TANTRIC (Book 3 of the Soundcrush Series)

Chapter 75: Hippie Chics Feel Love. From All Around.

Ashlynn

More than another year later

Australia

When Trace said Soundcrush was skipping out on promoting their new concert documentary, Legacy, to party in Australia, he meant it and he made it happen. Soundcrush can do pretty much what it wants these days.

In the years since Angelo Moran became President of Colossus, and Soundcrush has became his absolute all-time favorite act, he doesn't press too much. If Soundcrush wants to kick it instead of making the rounds of late night to promote a concert film that's already bringing in millions, he shrugs and collects the Colossal share. He knows keeping Soundcrush happy at Colossus will make him more money in the long run.

So there's been no label static at all about Soundcrush's radio silence on the new documentary since its premier. Instead we are focusing solely on vacationing. Our holiday has consisted of surfing, sunburns, barbies and lots and lots of beer. Well, for the beer drinking set, at least.

Going non-traditional for Christmas is a blast. Especially considering the last couple of Christmases have been tense. Two years ago, the whole band was in Atlanta for Christmas staying at the band house while finishing up their third album. Soundcrush celebrated Christmas with my parents. Which would have been great except that my dad lost his mind and invited Ross Gallant to Christmas.

That was bad, but next year was worse.

Instead of announcing their pregnancy like they had planned, Mac and Adam announced that Mac had suffered a miscarriage just days before. It was sad but every one rallied around and Madam focused on enjoying Christmas with almost two year old Lennon.

Mac and Adam weren't the only ones that lost last Christmas. Bodie lost...everything. Then, Soundcrush lost him.

The last two Christmases are both good reasons to take a break from familiar traditions and focus on the here and now in a totally different place. There are also two more immediate reasons to party hard down under.

Number One, we are celebrating Kat's college graduation. I'm so proud of my little sister, who worked hard and graduated early. When we get back she's starting her new job as Executive Director of the Loving Marcs Foundation, and no one will be better at philanthropy. I've actually learned so much from her over the years, and she's a valuable member of the Sweet Child of Mine Board. So her big professional step forward is a huge thing to celebrate proudly.

The second good reason to lay low down under is Leed is trying to keep me far away from the American press, after his massive foot-in-mouth that made me cry on national tv.

It happened at the red carpet premiere of the Legacy documentary.

Legacy isn't just a performance cut. It's movie that documents a lot of Soundcrush's history and personal relationships. There were tons of interviews and raw footage, and the band didn't exactly know how the piece would be shaped until the previewing of the final cut. We all thought it would be a del Marco love fest, but it turned out that Kat and I featured heavily in the movie. I guess it's not surprising, considering the philanthropy work we do—which will definitely become part of Soundcrush's legacy.

The movie-makers especially focused in on Hogarcito. The entire SCIC went to Costa Rica when Laurie's new facility opened last year. But that's on the backstory to the most important thing that happened on that trip that was captured in the documentary.

There's a whole segment about Adam being the person to find a newborn left on the doorstep of the facility.

I was actually thrilled that the film-makers captured the moment that happened several days later, when Adam looked down at Mac, who had been caring for the baby boy non-stop, and said, "Shortcake, I felt it the moment I pulled him from that basket. I know you feel it, too. He's our son. Let's figure out how to bring him home."