, a lot of miles, and more shows than we can remember without looking at the schedule. We played some of the biggest rooms of our lives, saw a lot of familiar faces, and met plenty of new ones. Thank you to everyone who came out, bought a record, sang along, or spent a night with us. Thanks to the crews and everyone behind the scenes who made it possible. We’re heading home to see our families, sleep in our own beds, and spend some time being people who don’t have to know what city they’re in before breakfast. Thank you for being part of it. — Bad Reception

Seven unfinished songs is not an album. This has apparently become a controversial position.

Everything is easier if you answer “fine” before anybody finishes asking.

FINAL 2017 TOUR DATES NOV 10 — Seattle NOV 17 — Portland NOV 24 — San Francisco NOV 29 — Los Angeles DEC 02 — St. Louis DEC 09 — Cleveland Then we go home.

We’ve been playing some of the biggest rooms of our lives, and it still feels strange hearing people sing the songs back at us. Thank you to everyone who has come out on this tour. We’ve been away from home for a long time, and you’ve made the long drives and questionable rest-stop meals worth it. We’ve got more dates ahead. See you out there.

I keep waiting for rest to catch up with me. Starting to think it took a different flight.

Apparently Evan and Riley made a band content calendar. I will not be consulting it.

There are two kinds of people on tour: people who know where their charger is and people asking Riley.

YOU HEARD ME THE FIRST TIME — TOUR AUG 18 — Columbus AUG 25 — Pittsburgh SEP 02 — Detroit SEP 09 — Chicago SEP 16 — Minneapolis SEP 29 — Denver OCT 07 — Seattle OCT 14 — Portland OCT 27 — San Francisco NOV 04 — Los Angeles Final November and December dates to follow.

The You Heard Me The First Time tour is officially happening. We start in August and keep going through December, or until somebody convinces Evan a spreadsheet is not a personality. Full dates below.

OUT TODAY: Bad Reception — You Heard Me The First Time. The Ohio five-piece’s first major-label album is bigger without sanding off what made the band compelling in smaller rooms. Tessa Ward reviews the record for Arc Fault, including the six-minute closer “Don’t Leave Me Alone Tonight.” Bad Reception is represented by its major label. Arc Fault’s coverage is editorial.

You Heard Me The First Time is out now. Twelve songs. A lot of time in the studio. More arguments about guitar tones than we care to admit. This record means a great deal to us, and we’re grateful we get to share it with you. Listen loud, listen quietly, or listen however you want. Just don’t let Nico control the volume. Thank you for being part of this.

Our new album, You Heard Me The First Time, arrives July 11. We made it at Studio B in Hollywood with more time, better equipment, and considerably more opinions than we have ever had in one room. More soon.

Riley rejected my proposed band bio for being “not a bio.”

Studio B, week three: nine songs mostly standing, three songs arguing with us, and one piano in considerably better condition than anything we own.

Bad Reception signed a major-label deal today. I wrote the Arc Fault piece, but the short version is that they earned the opportunity and I’m proud of them. Arc Fault could help with an EP. We could not give them the rooms, reach, or tour support they’re being offered now. Sometimes the good news is that your friends outgrow what you can do for them. Go make the record.

We’re signing with a major label. That is a sentence we never expected to write when we were practicing above a closed storefront in Nelsonville. We’ve spent the last few years trying to make this band something we could keep doing. Now we get to make a record with a real studio budget and take these songs farther than we have before. Thank you to everyone who came to the small shows, bought the early records, or told somebody else to listen. You got us here. We’re going to make the most of it.

We’ve spent most of the last year writing, recording demos, and playing anywhere that would have us. A few things are happening behind the scenes that we’re not quite ready to announce. For once, that’s because we actually have something to announce and not because Nico forgot the password. More soon.

If you have to say “no offense” first, you already know you should shut up.

SPRING 2015 03/27 — Columbus, OH 03/28 — Cleveland, OH 04/03 — Pittsburgh, PA 04/04 — Buffalo, NY 04/17 — Indianapolis, IN 04/18 — Chicago, IL 05/02 — Detroit, MI Tickets are on sale now.

We need a band rule about eating in the van.

I’m still angry. Apparently that can be true at the same time as everything else.

County jail review: no stars. Terrible coffee. Evan looked exactly as disappointed as expected.