For The One And Only

### *Was the couch always this big?*

*For The One And Only* is a 5 song EP released by Nick Barnett under the band's name after their break up following *It Isn't Dead.* The EP includes 4 new original songs written about Nick's feelings and thoughts following the band's break up, and finishes with a cover of *Rainbow Connection* from The Muppets. The entire album was recorded solely by Nick, filling in for all the parts that would normally be filled by his former bandmates, with the exception of Nikki Brown coming to help with some vocals on *Superfriend* and *Rainbow Connection.*

The EP was also entirely self produced and recorded by Nick Barnett, using the former location of Make Believe studios that he still had a lease for after it's shutdown. It was released on August 19th, 20XX with little promotion leading up to it. Nick Barnett describes the EP as something he just "had to get out there" at the time as he went through a period of depression and remorse after the falling out of some of his closest friends.

While not intentionally, the EP kicked off a new era for the band and would eventually lead to the third official line up of the band.

## Planning Stages

Following the band's dramatic and public break up after *It Isn't Dead*, most members of the band went radio silent from the public eye for almost a year, longer for some members. Most notably of course was the band's front man, Nick Barnett who seemed to stay off of any form of social media or any public events and instead stayed very private. During this time, Nick Barnett went through a lot of life changing experiences, with the shift from a public figure to a private one being one of them. After the break up, Nick Barnett recalls: "I remember just feeling so angry, every day. I would wake up and be angry, go through my day angry, and go to sleep angry. It wasn't healthy at all, but when this was such a big thing in my life and it felt like it was just torn away, I didn't know what to do. Being so focused on the band for so long meant that not only was I losing my bandmates, I was also losing what was basically my only friends."

But after a time, Nick started to get distanced enough to realize his foolishness in the matter. Checking himself into rehab to help with his addictions, while he was there Nick started to write songs again, for the first time since the previous album as a way of self reflection. He didn't have a lot to do while he was checked in, so it was also a way to get himself feeling creative again. He had a therapist who encouraged this hobby, and through that, the lens of *For The One And Only* was focused into being a short self reflective outburst that Nick knew he needed to release. After checking out of rehab in February of 20XX, Nick returned to the building that used to house Make Believe Studios, which he had been waiting for the lease to expire on - but now had a deadline for this much needed project.

## Production

*For The One and Only* officially entered production on March 12th, 20XX - almost 2 years after *It Isn't Dead* was released. This production was very different than any other project the band had done however, as the only name attached to the project this time was Nick Barnett. He had the tracklist for the album picked out and written by the time he made it back to the studio, with each song following thoughts that he reflected on through his time in rehab and therapy. Originally, the EP was only going to be 3 songs - *Slob, The Shit That You Hate,* and *Superfriend*, until Nick started to work and record in the now basically empty shell of Make Believe Studios.

This emptiness is what inspired the EP's opening track *All Alone in My Big Empty Apartment*, as Nick spent all day in the empty studio and then drove back home to his equally empty apartment. During this time as well, Nick had been watching episodes and movies of The Muppets during his downtime, and has stated in an interview: "There was one night after teaching myself some instrument that I wanted to use on one of the songs that was usually played by someone else where I just sat down and watched The Muppets Movie and when *Rainbow Connection* came on I just broke down into tears. You wouldn't expect such a beautiful song from something like the Muppets, but that happened and I was just like 'this has to be the closer'."

The biggest step in recording *For The One And Only*, however, was Nick reaching out to Nikki Brown for her help in some of the songs. Nikki was the only member of the original lineup who made an effort to stay in contact with Nick, although he wasn't very responsive at first. But as he worked on *Superfriend* and later *Rainbow Connection,* he knew that he needed another singer on the tracks, and keeping in theme with the EP, he knew it had to be Nikki. After a lunch spent explaining what the EP was, Nikki was in the studio to help that very night. "It was honestly one of the happiest moments of my life. Seeing my friend grow like this, and to be back in the studio working on such a heartfelt project like this - I'm so incredibly lucky that I was able to be a part of it." - Nikki Brown in an interview with The Report.

Nikki Brown not only helped with vocals but offered her advice to Nick in how to help him heal. While she knew that it wasn't exactly an option to invite the previous band members back to help with this project, Nikki knew that despite the band's absence, the fanbase was still very much alive. So, to fill out some of the backing vocals on songs like *The Shit That You Hate*, Nick and Nikki invited fans through an email newsletter to come in and record the gang vocals (although they were technically uncredited).

Through this newsletter as well, fans got access to an exclusive link to a livestream that would go up whenever Nick and Nikki were recording in the studio as a way to get people excited for the EP, and as a way for them to interact with the community during the uncertain period the band was in.

Finally, approaching the end of July of 20XX, the main production of *For The One And Only* officially finished with Nick Barnett self producing the entire EP.

## The Road to *For The One and Only*

Originally, Nick Barnett had planned to just release the EP without any announcement or fanfare, as the project started as just something he was doing for himself - but with Nikki's support, they planned to push just a little bit further. Dedicated fans were already in the know about the EP through the newsletter, but to make anyone else aware, *All Alone in My Big Empty Apartment* was released as the only single, with a music video that featured Nick playing every instrument in the empty studio that the EP was recorded in, cutting between them as a riff on the incredibly popular video for *Dope Nose.* It's notable as one of the only singles that wasn't put on streaming services upon it's release - instead just the music video was uploaded to the internet and spread through word of mouth.

With how public the break up of the band was, news of a new song quickly spread - and even faster upon people learning that it seemed to just be Nick Barnett running everything himself. The video drummed up a lot of attention, but for the most part didn't do too much promotion for the EP. The only indication that there was more to come was the description of the video that read: "for the one and only 08/19/20XX."

During this time as news outlets and drama shows picked up the story, Nick Barnett would still do his best to stay out of the public eye - not accepting interviews or giving any comments other than what came with the promotion for the EP. Knowing however that people were going to be trying to get any information they can, it was around this time that Nick tried reaching out to the other former members of the band for the first time since *It Isn't Dead* - sending letters to each of them apologizing for what happened and for the news storm that was about to happen once the EP was released. However, according to Nick Barnett in a later interview, he never got any responses to those letters.

Watching the media coverage grow and speculate, Nick Barnett was very stressed and anxious during the time leading up to the release of *For The One And Only*, and Nikki Brown could obviously tell - and so she reminded Nick that this wasn't attached to anybody else but him, and he could handle it any way he wanted to. This helped Nick realize that he really wanted to lean into the community aspect that had been so helpful in the recording process. And so, on July 31st, any fan that had been signed up for the newsletter received a CD in the mail that included the entire EP early, as well as an invitation to "Empty House Studios", which is what Nick had started referring to the former Make Believe Studios as, to celebrate the release of *For The One And Only* with a one time midnight release concert on August 19th. Along with the CD was a packet that just said "make sure to learn the lyrics" on the front, and was filled with the lyrics to each of the songs.

With the decision to have this show, they still needed one thing for it - a band. While the EP was entirely Nick, he couldn't play the show entirely by himself. He could've done something like playing backing tracks for the rest of the instruments, but he needed this show to be extra special, for both himself and the fans that were coming. And so, using some connections that Nick had been able to keep a hold of and mend after the dark times during *It Isn't Dead,* as well as some connections Nikki had, they pulled musicians together from all around the area and taught them the songs they'd need to know in a 20 day window.

This ragtime band included Nick Barnett, Nikki Brown, Chris O'Brian and Miles Gonzalez, both who had been previous members of the band during *You Know Us Too Well*, and finally newcomer Kevin Brockton - who Nikki had met during a tour with her side project *Amethyst Crystals.* All of them were very happy to be part of the event with Chris O'Brian saying in a later interview "I was ecstatic when Nick asked me to come play *For The One And Only* for a midnight release show. Working with Nick is unlike anything else, and I remember how devastated I was when he left *California Kids*, cause I thought that was the last time we'd work on anything together. But I remember popping in the CD he gave me when he asked and being blown away and just knowing that there was no way I could say no to something like this."

## The Midnight Release Show

With very little talk after the invitations, on August 18th, "Empty House Studios" opened it's doors for every fan who had been invited at 11 PM. The back lot of the studio had been opened up after fans could walk through the studio to see where everything had been recorded, and in the back there was now a makeshift circle stage, where the band would be playing and fans would surround them. Nick was out and greeting everybody he could during the lead up to the show, taking photos and answering questions - as well as introducing people to the band that would be playing with him.

Finally, as the clock hit midnight, they pointed the construction lights that had been lighting the backlot towards the stage and the 5 members of the makeshift band climbed on. Nick welcomed everybody and explained a bit of what this EP was and what it meant and thanked them all, as well as thanking the band for agreeing to help out with something as crazy and last minute as this show was and once again urged everyone to sing along - and started off the only show that *For The One And Only* got, to a great success. The show featured the entirety of *For The One And Only*, along with some other songs to fill out the show considering the short runtime of the EP. The entire show's setlist was as follows:

1. *All Alone in My Big Empty Apartment*
2. *Slob*
3. *Superfriend*
4. *Only In Dreams*
5. *Sober*
6. *Bad Habits*
7. *My Own Worst Enemy*
8. *Longtime Sunshine*
9. *Waiting On You*
10. *I Thought You Didn't Even Like Leaving*
11. *Really?*
12. *I Don't Love You Anymore (IID)*
13. *I Just Threw Out The Love of My Dreams*
14. *Getting Up and Leaving*
15. *Burndt Jamb*
16. *Take Control*
17. *The Good Life (PFP)*
18. *The Shit That You Hate*
19. *Cascade*
20. *Rainbow Connection*

The setlist included songs from all over the band's previous discography, but notably strayed away from any of the band's biggest hits. Nick wanted the show to be very niche and appeal to their biggest fans, and so chose songs that he felt were deep cuts that he wanted to play, leading the show to the big finish with *The Shit That You Hate* bringing in the entire crowd, and *Cascade*, which wasn't on the EP - but would later come out in the compilation *Class Reunion*, was used as a buffer due to it's very unique nature compared to the rest of the band's songs before finishing with *Rainbow Connection.* After the show, Nick thanked everyone and according to a later interview with him "I cried so hard after that midnight show - it was just like, the ultimate confirmation that my life wasn't over. People still cared and I could still do this music thing."

## Reception

*For The One and Only* was officially released on August 19th, 20XX to very positive fan reactions. Fans loved to have something new from the band after being so uncertain about the future, and enjoyed the very personal and raw emotional tone the EP had. While personal songs were nothing new for Nick Barnett, these were some of the first to really take on the heavy tone that those personal feelings shared. And those fans who were lucky enough to be at the midnight release to this day call the EP one of the best things that was ever put out under the name *The Dropouts*.

While fan reactions were incredibly positive, the EP failed to do much critically or commercially. Many media outlets were still against Nick Barnett after the coverage that came with *It Isn't Dead*, and called the EP "A pathetic attempt at guilt tripping their audience", or found it in bad taste to continue using the band's name when it was entirely just Nick Barnett. Due to the EP's somewhat lacking promotion, it wasn't pushed much in stores or online, leaving it to end up being a somewhat obscure item in the band's overall discography, Nick Barnett however, was not very put off by this because he never meant for it to be a blockbuster success and was just happy that the fans were happy. Even with this however, it can never be denied the impact that the EP had.

Not only did it bring the band's name back into the public eye, it set up the band's future third line up and new direction, which would lead to some of the biggest and most iconic songs, albums, and moments in the band's history.

## Tracklist

1. *All Alone in My Big Empty Apartment -* Written by Nick Barnett
2. *Slob -* Written by Nick Barnett
3. *The Shit That You Hate* - Written by Nick Barnett
4. *Superfriend -* Written by Nick Barnett
5. *Rainbow Connection -* Originally by Jim Henson and The Muppets

## Fun Facts

* The album artwork which features a white 1 on a salmon colored background, was a very last minute decision. Nick Barnett needed something to put on the CDs he was sending out and decided on this, picking the color from a shirt his therapist often wore when he was in rehab.
* The EP as well didn't have a name until *All Alone in My Big Empty Apartment* was written, where Nick decided to name it after the corresponding lyric.
* Scott Wilson makes fun of Nick Barnett now due to his obsession with The Muppets.
* Nikki Brown has said that *For The One And Only* is one of her favorite projects to ever come out under *The Dropouts* name.
* Nathan Taylor has admitted to not listening to the EP for a very long time, and only did recently.
* Kevin Brockton was incredibly nervous the day of the midnight show, as he had been a fan for a long time and was worried he'd mess up with the short practice window.