Originally released on April 23, 2002 on Projekt Records, this is the first time Theatre will receive a vinyl release - 3 different colors! - and a 2-CD edition with a ton of bonus tracks. The first 100 pledges for the vinyl or CD editions will also receive a bonus live CD recorded in 2003.
Scroll down to have a look at some mock-ups of the 3 different vinyl editions and then head on over to our Kickstarter Page to peruse all of the rewards we are offering. If you're new to Audra, I've included a video for the song "Cabaret Fortune Teller" below. Thank you!
Arizona Post-punk trio AUDRA has released their first album in 10 years! 'Dear Tired Friends' is now available on Limited CD, Black Vinyl, Clear Vinyl & Smoky Vinyl - and of course on all digital platforms. Physical formats of the album are available through Bandcamp.
Formed in 1991 in Mesa, Arizona, Audra is primarily Bart and Bret Helm - two brothers originally hailing from Chicago - joined by drummer Jason DeWolfe Barton. This album also includes a guest appearance by Mike VanPortfleet of Lycia on lead guitar for the song ‘Planet of Me'.
Comprised of 10 tracks, this album was mastered at The Cage Studios in Coventry, UK by Martin Bowes of Attrition, well known for his work with Nine Inch Nails, Psychic TV and Steven Severin of Siouxsie & the Banshees. Earlier, Audra ran a successful Indiegogo campaign to assist in the production costs of the CD & vinyl editions. Mixing was completed in July 2019.
The Smoky Edition - Limited to 50 signed & hand-numbered copies
What started as a 4-song EP recording session quickly turned into something much larger for Audra. When assembling demos for this release, the brothers discovered a virtual time capsule - the song ‘Wish No Harm’, which they had recorded on cassette tape with a Fostex 4-Track tape machine back in 1993. In June 2018, Bret finally completed the song, adding lyrics and melody to the original demo. 26 years later, the song would be released as the first single off 'Dear Tired Friends.'
The Ultra Clear Vinyl Edition - Limited to 150 copies
"Our music is informed by all of the bands that we grew up with - the stark landscapes of post-punk mixed with the tribal grandeur of early Jane’s Addiction and the poetic eclecticism of Lou Reed’s Velvet Underground," says Bret Helm.
On Friday, July 12th, my band Audra released our first new song in 10 years! 'Wish No Harm' is the first single from the upcoming album Dear Tired Friends (August 23, 2019). The album includes 10 songs and features Lycia's Mike VanPortfleet on lead guitar for the song 'Planet Of Me.'
Dear Tired Friends will be available in 3 limited edition formats: Ultra Clear Vinyl (150 copies), Black Vinyl (100 copies) and Digipak CD (300 copies). Take a look at those beauties below.
Have a listen to 'Wish No Harm' at one of the links below, or use the embedded Bandcamp player:
The stars have aligned and my band Audra is hard at work recording our first album in 10 years! We are reaching out to our fans to help in the physical production of a very special collection of songs. With your help, we will be releasing our first ever vinyl album - which will be available in 3 colors - including an Indiegogo Exclusive Edition limited to only 50. We've also opened up the vaults to share some really fun Audra collectibles & experiences. Find out how you can be a part of it right now, or keep on reading below. Thanks for your support! - Bret
Audra was formed in 1991 by brothers Bret & Bart Helm in Mesa, Arizona. We have since released 3 full-length albums (2 via Projekt Records) and have a new album set to be self-released in early 2019 (featuring a guest appearance by Mike VanPortfleet of Lycia). Over the years, Audra has performed alongside Peter Murphy, The Mission, Gene Loves Jezebel, Nitzer Ebb, AFI, She Wants Revenge, Concrete Blonde, New Model Army and many others.
With the release of 2009's Everything Changes, we decided to go back to the DIY approach to making music that launched our career in the early 90s. We don't have a label that handles the manufacturing, distribution and all of the other things that go into releasing music. This is a labor of love and often doesn't yield any type of financial return. We create music because we love to - and as cliche as it may sound, we have to.
The New Album
In the years where Audra may have seemed dormant, we have always been writing songs. Back in July 2018, we entered the studio with the intention of recording 2 songs, but after the first session with engineer Joshua Rozenboom we realized that we needed to go all-in and make an entire album. By the time this campaign goes live, we have recorded the 9 songs that will comprise the album. There are still several components to finish the process, such as overdubbing, mixing, mastering, artwork design and the physical production of the CDs and vinyl.
We will keep you updated with journal entries, behind-the-scenes photos & video clips of our progress through these stages here on the Updates section of our Indiegogo page.
We'll also be revealing song titles + the album title throughout the 30 days of this campaign. We are so incredibly excited to share these new songs with you!
Where Your Contributions Will Go + What You'll Receive
Your contributions will go towards the following:
Mastering. This is a process that happens after the recording & mixing have concluded. It enhances the overall sonic quality.
Vinyl & CD manufacturing. Jackets, sleeves, booklets, records, CDs - all of that good stuff!
If we exceed our goal, we plan on printing up a new run of T-shirts, reissuing our long out-of-print first album and maybe hitting the road for some live dates.
If we don't meet our goal? We will work very hard to make sure this album is still released in the formats described. All money raised will go directly towards the items listed above.
You can contribute any amount by clicking on the pink 'Back It' button or by selecting one or more of the perks that we are offering:
3 different color vinyl editions. Black, clear and a smoky Indiegogo Exclusive that is limited to only 50 copies. We'll also have a small run of CDs.
As one of our Indiegogo supporters, you will receive the album before it is made available to the general public.
Handwritten lyrics, rare T-shirts and band-worn outfits.
The drum machine used on the first two Audra albums & live shows up until the Fall of 2002.
A guitar amp used during the recording of the Going to the Theatre album.
Tickets to an advance album listening party that features an acoustic performance + Q&A session with the band.
A chance to have Audra remix your song or record a cover version of a song of your choice.
Lots more! We had a lot of fun brainstorming and putting these perks together to make this a really cool experience for all of us.
Other Ways You Can Help
Please help us spread the word by using the share buttons here on our page. We only have 30 days to make this happen, so we would greatly appreciate any extra exposure.
And if you'd like to contribute to the campaign without purchasing any of our perks, you can do that by clicking the pink 'Back It' button and entering any amount you'd like.
Thank you so very much for your support! - Bret, Bart and Jason
Bart Helm - Guitar
Tracking guitar parts on Song 1. July 19, 2018
Bret Helm - Vocals, Bass + Guitar
Recording acoustic guitar for Song 5. August 16, 2018
Jason DeWolfe Barton - Drums + Percussion.
Recording Song 3. July 29, 2018
Photo credits on page & video: William Sibick, Joe Russomanno, Sam Rosenthal, Bret Helm, Bart Helm, Jason Barton, Jaymz Todd and the Helm Family Archive.
In celebration of the 15th Anniversary of my band Audra's second album - Going to the Theatre - we are releasing limited edition cassettes for the two albums originally issued on Projekt Records in 2000 & 2002. This will be the first time either have been made available on cassette. Both are colored, hand-numbered and limited to only 100 each. Pre-orders are now being taken exclusively at the Audra Bandcamp Store.
More pics and video clips below - for additional info, visit the Audra site
If you're a vinyl enthusiast, check out our feature on the Spin Clean Vinyl Record Cleaning Machine (click image below)
I am super excited to launch my band Audra's updated / new website! To celebrate, we've released 3 previously unheard recordings - exclusive to the site. Each new song has been added a bonus track to its respective album. Here's what they are:
- Everything Changes - The original demo recorded on 10.26.03
- In A Dark Room... - An early mix from the Going to the Theatre sessions in 2001
- What Your Eyes Had Seen - A high-energy live version recorded in Chicago on 05.13.06
These tracks are available as a single download or with the full album purchase
Listen & check out all the new photos & videos here
If you're a vinyl enthusiast, check out our feature on the Spin Clean Vinyl Record Cleaning Machine (click image below)
Hello everyone. As some of you know, in addition to writing Life On This Planet, I am also a musician - I sing and play in a band called Audra. Last year, I began a series of solo singles with 'I've Wasted So Much Time,' and that series continues today, with the release of 'A Song For The Winner' - my second solo single. It is now available via iTunes, Amazon MP3, CD Baby, Google Play, and emusic.
A huge thank you to my friend Jaymz Todd - for putting together the artwork; and to my brother Bart Helm for mixing it.
Thank you so very much for your support. The links below will direct you to where you can sample and buy 'A Song For The Winner.' Please share this post with your friends. - Bret
Hello everyone. A lot of you know me from my band Audra. Well, today I have officially released my very first solo single. It's called I've Wasted So Much Time and is available as a digital single via iTunes and Amazon MP3!
I am planning on releasing a series of digital singles in the coming months, while work continues on a new Audra release. A huge thank you to Jaymz Todd for putting together the artwork and to my brother Bart Helm for mixing it.
Thank you so very much for your support. The links below will direct you to where you can sample and buy I've Wasted So Much Time. Please share this with your friends. - Bret
The final day of our feature on the Year 2002 A.D.
So back in 2001, my brother and I were recording the second Audra album, Going To The Theatre. Usually we save one spot on an album for an undeveloped or unwritten song. Cabaret Fortune Teller was one of those. It was written on the spot, in the studio, and was almost left off of the album for some reason or another. Once the album was released, it ended up being a lot of our fans' favorite song from Theatre.
About 5 years later, a friend asked if we'd like to shoot a video for it. So, on one of the hottest days in the Arizona summer, we shot our scene in the abandoned warehouse that was once Alice Cooper's Haunted House in downtown Phoenix. No air conditioning - it was crazy hot. I remember taking a long break and walking over with friends to Alice Cooper's restaurant next door to drink several cold ones. :) Went back and the rest is history. One of us forgot to bring a guitar strap, so we made one out of a crew member's belt and some tape. Very happy with the way the video turned out. Okay, here we go. This is Cabaret Fortune Teller. Please enjoy. :)
One of the best moments of being a songwriter is when a song just writes itself. Back in 2001 we had a deadline from our record label at the time to complete a holiday track for an upcoming compilation. The song that we were planning on covering just wasn't coming together. So, right as I was about to leave the studio and give up on the idea, I pulled out a little poem that I had written called Let The Reindeer Live On My Roof. I read the words, grabbed my acoustic and immediately played the chords that became the song. We recorded the guitar and vocals in one take, added some additional instruments and that was that. I listen to this song every year just to hear how it's held up, and I gotta say that it's one of my favorite songs that I've written over the years.
As of today, Let The Reindeer Live On My Roof is now available as a Digital Single. I hope this song will become a tradition in your yearly holiday playlist.
Song Description: 'A nostalgic glance at the childhood innocence of never wanting Christmas to end. Originally released in 2001, this is the first time it is available in digital format.'
If you're a vinyl enthusiast, check out our feature on the Spin Clean Vinyl Record Cleaning Machine (click image below)
In an effort to listen to songs that don't get much intentional play on my iPod, I present Part 2 of my 'Friday iPod Shuffle.' Many of you have done this on Facebook by selecting Shuffle on your mp3 player and writing down the first 10 songs that come up. Here's my 10.
1. Audra - Dancing Don (unreleased)
LOL. This is an old song that my brother and I wrote. One evening we were having dinner with some friends on the patio of Pita Jungle in Tempe, AZ and this guy came up asking for some money. He told us that he would do a dance for us if we gave him a dollar. He said that he was better than John Travolta. I wish you could hear this song. :)
In 2009, Sigur Ros vocalist Jonsi released an album of ambient instrumentals called Riceboy Sleeps. I bought this off of emusic a while back and apparently forgot to listen to it. That's why this shuffle thing is pretty cool - finding stuff that you forgot to listen to! This is a beautiful instrumental. I need to get this on vinyl. Rad.
From the double album, Live at The Avalon Ballroom 1969. This is Gram Parsons when he was with The Flying Burrito Brothers. Another album that I only have in digital format, so this was a cool surprise when it came on.
Released as a charity single in 2006 to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina, this is a cover of a band called Skids. It later appeared on the U2 collection: U218 Singles.
Free As A Bird was written and recorded by John Lennon in 1979 as a demo. In the early 90s, the remaining Beatles added to the arrangement and released it as a single. It was also part of the Anthology series. Great track.
The short-lived, post Suede band featuring Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler. This is from their one-and-only album, Here Come The Tears. If you like Suede and don't already own this, you should definitely get it.
Please post your lists in the comments below. Thanks!
and is available as a digital single via 
. Usually we save one spot on an album for an undeveloped or unwritten song. 
was one of those. It was written on the spot, in the studio, and was almost left off of the album for some reason or another. Once the album was released, it ended up being a lot of our fans' favorite song from 
. I read the words, grabbed my acoustic and immediately played the chords that became the song. We recorded the guitar and vocals in one take, added some additional instruments and that was that. I listen to this song every year just to hear how it's held up, and I gotta say that it's one of my favorite songs that I've written over the years.
. I bought this off of emusic a while back and apparently forgot to listen to it. That's why this shuffle thing is pretty cool - finding stuff that you forgot to listen to! This is a beautiful instrumental. I need to get this on 
. Rad.
.
was the final album in Bowie's Berlin Trilogy in 1979. This a cool track that I've heard many-a-time. Always happy to hear it.
. I don't recall ever listening to this track before. I like it.
. If you like Suede and don't already own this, you should definitely get it.