Gentle and glorious greetings –
It is February, the month football ends and more importantly, the 
month of love. And when you think love, I know you first think Picture Day. In January, we paid tribute to the sixties and Jerden Records. This month we go back to the halcyon days of 2010. Eric Lichter has been the new guy in The Green Pajamas for 10 years or so (okay, okay, Scott is newer – so what?) and has been a contributing songwriter as well as player. He writes more stuff than he can shoehorn onto a PJs album and has put out a solo album or two, including the lovely Palm Wine Sunday Blue. Mr. Lichter decided to do another, enlisting among others, his old band mate from The Life, Jimm McIver. The result is Picture Day. Tuneful. Understated. Direct or perhaps oblique. You can check ‘em out on MySpace or go right out and buy ‘em at CDbaby. Buy two.
td
This record is something I’ve wanted to do for years; write a bunch of tunes and have others perform and produce them. I wanted to move the songs away from my usual style and give them a sound and texture I could never imagine.
I loved making this record! It was just pure fun. It was silly, it was jocular, it was good work if you can get it. The whole idea kind of started as a series of typical ridiculous phone messages between myself and longtime pal, Jimm McIver. Thinking, “How could we do this?” – each of us being new dads to young children, major shifts in careers, moving homes, classes, training for a marathon (Jimm)….. you know, the brontasoarus size stress of doing the so called grown up life.
Somehow it happened though. It all culminated in working with some of the highest caliber musicians, songwriters, and producers around.
This record features Andrea Wittgens, Vincent Gates, Ken Stringfellow, Jeff Kelly, and others. Keep on the lookout for our up-coming video, produced by Chris Hanzek.
Hope you like it,
Eric
The CD credits:
Picture Day – Wild Aim
1. War Song
2. Mental Kiss
3. Wild Aim
4. God Replace
5. Little Bigger
6. Piano Pins
7. Premonition
8. Cosmopolis
9. Ever Shining Super Effect
10. Average Coming Home
11. Anonymous
12. Whispers off The Radio
Picture Day is Eric Lichter and Jimm McIver
Musicians
Andrea Wittgens – Vocals, Piano, keys (tracks, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12)
Vincent Gates – Guitar (tracks, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12)
Jeff Blancato – Bass, Mellotron (tracks, 2, 3, 6, 9)
Kelly Paletta – Drums (Tracks, 2, 3, 6, 9)
Jeff Kelly – Guitar, bass, backing vocals, keyboard (tracks, 1, 4, 8, 11)
Ken Stringfellow – vocals, piano, guitar (track- 5)
Additional musicians
Lou Alexander – Violin (track-12)
Allison Wonderland – vocals (tracks, 1, 11)
Zubin Hensler – Trumpet (tracks, 6)
Recorded at CommonTone Studio, Seattle, WA
And Jeff Kelly Studios, Seattle, WA
All song produced by Vincent Gates Except:
Track 1, 4, 8, 11 Produced by Jeff Kelly
Track 5 Produced by Ken Stringfellow – La Domicile Studio, Paris France, and Vincent Gates – CommonTone, Seattle
Design and cover – Jeff Kelly
Additional graphics and design Katy Kennedy@ Big and Mighty
Photo – Jack Johnson, Seattle (1956)
Courtesy of the Green family
Special thanks to our families for all of their support, love, and guidance, especially Maureen Pendras and Caitlin Duffy. Special thanks to Michelle Lichter for her nurturing advice and special jewels.
Extra thank you to Vincent Gates for his amazing dedication and assistance in all matters related to this music.
All songs © 2010 Eric Lichter
Additional lyrics Jimm McIver