Firefly's Alaska Album - Alive

This is a compilation of recordings from different shows from Firefly's tour of Alaska. The result is a high energy, and often entertaining, album of live performances from headlining The Fiddlehead Festival in Girdwood, AK, to the listening room atmosphere in the venue they kickstarted, Anchorage City Limits.
*"Nothin' But Lovin'" is a song by Chris Snyder in which he has a chorus but makes up the verses on the spot. In the track, the band makes fun of Nici running to the stage from the bathroom! Not the beer tent!
* "Truth Truck" was written by Nici in the bathtub after a particularly unpleasant discovery about an ex.
* Nici left for a solo show, through the tunnel, in Whittier, AK. Chris wrote "Be My Light", one of the catchiest songs on the album, while she was gone.... and you guessed it- she said yes :)
* "I Belong to You" was written after deciding the concept of the current project, "Four Seasons". It was Nici's first winter in Alaska and seemed to be winter in their relationship as well. With spring coming, she wrote with that in mind, a reminder that love stays, even when times are cold and dark.
* "Familiar River Bends" was originally a poem Chris wrote about his passion for fishing and all the years he's spent on the rivers in Alaska catching salmon and rainbow trout. This song captures his unique "Alaskan Reggae" style.
*Chris and Nici originally met in Minnesota while Chris was on tour in 2012. "Firefly" is one of the first songs he wrote after they met and is the inspiration behind their band name.
* Nici went and house-sat with a dear friend. In the corner sat a beautiful, well-loved guitar that she picked up and came up with "You Alone". The song was written in about ten minutes.
*"Hurricane" was written by Chris and Nici the morning after a disagreement. They sat together and created the song that was basically an apology to each other for things that were said out of anger.
* "Bluebird" is a song that Nici wrote a couple years ago. Having become a very special song for her mother and her, Lori Peper often joins them on stage to sing harmony with them when they are touring through Wisconsin. It's a song about friendship and how we need each other- especially when times get difficult.
A huge thank you to all the incredible people who have and continue to support us along the way- our sponsors, Lithia Chevrolet of Fairbanks and Jim Shanklin, and The Alaskan Coffee Roastery and the Maclure family- you guys rock! Our wonderful families who send hugs and love to where ever we happen to be, our friends- we could not do this without you! Thank you to Robert, Kelly, Jonas, Darren, for your talents! A special thank you to our wonderful friend and fellow musician, Johnny Stixx, for your talent, your skills, your energy, and your friendship- we've learned so much from you. We love you all!!!

We hope you all enjoy "Alive" by Firefly!
Peace,
Firefly and the Third Wheel Project crew

Stillwater Minnesota

After months and months on the road, Nici and I are finally settling down in Stillwater Minnesota! This beautiful historic logging town on the St. Croix river, has got to be one of the best American towns I have ever seen.  We found a wonderful 3 bedroom house with a big yard and yes, there is a room for our recording studio! We can CHEEE DA MOON!!! We will have a guest bedroom set up for our touring musician friends and plenty of venues to play.
The next few months we have some great shows lined up and a big project that we are working on for Chevrolet. We even have a date set for our wedding which we will announce in the coming weeks.  Next summer, we will be touring up to Alaska for a gamut of shows and to headline the Girdwood Forest Fair. Stay warm out there friends!
Sincerely,
Chris

Firefly on NBC!

"You Alone" is a song Nici Peper of Firefly, wrote while on tour across Alaska during the late fall of 2012. While visiting the Coffee Roastery and our dear friends for the weekend, Nici went out to a cabin in the woods all alone and wrote this song in the presence of a Llama.
This video was shot at Underground Live and aired on the Venue on NBC after Saturday Night Live.

October 12, 2012

Song of the Day "OnThe Road Again" Willie Nelson We just had an incredible tour. I'd say this is arguably the best month of my life. We met some crazy people, some amazing people, and made life-long friendships. My family has grown. Brian and Janice Snyder are two of the most sweet, welcoming, wonderful people I have ever known. If you know them or get a chance to meet them, you will understand. From their hugs to their coffee and soups. You two have a special place in my heart. Thank you.. Chris and I both teared up when we left Flint Ridge, OK today to begin the next chapter of our tour. The Great Escape is heading north loaded to the brim with fireflies, guitars, amps, and a beautiful new keyboard to embark on our next two months of shows in the Land of 10,000 Beers ( aka Minnesota and Wisconsin ). These are my stomping grounds- cheese, beer, camouflage, fingerless gloves, cow tipping, and the Packers. ( Let's not talk about purple here. My cousin has a shirt that says "The Good: Packers, The Bad: Vikings, The Ugly: Cowboys" ) A land of good solid folks that will help out at your fundraiser, stop and pull you out of the snowbank ( I know this ), and/or buy you a Leinenkugals on tap. I'm excited. Being on the road for the last 30 + days have taught Chris and I some valuable lessons.. #1. When you're in the car long enough, tourrets kicks in. #2. If I'm wearing 2 shirts, a sweatshirt, and a sweater, and Chris is wearing a t-shirt, we both enjoy the same temperature in the car. #3. When in Eureka Springs, keep your crystal wand with you at all times. Also a place where a half hour wait is worth it for a good latte. Drink your coffee slow and your beer fast. #4. When in Arkansas, learn the Razorbacks call. Don't ask what it means. Just learn how to say it. Correctly. #5. Chris reeeeeeally likes cows. #6. It's possible to play a country venue, a jazz lounge, and a biker's blues rally all in one week. #7. Armadillos suck. (If you ever see one dead on the side of the road, put 2 beer cans in his paws. This wasn't my idea, it's just what you doooo...) #8. Everyone should hear Kellie Joe Phelps play "Good Night, Irene". (Thanks, Brian :) ) #9. If Chris ever tells you he's going to rip your f*ck%#g sideburns out, he means business! #10. High kicks are hilarious! Do not challenge Chris to a high kick-off- one of our new friends, a sequined vest and pants of blue camouflage wearing bass player, made this mistake..... He over-shot it in his enthusiasm and landed flat on his back. I almost peed my pants. Honorable mention: Gas station food ends unpleasantly. "That smell may or may not be a turkey farm......................" We'll keep you updated. Life on the road is entertaining, exciting, scary at times, but a great way to get to know yourself and someone else. I'll take it :) I'm going to return to making jokes about Iowa now. Love, smiles, and rattlesnakes, NP P.S. if you ever get a chance to go to Chelsea's in Eureka Springs, listen to the Jeff Horton Band out of Fayetteville, AR, or dance to the music of Chad Lee, do it. And stop in to see Joe ( The Mack Daddy ) Mack at the Currentland Magazine office in Tahlequa, OK and give him a big ol' smooch. He's good people and puts on a dang good show. Love from highway. xo

Warm Place to Stay- Firefly

Last fall while Nici and I were touring around MN and WI, we created this little music video using our iPad. We had written and recorded the music a couple weeks before while in the Ozark Mountains of Oklahoma and Arkansas. It was a fun little project :)

On the Road

September 11, 2012

Song of the Day: "Time For The Sun to Shine" by: Nici Peper & Chris Snyder

Summer has never been so hot. It's as if all of the moisture is getting pulled from the trees and river day after day.  It is a blessing to see a lonely cloud with scant hopes of ever holding enough water to catch a ride back down with gravity.  Hurricane Issac tipped his hat and showered the bible belts prayers for rain with a day of rain, but it almost felt like a steam bath once the rain struck the baking pavement.
Our home and central command center for our recording sessions and tour across the South sits atop a bluff over looking the Illinois River in Flint Ridge Oklahoma. Most famous for the book written in the area, "Where The Red Fern Grows", this region is also the home of Cherokee Nation, destination of the Trail of Tears.

At night coyotes can be heard in their howling ballads amongst the rolling farmlands below. The hundreds of birds that flock in daylight, take roost by nightfall making way for the nocturnal to forage the old forests. Our headlights catch the gleaming eyes of dear and raccoons leaving the imagination to second guess what is really watching us.Twinkling diamonds shine down on us all in their majestic glory littered with wishes on shooting stars. This is Gods land.

We have set up our connections with a local magazine which covers all live music across Oklahoma and Northwest Arkansas called The Current. They cover musicians from Willie Nelson to up and coming new artists and bands.  It is quite the magazine and network for musicians. We hooked up with the editor and accomplished musician, Joe Mack.  He invited Nici and I out to Tulsa to open for his 33rd Birthday show at a small but famous venue last week, our first show in Tulsa.  We plan on booking some shows as a Trio for this month and December.

Nici and I also cruised down to Little Rock to be a part of the biggest tailgate party in America for the Arkansas Razorbacks, where we set up a stage in the bed of my fathers pickup truck. Tens of thousands of people celebrated their beloved Hogs.
We made our way to downtown and enjoyed an evening of conversation and laughter.

On our return voyage to Fayetteville, we stopped in the famous town of Hot Springs to visit the Bath Houses and prospect future venues. Instead of taking the freeway home, we decided on a winding country route that took us through the national forest of the Ozark Mountains. What beauty.

I have never been so in love. Weather we are sitting in perfect silence or writing a song that tugs at the heart strings, I would be no where else but at her side. Nici is my godsend. Our eye beams dance and catch all emotion. It's as if I have known her forever... I keep pinching myself to ensure this is all real.
OUCH!..... Yup I'm still here:)
Here is to life. Here is to releasing all fear. Hear is to true love.
Chris

Newspaper Interview

Feb 24, 2011 Article Written and published in the Anchorage Press~

Posted: Thursday, February 24, 2011 12:00 am
By Laura Chartier
Most local musicians will tell you that Anchorage has a surprisingly large and diverse music community—and one that is supportive of new musicians. And for such a far-flung city, Anchorage also attracts a fair number of Outside acts. Not many groups could claim to both build local talent and bring in Outside artists to collaborate, but Anchorage’s Third Wheel Project is designed to do just that.
This week, Third Wheel Project—a cross between a regular band and a music workshop—is hosting a member from Outside, Joel Kachel, at several shows. “Third Wheel Project is a band and a group that I started to help grow musicians,” says Chris Snyder, the group’s creator. According to the group’s website (www.thirdwheelproject.com), Third Wheel Project is “a band of musicians with the same common goal… to get people to smile and tap their foot in beat with our feel good music.”

On the musician development side of things, Snyder records all of Third Wheel’s live shows to help artists work on recording and songwriting. “We end up collaborating a lot,” he says. “I play a lot of piano and guitar and ukulele, and I really enjoy engineering sound, so it’s fun for me to help produce music. And by doing this I’ve been able to form a band of core members that I feel are pretty good.”
One of those core members is Kachel, a singer/songwriter based in Minnesota. Third Wheel Project first invited Kachel to Alaska in October 2010. During that trip, the group played “12 out of 14 days” he was here, says Kachel. Third Wheel also played at the Whittier Fall Barbeque, with a range of musicians sharing a stage, instruments, and songs. The type of music Third Wheel plays varies widely. “We play a lot based on the audience,” says Synder. “It could be acoustic jazz, other times it will sound more like Sublime, or Ben Folds Five, a kind of upbeat full band sound. Basically I would rather have someone say, ‘Hey, turn it up,’ than ‘Hey, turn it down.’”
Kachel agrees: “It’s not overplaying your space,” he says.
Kachel is focusing on recording during this trip, though the group will also be performing at a few shows. At home in Minnesota, Kachel runs a landscaping business in the summer, so winter, he says, is his primary time to tour. After his last trip to Alaska, he was inspired to keep traveling, and took a road trip to Nashville to perform and network with other musicians.
Sharing inspiration and material is a main focus of the Third Wheel Project. “Everybody that’s a part of the group is able to bring their music to the group,” explains Snyder, “and everybody will learn their music.” That culture encourages artists like Kachel who focus largely on original music. The name Third Wheel, says Kachel, refers to how musicians might feel when entering a new group, something that this project aims to alleviate. Both Snyder and Kachel are self-taught musicians, so they can relate to newcomers to the music scene. “I’d sit at home in front of the piano when I was a kid and just learn it [by ear],” recalls Snyder. As for Kachel, “Every time I record I say hey, if we’re not having fun we need to switch it up,” he says. “And I think that’s important. That’s what music is all about, people can see your excitement and your enthusiasm when you perform.”
As for future plans, Third Wheel will be bringing a group from Hawaii, called Lights Out Project, to Anchorage in the near future. Snyder and Kachel have other ideas, too, about reaching out to communities using music, such as bringing recording equipment to villages to run songwriting workshops. Synder once traveled extensively with Up With People, an international education and music performance program, and he brings a global perspective to Third Wheel’s work. He recently agreed to help write the score for a documentary about indigenous tribes in Guatemala, which focuses on themes of interest to Third Wheel, too. “The ability to record music can really inspire a lot in a kid,” he says.

Song of the Day

September 9, 2012

Song of the day: "Make You Feel My Love", Bob Dylan

 This trip has been life changing for me.  From armadillo hunting to skinny dipping, Tulsa to Hot Springs, I've found myself in new situations and new country I've never experienced before. Whether my magic carpet has been a 2001 ford escape or a four wheeler, always with my faithful 6 string Yamaha and one incredible man by my side, I've now realized that my life will never be the same. It's like drinking Brian Snyder's cappuccinos.. Once you've tried it, your standards raise. You've tasted the best, the cream of the crop, the best life has to offer.. Mine eyes hath now been opened.
  Oprah makes thousands of dollars talking about living our best life. Magazines thrive on giving advice about how to do it. Working out a certain way, buying this new pair of shoes, best tactics with which to please our significant other.. We all want to be happy. We all want our best life. In the beautiful, rugged hills of Flint Ridge, Oklahoma, I realized I have found it.. I've never been so happy, so content- and simultaneously wholeheartedly excited about what the future holds. I feel more myself than I ever have..  Being with someone who not only accepts me but loves me completely has given me freedom from the anxiety and loneliness that has always seemed to follow me.. I miss my family and friends like crazy but I know when I do come home, I will be a better friend, daughter, sister, musician, and source of love.
   It's not a money making idea. In fact, it's a rare and treasured blessing. I know things like this don't come along every day. I'm not working out, just doing fun things, exploring Chris, my heart, and this incredible land. I can't remember the last time I ate ice cream or drank good- I mean, Good- beer without planning on cutting calories the next day. I'm happy in my sundresses and cowgirl boots. He tells me I'm beautiful without makeup and I believe him.
  Thank you, Chris Snyder, for the gentleness in how you handle my heart. I am humbled and grateful for your friendship, encouragement, and love.
  I have been in numerous relationships and I tried to fit every one into the box that was my Love Story. I knew it would happen eventually and I was impatient. Although the thought crossed my mind that I wish I would have waited, I now know my path was what it was for a reason. It led me here. Be patient. Know that good will come. May you all feel as blessed as I do.
  Love, peace, and capos,
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Nici
P.S. Chris says hi :)

New TWP Band, Firefly!

August 26, 2012

You found us! WELCOME!
Thank you for taking the time to listen.
The spirit of Third Wheel Project is simple; play music that inspires and empowers people to grow in a positive direction.  The third wheel artist lineup is a group of artists from around the world, each hand picked for their own unique sound and gifts that they bring to the table as a collective whole.
A key focus in our travels is to inspire our youth to explore their creative tendencies. Be it through music or be it through visual design, be it through video editing or be it through writing, creative arts are important for the development of our society as a whole.  We is the artists of Third Wheel Project, desire to share a gift with the world in hopes of touching someone. Inspiration takes seed at any age.

A month ago, magic happened in the land of 10,000 lakes. World traveled artist and producer, Chris Snyder of Third Wheel Project, began creating music and performing with arguably the best female singer / songwriter of our time. It's a bold thing to say, but just you wait as her music speaks for itself. Nici has been compared as a female Bob Dylan with regards to her meaningful songwriting.  She has a variety of original music and covers ranging from Jonny Cash to The Temptations.
Currently, Nici and Chris are on tour across Wisconsin and Minnesota, joined by TWP touring artist, Joel Kachel.  In the next 6 months, they have invites with plans to tour in Alaska, Arkansas, Austin TX, Florida, New Zealand, Ireland, and Austria.
Nici and Chris recently started a new project named Firefly, an acoustical duo that bounces Nici's sweet country-prairie sometimes Patsy Cline'esque style with Snyder's Surfer Americana.  Throughout their performance, both take turns playing guitar, singing, harmonizing and their hand at percussion. It really is a captivating experience to witness these two musical spirits as one song.

Before leaving Minnesota and Wisconsin to head south to continue their tour, Nici and Chris have been asked to open for Bret Michaels in Minneapolis at the Pourhouse.
They have also been approached about being a weekly acoustic act at the Belagio in Las Vegas!
Stay tuned and follow us at www.thirdwheelproject.com.
You can book the Artists of Third Wheel Project on the website! Take the time to explore the site and share! We also have free Android and Apple APPS on the main home-page making it so easy to follow us and stream our music for free!
One big shout out to our newest member of the TWP community, web-designer technical genius, Morgan Tuttle. Living in Austin Texas, Morgan took 10 years of my self produced websites, and in a month turned it into a fantastic hub for our collective projects.  Thank you good sir!
Most Sincerely,
Third Wheel Project
www.thirdwheelproject.com
email: picturealaska@me.com