At 5/19/25 08:44 AM, Jabun wrote:Announcing Vinyl and CD pre-orders and the final pre-release single "Bump In the Night" from Better Than The Book's upcoming 3rd full-length album "Side Character In My Own Life! Pre-order now on elasticStage and join me for the premier on YouTube on Friday 23th May at 8pm BST! Album releases on June 13th 2025!
BST huh, seems we have the same timezone this time! Looking forward to this. Up North atm but shall tune in if I can...
That cover looks great IRL too!
...and if you can't decide, just get both! XD
And if you plan on listening a lot, best get multiple copies of each. :P
Exciting times! Release day coming up real fast now too!
At 5/21/25 04:33 AM, Cyberdevil wrote:BST huh, seems we have the same timezone this time! Looking forward to this. Up North atm but shall tune in if I can... That cover looks great IRL too! And if you plan on listening a lot, best get multiple copies of each. :P Exciting times! Release day coming up real fast now too!
Ooo! Do the clocks not go forward an hour in spring for you too? Good to hear though :) Hope you can make it!
Yup really pleased with the way the cover print turned out. It sure is coming up fast indeed (still a fair bit to sort too). Lol on the multi copies XD That maaay be excessive, not that I'd complain XD
At 5/21/25 05:12 AM, Jabun wrote:Ooo! Do the clocks not go forward an hour in spring for you too? Good to hear though :) Hope you can make it!
They do! But maybe there's a certain differential in when the time shifts? BST and GMT+1 seem to be the same now, somehow, I didn't expect them to be... I guess I'll see if this really is the case with the YT notification time later...
Yup really pleased with the way the cover print turned out. It sure is coming up fast indeed (still a fair bit to sort too). Lol on the multi copies XD That maaay be excessive, not that I'd complain XD
Haha, aye, but all these discs do wear and tear through the years, for excessive use it may really be a necessity!
At 5/21/25 05:25 AM, Cyberdevil wrote:They do! But maybe there's a certain differential in when the time shifts? BST and GMT+1 seem to be the same now, somehow, I didn't expect them to be... I guess I'll see if this really is the case with the YT notification time later... Haha, aye, but all these discs do wear and tear through the years, for excessive use it may really be a necessity!
Ah I see! Yup by definition BST and GMT+1 are the same :) For sure, best to check the YT timings to be absolutely sure.
Ah too true, especially for the vinyls. CDs should hopefully be longer lasting, but even those to get skippy after MANY years depending on storage etc... Good to know!
The final pre-release single "Bump In the Night" from Better Than The Book's upcoming 3rd full-length album "Side Character In My Own Life is OUT ! Pre-order Vinyls and CDs now on elasticStage! Side Character In My Own Life releases on Friday 13th June 2025!
Hi everyone and hope you're having a great May 2025! It's time for another big music release and I'm super happy to share the final pre-release single Bump In the Night from Better Than The Book's upcoming 3rd full-length album Side Character In My Own Life! Check it out below and I hope it blows you away!
Bump In The Night is a nostalgic trip into childhood and teenage fears and horror franchises contrasting with the real scary stuff about adulthood. There's a tonne of references in there (which may shed some light on the album artwork now too), and overall it's a heartfelt pep talk to keep pushing on even when times seem the darkest. Without wanting to toot my own horn too (ironic since there aren't any horns in this track), although not flashy I think this track features my most soulful guitar solo to date and I'm really pleased with the way this one turned out! I hope you find something relatable and comforting in this song and enjoy all the references!
With the final pre-release single out, in case you missed it on Monday I am super happy to announce that the Side Character In My Own Life album will be releasing on Friday 13th June 2025 (Jason Voorhees reference lol), not only on digital download, but on CD and Vinyl too! Physical preorders are now open on elasticStage! Check it out below:
And as mentioned on Monday, elasticStage is an on demand CD and Vinyl pressing service so if that's something you're interested in I highly recommend getting your pre-orders in early so they have time to make the record for the release date! I'll be making a full video review of the CD and Vinyl albums soon, but the short version is if you want ultra hi-fi sound and bonus tracks go CD, if you want big art prints, lyric sheets and that real world tactility (at the expense of some fidelity) go vinyl, and if you can't decide, just get both! XD
In the mean time, digital pre-orders are now open on Bandcamp too along with all three pre-release singles Plot Holes (Radio Edit), Side Character In My Own Life and Bump In The Night (Radio Edit) ready to stream and download! Check out the track list (note the format differences) and credits for the new album below and I hope you're looking forward to all the music still to come:
Better Than The Book - Side Character In My Own Life
01 - 2020 Was A Write-off, But What Comes Next?
02 - Side Character In My Own Life
03 - Mood Swings
04 - Red Kite
05 - Rewrite
06 - Don't Be Too Hard On Yourself
07 - Hold Me Tight
08 - Bump In The Night
09 - Plot Holes
10 - You'll Never Be Too Old For This
Bonus Tracks (CD and Digital Only - Not Vinyl)
11 - Hearts Racing Backwards
12 - Plot Holes (Alternative Version)
13 - Hold Me Tight (Non-Acoustic)
14 - Side Character In My Own Life (Acoustic)
+ Additional Radio Edits for Tracks 07, 08, 09 & 10 (Digital Only)
Written, performed and produced by Nick Standing [Jabun]
Recorded, mixed and mastered at JabunAudio by Nick Standing [Jabun]
Artwork, images and photography by Nick Standing [Jabun]
No generative A.I. tools were used in the creation of this album.
A huge thanks to my family and friends (both online and offline) for their support and to the current supporters on Patreon with extra mention to past $10+ patrons: Nathan Puray, and Michael White! Thank you all so much for your help and support in making my musical dreams a reality! You folks are amazing!
That about wraps things up for this post! Mark your calendars for Friday 13th June 2025 for Better Than The Book's biggest album launch to date and until then, I hope you enjoy exploring the CD and Vinyl releases (get those pre-orders in) and thanks as always for supporting Better Than The Book and my music however you can! Exciting times ahead, and I can't wait to fill your ears with more ska punk and pop punk vibes in 3 weeks time! Take care!
Better Than The Book is back on BBC Music Introducing Sussex & Surrey tomorrow (Thursday 29th) night! Tune in from 8pm BST!
Hi Everyone! A quick bit of HUGE News to share! My ska / pop punk project Better Than The Book is back on BBC Music Introducing Sussex & Surrey tomorrow night! Melita says she'll be spinning the new single Bump In The Night! Tune and text in tomorrow! Thanks so much Melita! Details below:
BBC Introducing in Sussex & Surrey, 8-10pm Thursdays
BBC Sussex and BBC Surrey, BBC Sounds, smart speaker & DAB
Listen in Brighton on 95.3 FM
Listen in Sussex & Surrey 104-104.8 FM
Listen nationally & internationally online at BBC Sounds here:
At 5/28/25 07:06 AM, Jabun wrote:Better Than The Book is back on BBC Music Introducing Sussex & Surrey tomorrow (Thursday 29th) night! Tune in from 8pm BST!
That's awesome! Coincidentally/in context unfortunately I'll be at a concert at this particular time, but looking forward to hearing the show later on; how you were introduced there! Intrigued to hear if you'll be starting the show this time too...
Great news overall. Great single. Wonder if I caught all the references too hmm, need to listen again...
At 5/28/25 09:00 AM, Cyberdevil wrote:That's awesome! Coincidentally/in context unfortunately I'll be at a concert at this particular time, but looking forward to hearing the show later on; how you were introduced there! Intrigued to hear if you'll be starting the show this time too... Great news overall. Great single. Wonder if I caught all the references too hmm, need to listen again...
Cheers CD and no worries on missing the radio show! I don't think I'll be opening for the show this time but we'll see I suppose! Ooo, what concert are you going to? Enjoy anyhow! Hehe, interested to hear what references you did catch at some point XD
At 5/28/25 09:53 AM, Jabun wrote:Cheers CD and no worries on missing the radio show! I don't think I'll be opening for the show this time but we'll see I suppose! Ooo, what concert are you going to? Enjoy anyhow! Hehe, interested to hear what references you did catch at some point XD
Ah did you know you would last time? Fingers crossed for a nice surprise then. :) The concert's Simon Superti, he's a local, not super well-known here either but maybe someday! Currently most famous for (it's in Swedish though): https://youtu.be/AKmymq4vfbg
Aye, will have to add in a breakdown of those in the email! :D
At 5/28/25 09:58 AM, Cyberdevil wrote:Ah did you know you would last time? Fingers crossed for a nice surprise then. :) The concert's Simon Superti, he's a local, not super well-known here either but maybe someday! Currently most famous for (it's in Swedish though): https://youtu.be/AKmymq4vfbg
I didn't but I was advised to tune in promptly for 8pm last time XD Simon sounds great btw! Reminds of Amy Macdonald who I hear fairly frequently over here :) Thanks for sharing!
Aye, will have to add in a breakdown of those in the email! :D
At 5/28/25 11:48 AM, Jabun wrote:I didn't but I was advised to tune in promptly for 8pm last time XD Simon sounds great btw! Reminds of Amy Macdonald who I hear fairly frequently over here :) Thanks for sharing!
Aha! Maybe they're thinking it goes without saying this time. ;) Ah that's a noble comparison! I think so too, so far I've just seen live footage, so hopefully the actual live will actually be like the footage too. :D
At 5/28/25 11:52 AM, Cyberdevil wrote:Aha! Maybe they're thinking it goes without saying this time. ;) Ah that's a noble comparison! I think so too, so far I've just seen live footage, so hopefully the actual live will actually be like the footage too. :D
Hehe, turned out to be towards the end of the show this time. Hope the concert was good!
At 6/2/25 05:22 AM, Jabun wrote:Hehe, turned out to be towards the end of the show this time. Hope the concert was good!
Ah dang. Well, maybe a last track gives a lasting impression, too... one to start the show and one to end it!
It was, thanks. :) Not a huge crowd, but great energy, and he was good live! More concerts to come in a few weeks... I'm pretty hyped up about Sepultura in particular.
At 6/2/25 05:26 AM, Cyberdevil wrote:Ah dang. Well, maybe a last track gives a lasting impression, too... one to start the show and one to end it! It was, thanks. :) Not a huge crowd, but great energy, and he was good live! More concerts to come in a few weeks... I'm pretty hyped up about Sepultura in particular.
Ah good to hear! Looking forward to hearing more about it as and when!
June 2025 Patreon & News Post: Better Than The Book's Bump In The Night single release, less than 2 weeks until album release, CD & Vinyl pre-orders open, Radio features on Beefy's Ska Club and BBC Introducing, and MUCH MORE!
Hi everyone and hope you're having a great start to Summer! It's been an incredibly busy month and only set to get busier for the next few weeks too! With Better Than The Book's Side Character In My Own Life album coming next Friday 13th June (in less than 2 weeks), I'll be holding off for $10 DEMOlition Pigeon Patreon rewards this time, but hope to be back to it soon! There is MUCH to share in this post so let's get straight to it!
First of all as I'm sure you're well aware, on May 23rd Better Than The Book released the 3rd and final pre-release single Bump In The Night from the upcoming Side Character In My Own Life album and wooooweee did it go down well! Not only has it racked up over 4500 listens here on Newgrounds alone (on top of a front page award and Takeover Tuesday feature), but the single was also featured on BBC Introducing: The South's radio show too! Thanks so much for the support everyone and you can catch up with the BBC Introducing replay for the next month over on BBC Sounds (I'm on towards the end, but there are some great tracks throughout the show as usual):
And flipping back to the previous single and title track Side Character In My Own Life, that track received its first international radio play in Australia on the #1 ska show in the world: Beefy's Ska Club (formally The Ska Show with Beefy)! The show is available to listen again as a podcast and what a heck of a show it was! I think it's the best shoutout I've ever been given on a radio show! Thanks so much to Beefy for sharing the music and all the kind words and I hope you love the album when it comes next week!
Also In case you hadn't heard, Side Character In My Own Life is now available to pre-order on CD and Vinyl on ElasticStage too and you can read more about the album and listen to and download the pre-release singles over on Bandcamp. Check it out!
Finally for BTTB news, I'm pleased to announce that after a little trouble clearing a public domain sample, the album has been fully approved for worldwide digital distribution too and will be available on iTunes, Spotify, Tidal and all those places come Friday 13th as well! Woot woot!
Onto some non-BTTB news, it's been a very busy month in other areas as I've been away on a few trips as well as fixing up some stuff around the studio! Starting with the trip, on May 11th I had the amazing and unforgettable opportunity to see one of my favourite bands ELLEGARDEN play their first European gig EVER! For those who don't know, ELLEGARDEN is a Japanese pop-punk band who started around the turn of the millennium but went on an almost 10 year hiatus before returning just before the pandemic hit. I never thought I'd have an opportunity to see them, but as soon as I found out they were going to be playing in London (alongside local heroes FEEDER) I just had to make sure I could go! I've been using these guys as mixing reference material since the One Small Step EP, and learnt so much from listening to their records! It was an amazing night and I hope they come back again soon! While I was in the pits only a few meters from the front, some other gig goers got some great footage of most of the concert from the balcony (you can even spot me in the crowd if you know who to look for XD)! Check it out below and if you every get the chance, go see them for one hell of a party!
Next on the news for this month, some studio updates! While I was down for the gig I went to visit my long time mentor of sorts Martin, and as tends to happen I ended up leaving with a piece of his studio, this time an old Yamaha 8 channel mixing desk from the 80s! I've been looking for a mixer for a long time, so I was super excited when he offered it! After a clean, some re-soldering of connections and a hefty drench of electrical cleaning solution, it's working great, and I'll integrating into the studio along with Martin's old patch bay very soon! Thanks so much, Martin! Alongside fixing up the mixer, I also finally got around to putting grills on my homemade Leslie rotary speaker and got it put back together and serviced! There's a new YouTube video all about it which I'll get back to in a second. Finally in the studio updates, my main guitar amp for the last 18 years was acting up again and I really thought it was gone for good this time but again, I managed to resurrect it and it seems to be doing much better than even before now! Phew! While I was at it I figured I'd service the bass and organ amps too which were working but not quite as well as they could have been... A can of electrical contact cleaner sure does wonders!
Finally for this month, some more YouTube videos to share! This is the first time in 2 years that I've not been recording 2 videos a week so this time it's just 2 videos to share this month but I hope you enjoy them nonetheless! Check out the updated video below:
That about wraps things up for this time! It's just 10 days until Better Than The Book's Side Character In My Own Life album finally releases (I can hardly believe it), so I'm going to be working my butt off to prepare all the promo for that, and trying to get some rest where I can in the mean time. More interesting projects are coming on the horizon now though so it won't be long until there's more music to come! Until then, thanks as always for supporting my work however you can and I'll see you next week for the big album launch! Take care!
