Hi Guys
A few days have passed since our return from India. Thank you so much for your kind words and prayers while we were away. I’ve been waking up earlier since we’ve been home, this last bit of jetlag a welcome reminder of a land and people I wish never to forget. I’m trying to stay on this schedule as it feels like some small connection to India. I’ve wanted to write sooner but could not find the words. It is hard to describe the things we saw and the ways we were changed by our time in Kolkata. In short, we didn’t want to leave.
Bono says that laughter is the evidence of freedom and it is true. We have said ourselves that rescue is possible, and those words took on a different degree of meaning in India. Words like “freedom” and “rescue” only matter because they rise against words like “evil” and “slavery”. We can only imagine what those children have seen, what they have lost and how it haunts them. Our time with them was something sweeter, something hopeful, singing and dancing and drawing, the building back of innocence. India faces tremendous challenges with human trafficking and HIV/AIDS, but something that I’ve only learned since returning home is that suicide rates in southern India are the highest in the world. I want to say that we, TWLOHA, are committed to being part of the solution in India. In terms of where to begin, we are committed to the children we met, and to the work that is already being done there. We saw some great things, and we want to build windows and bridges, so that you can see and so that you can join us on this journey. For all of us, beyond words, there was something healing and hopeful about our time in India, the sense of purpose and hope we found halfway around the world.
We will announce details and ways to get involved very soon. We’re working on that now.
Here’s a quick video from one of the first nights of the trip:
[b]Dustin Kensrue:[/b]
I am honored to announce that Thrice’s Dustin Kensrue will be donating 5% of proceeds from his debut solo album “Please Come Home” to TWLOHA. It is truly a great album and we are more than honored to be a part of it. Below is from Nick Bogardus, Dustin’s manager, part of an email he sent to their team this week.
“TWLOHA is a fitting choice for a record with the lyrical themes that Please Come Home has – redemption, personal worth, love, acceptance, and hope – as well as for the kind of artist and person Dustin is.”
From Dustin’s album bio:
“I try to be an artist who aspires to find hope even in dark places: If I’m down, I don’t want to bring people down to that place with me. I’m looking for a way out.”
The album is available now via iTunes and stores everywhere. You can watch a video of Dustin performing “Blanket of Ghosts” on the main page of our MySpace and you can hear more at [url2=http://www.myspace.com/dustinkensrue]Dustin’s MySpace[/url2]
[b]Feb Dates:[/b]
Just wanted to mention that I’ll be speaking in Raleigh, NC next Sunday, Feb. 11, and then in Dallas on Feb 16. I was born in Carolina so I’m excited to go back, and we’ve heard from a ton of folks in Texas so I’m excited about that one as well. You can find details [url=http://www.twloha.com/calendar.php]here[/url]. We should have a few more dates to announce next week.
[b]MCR / Spin:[/b]
My Chemical Romance is on the cover of the new Spin, and it’s an article worth reading; talks a lot about their MySpace and the hope they bring to their fans, the idea that this is a band that is keeping kids alive. Pretty inspiring. I don’t listen to them a ton but I really like their sense of urgency, and I like the honesty and creativity with which they capture the collision of pain and hope. There’s a really great line in the chorus of their song Famous Last Words: “I am not afraid to keep on living.”
I am off to Orlando right now. Between the Trees has done an amazing thing, organizing a benefit show for us. It’s an early show, starts at 4pm at Back Booth in downtown Orlando. Between the Trees, Anchor & Braille, Hundred Year Storm, Select Start, We the Kings. Hope to see you there : )
Peace to you.
jamie