The Good The Bad and The Ugly (Cover)

RELEASED: April 29, 2024

What began as a small class project ultimately became the formation of our band! For a duets-themed Aloha Night performance (our monthly showcase for Spicy Uke), Farrah and Marina chose to do an instrumental duet of “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” In the early stages, though, Farrah had an idea: why not invite Sivan to play drums? Marina loved the idea, and Sivan quickly jumped on board. The duo quickly became a trio.

Building the Soundtrack

Farrah discovered an arrangement, but it only covered part of the song. Marina found a different arrangement for the middle section, and Farrah wove them together in Guitar Pro, incorporating a few additional pieces to unify the two. Marina helped refine the chord progression, while Sivan and Farrah brainstormed the percussion, adding a rhythmic layer that tied everything together.

Recording Challenges

We recorded the audio in segments in Sivan’s livingroom, with Farrah mixing everything together in Adobe Audition. It was her first time using the software, which led to some trial and error, but we came away with a final mix to use as the base for our video.

Crafting the Look and Creating “Trixie and the Jumping Fleas”

The more we talked about making a video, the more creative ideas started flowing. We chose costumes, decided on a western-themed location, came up with stage names, and even playfully coined the band name Trixie and the Jumping Fleas. It was all a bit tongue-in-cheek, and we had a blast laughing through the process. Little did we know at the time that there would ever be a second video ;)

A Change of Plans

As we geared up to film, Farrah had to leave town due to her dad’s health. We had to postpone shooting up to the very LAST minute and Farrah was super worried about filming and getting it edited in time. She would only have TWO DAYS. The elaborate video was almost scrapped in favor of a “one-and-done” take, but at the eleventh hour (LITERALLY), Sivan called and convinced Farrah to stick to the original plan. That late-night call was the turning point, and looking back, we’re so grateful it happened—because this is where our journey truly started!

The Serendipitous Turquoise Medallion

The morning of the shoot was a scramble. Farrah couldn’t find any turquoise jewelry on her way out the door. She made a mental note to search in Sivan’s stash when she got there to pick everyone up for the shoot. When she arrived, though, she stepped out of her car and spotted a broken turquoise medallion lying on the ground. She had unknowingly run it over, but Sivan quickly fashioned it into a necklace with a quick repair and a leather rope! The stars were aligning left and right that day!

Believe it or not, weeks later Sivan found two more of these around the same area and now each of the band has one! Crazy right?!

Filming at Walker Cabin

We filmed at Walker Cabin in Placerita Canyon, an ideal spot for our western theme. We had to paused to let school field trips tour the cabin. The lighting couldn’t have been more perfect that day, and we captured everything we needed, and we had an absolute BLAST filming. We didn’t have shots planned, only a track. We didn’t haul drums, so Sivan had to wing it with the tambourine. And we even ran out of phone battery during those shots and couldn’t play our track for syncing. We realized she was a real drummer when she was able to match the tempo to line up with the track just in her head! Meanwhile, Marina really kept us “focused on the toilet!” (Note: you do not want portapotties in the back of your shots!).

A Tight Deadline

With only two days to edit, Farrah worked nonstop to complete the video for Aloha Night. Sivan even created a behind-the-scenes video to show our class.

When we shared it, the positive response was overwhelming. Inspired by everyone’s excitement, all of the fun we had, and the bond we created while making this video, we decided that we have to keep making more of these - and Trixie and the Jumping Fleas was born.

We are so grateful for this whole experience, and for each other! Stay tuned for more!

Trixie & The Jumping Fleas xoxo