By Heather Matthews
Staff Writer

Matt Farley is either insane or a genius, or a combination of both. In his role as lead songwriter of the quirky, acoustic, almost-folk, rock duo, Moes Haven, Farley has created countless hours of music, releasing 10 albums in only three years.

Matt Farley, of the band Moes Haven, plans on recording a song each day for a year. (Mirror/Heather Matthews)

“That’s our style of song writing – keep it going, nonstop, excess,” said Farley. “We want to write every song we possibly can before we are 30.”

In 2005, Moes Haven, staying with the more-is-more philosophy of the band, recorded a 24-hour-long album. But, the 24-hour album was just the beginning of Moes Haven’s music in excess. This year Farley and bandmate Tom Schalzo are determined to create 365 albums, one for each day of 2006.

“What do you do next after a 24-hour-long album?” he said.

Coming up with the concept for the project, during a conversation Farley had with a friend about Moes Haven’s 24-hourlong album, Farley knew he had to do it.

"We’ve released more than 10 albums in three years and there’s probably 30 albums we haven’t released. Now we’re just structuring that and taking it to the max," he said.

Moes Haven formed in 1996, when Farley and Schalzo met during their freshman year at Rhode Island’s Providence College. Although, not known as Moes Haven then – the band changed names with every CD release – Schalzo and Farley became more serious about their music during their senior year.

Using anything and everything they came across as inspiration for their songs, Moes Haven recorded for more than six hours at a time, creating endless discs of music.

Determined to record 365 albums this year, Moes Haven, officially started recording six months ago, building a bank of 36 albums. Those albums will be put aside in case Farley or Schalzo aren’t able to complete an album during one day. Each album will be 30 minutes long.

At the end of each month Moes Haven will release a “Best of” album on iTunes and CDbaby. com. Web sites Farely said have helped Moes Haven build up a small fan base.

“Well, I’m keeping my day job,” he said. “But, we’ve sold enough that we are surprised.”

Farley also has a less conventional way of building up his fanbase. He has traveled across country leaving an album of his band in every place he stopped – on a park bench, in the street, in a storefront.

Now, instead of taking road trips, Farley spends a lot of time on the Internet searching for addresses of people he has never met and didn’t even know existed. Packaging a CD and some information on the band together, Farley sends his unsuspecting audience an “Introduction to Moes Haven” in an envelope.

Originally, Farley started sending these introduction packages to radio stations, news papers, and record stores, but when he started to run out of those, he went on to send them to anyone who has an address listed on the Internet. To date, he’s sent out more than 3,000 CDs, mailing 20 a week since the inception of this plan.

“It really is a fun way to meet interesting people,” he said. “And before that the only people that heard my music were forced to listen to it.”

With more than eight days worth of music to record this year, Farley said the band won’t be performing any time soon.

On a good day, it takes a little more than 4 hours to record a 30-minute album, said Farley so for the next year their schedule is pretty filled. It’s just a matter of having song ideas. But, Farley said, no subject is too mundane for a song, not even pickle sandwiches or a newspaper interview.

Farley said Moes Haven will write songs for fans by request through e-mail and traditional mail.While he hasn’t had any trouble finding songs yet, on the band’s Web site, Farley has placed a call for all song ideas to help the band through this 365-day recording session, giving fans his e-mail address and personal cell phone number.

For more information on Moes Haven, visit www.moeshaven.com.