We played our first show in two months and nothing caught on fire. Ocala was presented a 7 song setlist consisting of only 2 songs from "Sarcasm" and the rest of the tunes were tunes that will be on our record. They were even the first people to hear 2 brand new songs as well! Bert and I almost saw our dooms! We played a dark stage that loomed several feet above the ground. Bert was positioned dangerously to the left of the stage and whilst rocking out, nearly slipped off the stage. He was saved by the arms of Mike from Hey Nice Guy. During the breakdown of our final song, Girl Like Her, I decided to once again climb the amps and got some crazy air with guitar in tow. When I landed I somehow managed to wrap my leg around a mic cable and I also began to topple off the stage in the same direction Bert had. Once again, Mike from Hey Nice Guy was there to keep me afloat and injury free. The crowd was very receptive to the new songs (if clapping and yelling when a song is over is considered "receptive") and overall it was a good show even though the crowd was sparse. It was the ideal way to present new material to people who actually listen to our songs. The other bands were quite good. It was my first time seeing Mashlin in years and Hey Nice Guy was fantastic as always.
We didn't get lost in Ocala this time around (we're finally starting to understand it) but it's nearly impossible to find any cheap food within the downtown area. Our fans brought us 100 sugar cookies to keep us going, and it's always nice to get baked goods. They ensure that we stay alive long enough to get back to their town eventually.
This show was to help us shake off some rust and I think we're quite ready for our next show on Sunday evening with Rory, Fallen From the Sky, and My Getaway at Back Booth in Orlando. Again we'll dish out the new tunes to an unsuspecting crowd of folks who probably don't listen to us... yet.
As far as the record goes, Travis is really hoping to have the mixing done this week and I'm looking forward to hearing some of the changes that he has made and taunted me with.
It's getting to the point where I've started to think more and more about which single to push from this record, titles, artwork, and tracklistings. All the nitty gritty details that have to be thought out before the thing even goes to press.
I've also started to make a list of ways to really promote this thing and get the word out there. Thankfully, I have quite a lengthy list, it's just a matter of making things happen. I really don't care for doing interviews because in the past they have all been generally terrible experiences, but if we can get to the right people, we might be able to say something decent.
We'll so the typical targeting of the radio, web, and press and hope for the best!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Mix #2
A few nights ago I went to see the Wizard...er... Travis to get an update on the mixing process. Poor guy probably hasn't slept since we finished tracking. He had done a crazy amount of work in a very short period of time. I admire his dedication. I got a quick update on the changes and edits he had made to the songs and things are really sounding quite good. No... wait.. amazing.
I walked out of there with updated versions of 7 tracks. Some have come a long way just since I last heard them. One of the songs was pretty much a finished product and sounded exactly like what I heard in my head. I'm so happy with how these are shaping up.
He's aiming to have everything complete by the weekend and hopefully by next week we will have gotten everything right where we want it to be. Then we're on to Mastering and Artwork, and Duplication!
Slowly but surely we're heading in the right direction.
There's really no telling when you'll be hearing tracks from the record, but it will probably be after we've chosen a "single" to push via the internet.
This record is really shaping up to be everything we wish the last record was and we owe Travis so much for being both an awesome producer and mentor to us throughout.
We'll be playing in Ocala, FL this weekend and we still have a lot to do, so I am off to band practice so that we sound awesome.
Cheers!
I walked out of there with updated versions of 7 tracks. Some have come a long way just since I last heard them. One of the songs was pretty much a finished product and sounded exactly like what I heard in my head. I'm so happy with how these are shaping up.
He's aiming to have everything complete by the weekend and hopefully by next week we will have gotten everything right where we want it to be. Then we're on to Mastering and Artwork, and Duplication!
Slowly but surely we're heading in the right direction.
There's really no telling when you'll be hearing tracks from the record, but it will probably be after we've chosen a "single" to push via the internet.
This record is really shaping up to be everything we wish the last record was and we owe Travis so much for being both an awesome producer and mentor to us throughout.
We'll be playing in Ocala, FL this weekend and we still have a lot to do, so I am off to band practice so that we sound awesome.
Cheers!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Record, records, and shows.
What's happening with our record you ask?
It's being mixed. Check back in a month.
I visited with Travis a few days ago to listen in on the mixing progress. He's currently in the editing/mixing phase which is always the most time consuming. Tweaks are currently being made to parts of songs that were not either 100% perfect or just needed some additional flair.
Here's an interesting tidbit... we actually have Travis doing quite a bit of programming on songs, so don't be surprised if you hear things that might be considered.... dare I say... electronic. It'll be awesome, I promise.
Second... there are a few records that were recently released that I'm highly enjoying. Pick these up:
The Academy Is... - Santi
I loved this bands first record. I played it over and over in my car on a cassette that I made and then the tape melted and I kind of forgot about them for a while. The band is back with a brand new record and some slick production. Everything is bigger and better sounding this time around. The band takes more of a straight ahead rock and roll approach this time around, but most songs still have the flair that you expect from the band. My only complaints about this record would be that A.) The lyrical content this time around is a little more vague and unrelateable. Most of the time, I have no clue what the dude's singing about. B.) The good songs on this record are GOOD and the bad songs are downright bad. There's not a lot of middle ground. But on the bright side, there are only 2-3 tracks I find myself skipping.
Standout tracks include: Same Blood / Neighbors / Seed
Limbeck - Self Titled
Limbeck is one of those bands where I will listen to and love everything that they release, so in my eyes they can do no wrong. This album keeps the alt-country tunes coming. All the instrumentation is phenomenal and each song tells a great story and provides great mental imagery. My only complaint about this record is that it's just more of the same. I believe they still have a lot of ground to cover as a band, and I can't wait to see them mature a bit more.
Standout tracks include: Trouble / Big Drag / Let's Get Crazy
Now I'm going to ramble a bit about shows.
When it comes to shows that we are involved with, we'll be playing the next 2 weekends. It's time we got back in the swing of this live show stuff considering we haven't been on a stage since mid-February!
We've been practicing whenever possible to try and shake off the rust and we'll see just how things go next Saturday when we return to Ocala, FL to play at the Capitol. We had a blast playing there last time to a packed house and are looking forward to doing it again!
Joining us will be our buds Hey Nice Guy, some touring act, and the 111 Records band, Mashlin. We're systematically befriending all the 111 Records bands it seems.
The following week we're getting to play an awesome all ages shows at Back Booth in Orlando with our pals (also on the 111 Records roster) Rory and the bands Fallen From the Sky and My Getaway. This might be the first show where we've played with all of the bands before.
This is also a huge month for going to see shows. This Friday is Brand New at House of Blues followed by Piebald at The Social on Sunday. The next Saturday, Limbeck is hitting up The Social as well. Good month for music!
Lastly, I just want to make known that writer Kurt Vonnegut died today. He wrote some fantastic books that you probably won't understand. They are way funny though if you're a bit off and have little to no morals.
Pick up Slaughterhouse-Five, Breakfast of Champions or Slapstick for some old fashioned social commentary covered up with shallow characters and bad metaphors.
Who am I kidding.
No one reads anymore.
More record news coming soon!
It's being mixed. Check back in a month.
I visited with Travis a few days ago to listen in on the mixing progress. He's currently in the editing/mixing phase which is always the most time consuming. Tweaks are currently being made to parts of songs that were not either 100% perfect or just needed some additional flair.
Here's an interesting tidbit... we actually have Travis doing quite a bit of programming on songs, so don't be surprised if you hear things that might be considered.... dare I say... electronic. It'll be awesome, I promise.
Second... there are a few records that were recently released that I'm highly enjoying. Pick these up:
The Academy Is... - Santi
I loved this bands first record. I played it over and over in my car on a cassette that I made and then the tape melted and I kind of forgot about them for a while. The band is back with a brand new record and some slick production. Everything is bigger and better sounding this time around. The band takes more of a straight ahead rock and roll approach this time around, but most songs still have the flair that you expect from the band. My only complaints about this record would be that A.) The lyrical content this time around is a little more vague and unrelateable. Most of the time, I have no clue what the dude's singing about. B.) The good songs on this record are GOOD and the bad songs are downright bad. There's not a lot of middle ground. But on the bright side, there are only 2-3 tracks I find myself skipping.
Standout tracks include: Same Blood / Neighbors / Seed
Limbeck - Self Titled
Limbeck is one of those bands where I will listen to and love everything that they release, so in my eyes they can do no wrong. This album keeps the alt-country tunes coming. All the instrumentation is phenomenal and each song tells a great story and provides great mental imagery. My only complaint about this record is that it's just more of the same. I believe they still have a lot of ground to cover as a band, and I can't wait to see them mature a bit more.
Standout tracks include: Trouble / Big Drag / Let's Get Crazy
Now I'm going to ramble a bit about shows.
When it comes to shows that we are involved with, we'll be playing the next 2 weekends. It's time we got back in the swing of this live show stuff considering we haven't been on a stage since mid-February!
We've been practicing whenever possible to try and shake off the rust and we'll see just how things go next Saturday when we return to Ocala, FL to play at the Capitol. We had a blast playing there last time to a packed house and are looking forward to doing it again!
Joining us will be our buds Hey Nice Guy, some touring act, and the 111 Records band, Mashlin. We're systematically befriending all the 111 Records bands it seems.
The following week we're getting to play an awesome all ages shows at Back Booth in Orlando with our pals (also on the 111 Records roster) Rory and the bands Fallen From the Sky and My Getaway. This might be the first show where we've played with all of the bands before.
This is also a huge month for going to see shows. This Friday is Brand New at House of Blues followed by Piebald at The Social on Sunday. The next Saturday, Limbeck is hitting up The Social as well. Good month for music!
Lastly, I just want to make known that writer Kurt Vonnegut died today. He wrote some fantastic books that you probably won't understand. They are way funny though if you're a bit off and have little to no morals.
Pick up Slaughterhouse-Five, Breakfast of Champions or Slapstick for some old fashioned social commentary covered up with shallow characters and bad metaphors.
Who am I kidding.
No one reads anymore.
More record news coming soon!
Friday, April 06, 2007
The Rough
This past Wednesday was my birthday (Yeah, thanks for all the cards) and it was a heck of a good day. Not only did I get to eat a lot of good food and take it generally easy throughout the day, but I grabbed some lunch with Travis and he provided me with a rough cut of our record. Really rough.
We needed something to reference so we could pick up additional parts that we added during the recording process, but it's awesome to be able to hear the songs that we put so much into. I'm still very excited to hear the finished product, but there's a whole bunch of tunes that sound fantastic even in their rough state. Again, the finished product should be pretty killer.
I've listened back through all 12 tracks numerous times, and I know the rest of the band has been doing the same. There's still work to be done and Travis has been working dilligently on these tracks. The drums sound much bigger than they did and I'm looking forward to hearing the same magic all over the rest of the instruments.
A few of the NEW songs are sounding awesome. Those are going to be exciting to release.
It's about that time for us to begin playing live again!
We booked our first show in almost two months for the end of April. Our buddies in the band Rory asked us to open for them at an all ages show taking place at Back Booth in Orlando on Sunday, April 29th. The show will also feature our old pals My Getaway.
It'll be a great way for us to get back up on stage. We're a little out of practice. It'll be a lot of fun putting together a brand new setlist. Over the last 5 or 6 months we had basically been playing the same setlist, just in a different order. Out of the 7 songs on our "Sarcasm" EP, it had gotten to the point where we were only playing maybe 4 of those songs live, but now we have an additional 12 to choose from making things way more interesting!
We're going to begin incorporating more and more new material into the live shows to (hopefully) build some excitement for the new record.
It'll give a little more focus to our practices, at least.
We're still waiting to hear if/when we'll be showcasing at this year's Florida Music Festival so we'll be sure to make that announcement as soon as we hear something.
If we hear something. You never know.
Things are slowly kicking back up and I'm ready for it! Playing on a stage beats playing in our kitchen any day of the week.
We're still aiming for the record to be released in June, so watch for plenty of dates to pop up around then!
Tonight is record celebration #2!
We needed something to reference so we could pick up additional parts that we added during the recording process, but it's awesome to be able to hear the songs that we put so much into. I'm still very excited to hear the finished product, but there's a whole bunch of tunes that sound fantastic even in their rough state. Again, the finished product should be pretty killer.
I've listened back through all 12 tracks numerous times, and I know the rest of the band has been doing the same. There's still work to be done and Travis has been working dilligently on these tracks. The drums sound much bigger than they did and I'm looking forward to hearing the same magic all over the rest of the instruments.
A few of the NEW songs are sounding awesome. Those are going to be exciting to release.
It's about that time for us to begin playing live again!
We booked our first show in almost two months for the end of April. Our buddies in the band Rory asked us to open for them at an all ages show taking place at Back Booth in Orlando on Sunday, April 29th. The show will also feature our old pals My Getaway.
It'll be a great way for us to get back up on stage. We're a little out of practice. It'll be a lot of fun putting together a brand new setlist. Over the last 5 or 6 months we had basically been playing the same setlist, just in a different order. Out of the 7 songs on our "Sarcasm" EP, it had gotten to the point where we were only playing maybe 4 of those songs live, but now we have an additional 12 to choose from making things way more interesting!
We're going to begin incorporating more and more new material into the live shows to (hopefully) build some excitement for the new record.
It'll give a little more focus to our practices, at least.
We're still waiting to hear if/when we'll be showcasing at this year's Florida Music Festival so we'll be sure to make that announcement as soon as we hear something.
If we hear something. You never know.
Things are slowly kicking back up and I'm ready for it! Playing on a stage beats playing in our kitchen any day of the week.
We're still aiming for the record to be released in June, so watch for plenty of dates to pop up around then!
Tonight is record celebration #2!
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Monday, April 02, 2007
The Aftermath
I must say that I'm actually scared to write in this thing anymore. For one, I feel like I have nothing of interest to say now that our part of the record has been completed. For two, if I do keep talking about the album, then I'm afraid that I might say something that I will regret. Perhaps I'll accidentally drop a few song names. Perhaps my fingers might wander and leak some album title ideas. Who knows, I might even be tempted to release an MP3 or two.
In reality, I'm an adult and have full control over my actions... I'M JUST SO EXCITED!
Last night we had our first practice in eight years.
Okay, so it wasn't really eight years... maybe 2 and a half weeks is a better guestimate.
Anyway, we plowed through the songs in their newest incarnations. We still have plenty of work ahead of ourselves, but things flowed pretty well for the most part.
It's rough when we don't actually have a copy of the record yet, so there are changes we made that I'm sure we forgot about. I know I changed a lot of lyrics and the way they were sung, but until I can sit down and listen over and over, I'm just going to bumble my way through.
This record is really big on the vocal end. Lots of harmonies and big gang vocals. The rest of the band is going to have to step up to the mics in the coming weeks.
Hopefully this week Travis will have something for us to listen to. I'm getting antsy again. I used to hear these songs everyday for hours and hours straight, and now that I can't hear them, I REALLY want to.
As far as album titles, track listings, and artwork ideas... these are all yet to be discussed. So much of that stuff is really going to depend on the songs themselves. I feel like if we cooked up a record title right now, we'd probably just change it later anyway. These songs have to direct us where to go. For the album cover, we can't just grab a paintbrush and fill the canvas with an image of a Sorcerer battling a Dragon. It just won't work!
Here's my one promise to everyone:
This record will have the lyrics inside.
That's my #1 stipulation.
I finally got a bit more work done on the video that I promised to be done with weeks ago. It's very close to being complete!
Does anyone even care?
More news when we have news!
In reality, I'm an adult and have full control over my actions... I'M JUST SO EXCITED!
Last night we had our first practice in eight years.
Okay, so it wasn't really eight years... maybe 2 and a half weeks is a better guestimate.
Anyway, we plowed through the songs in their newest incarnations. We still have plenty of work ahead of ourselves, but things flowed pretty well for the most part.
It's rough when we don't actually have a copy of the record yet, so there are changes we made that I'm sure we forgot about. I know I changed a lot of lyrics and the way they were sung, but until I can sit down and listen over and over, I'm just going to bumble my way through.
This record is really big on the vocal end. Lots of harmonies and big gang vocals. The rest of the band is going to have to step up to the mics in the coming weeks.
Hopefully this week Travis will have something for us to listen to. I'm getting antsy again. I used to hear these songs everyday for hours and hours straight, and now that I can't hear them, I REALLY want to.
As far as album titles, track listings, and artwork ideas... these are all yet to be discussed. So much of that stuff is really going to depend on the songs themselves. I feel like if we cooked up a record title right now, we'd probably just change it later anyway. These songs have to direct us where to go. For the album cover, we can't just grab a paintbrush and fill the canvas with an image of a Sorcerer battling a Dragon. It just won't work!
Here's my one promise to everyone:
This record will have the lyrics inside.
That's my #1 stipulation.
I finally got a bit more work done on the video that I promised to be done with weeks ago. It's very close to being complete!
Does anyone even care?
More news when we have news!
Friday, March 30, 2007
Recording: Day 14
I lost track of days and ended up a bit behind. As usual.
So guess what?
WE ARE FINISHED RECORDING!
We wrapped on Wednesday night after I finished up vocals for the last 2 songs. Afterwards we sat down and listened through all 12 tracks in their rawest form to make sure we had not forgotten anything.
It was amazing to hear all of our work blast through the speakers. 22 days of hard work and stress came out in musical form and couldn't have been better. We're all very excited to get the final mixes in our hands, but we also know that Travis's job is just beginning. He has to sit down and listen to these songs over and over to get them perfect. I said this a few other times, but these songs are HUGE!
In my opinion, the "Sarcasm" EP was very one dimensional due to time and budget constraints. This record is three times fuller and the life and personality just seeps out of the songs. I'm very proud of all my bandmates for their hard work and dedication to this project. At some point or another we all pushed ourselves to our limits and at the same time we were always there to lend support and to give words of encouragement. I'm thankful to Travis for taking on this project as well. Knowing him, he could have worked with anyone that he wanted to, and he chose us. It makes us feel good to know he believes in this record as much as we do and wants it to be as amazing as we do. What more could we ask for?
Last night, which was Thursday, we spent the evening loading out all the gear we used for the record. The amps, guitars, console, and loads and loads of cables were all piled into our van and returned to Travis. It was a little sad to see things go, but I know that JoAnna was happy to have her room back. She wasn't even able to sleep in her room for this process. Kudos to her for sticking it out and making the most of the situation.
Over the next few weeks we now have to go back and re-learn a lot of the new parts that we added during the recording process. It's going to be fun getting everything tight so that we can replicate what will be on the CD into a live show that holds up.
We'll rehearse through most of April and pick up shows where we can, but due to this schedule along with various vacations happening through May, we might not hit the stage til the Florida Music Festival happening May 16-20.
It's all up in the air right now, but we need the time to get our heads on straight, get back into playing together as a band, and making the extra cash so we can put this record out ourselves.
Tomorrow night we're going to throw a small celebratory bash in honor of our CD being 100% recorded and then over the next few weeks we'll be checking in with Travis from time to to hear the mixes as they progress. Once we find the point where everyone is 100% happy with how things are sounding, we'll get that sucker mastered and sent off to the presses.
Please keep an eye on this blog as we'll be releasing the title of the record (once we have it) and a tracklisting of all the jams which will fill it out.
Lastly, here are some photos from the last few days of recording that I took on my new phone. They're kind of lame, and I apologize for that.
The mixing console and effects racks in our makeshift control room.
This is the bathroom where I sang all my vocals. That is the microphone I spit all over.
These are the guitar and bass amps that you will hear all over our album.
Sweet tones derived from these monsters. They do not belong to us. We are not that cool.
Travis, Doug, Bert, and JoAnna take a break from recording to play some Tetris attack. Everyone else was good at it except for me.
Thanks for checking in throughout the process, and please keep coming back for more updates.
It's been a blast!
So guess what?
WE ARE FINISHED RECORDING!
We wrapped on Wednesday night after I finished up vocals for the last 2 songs. Afterwards we sat down and listened through all 12 tracks in their rawest form to make sure we had not forgotten anything.
It was amazing to hear all of our work blast through the speakers. 22 days of hard work and stress came out in musical form and couldn't have been better. We're all very excited to get the final mixes in our hands, but we also know that Travis's job is just beginning. He has to sit down and listen to these songs over and over to get them perfect. I said this a few other times, but these songs are HUGE!
In my opinion, the "Sarcasm" EP was very one dimensional due to time and budget constraints. This record is three times fuller and the life and personality just seeps out of the songs. I'm very proud of all my bandmates for their hard work and dedication to this project. At some point or another we all pushed ourselves to our limits and at the same time we were always there to lend support and to give words of encouragement. I'm thankful to Travis for taking on this project as well. Knowing him, he could have worked with anyone that he wanted to, and he chose us. It makes us feel good to know he believes in this record as much as we do and wants it to be as amazing as we do. What more could we ask for?
Last night, which was Thursday, we spent the evening loading out all the gear we used for the record. The amps, guitars, console, and loads and loads of cables were all piled into our van and returned to Travis. It was a little sad to see things go, but I know that JoAnna was happy to have her room back. She wasn't even able to sleep in her room for this process. Kudos to her for sticking it out and making the most of the situation.
Over the next few weeks we now have to go back and re-learn a lot of the new parts that we added during the recording process. It's going to be fun getting everything tight so that we can replicate what will be on the CD into a live show that holds up.
We'll rehearse through most of April and pick up shows where we can, but due to this schedule along with various vacations happening through May, we might not hit the stage til the Florida Music Festival happening May 16-20.
It's all up in the air right now, but we need the time to get our heads on straight, get back into playing together as a band, and making the extra cash so we can put this record out ourselves.
Tomorrow night we're going to throw a small celebratory bash in honor of our CD being 100% recorded and then over the next few weeks we'll be checking in with Travis from time to to hear the mixes as they progress. Once we find the point where everyone is 100% happy with how things are sounding, we'll get that sucker mastered and sent off to the presses.
Please keep an eye on this blog as we'll be releasing the title of the record (once we have it) and a tracklisting of all the jams which will fill it out.
Lastly, here are some photos from the last few days of recording that I took on my new phone. They're kind of lame, and I apologize for that.
The mixing console and effects racks in our makeshift control room.
This is the bathroom where I sang all my vocals. That is the microphone I spit all over.
These are the guitar and bass amps that you will hear all over our album.
Sweet tones derived from these monsters. They do not belong to us. We are not that cool.
Travis, Doug, Bert, and JoAnna take a break from recording to play some Tetris attack. Everyone else was good at it except for me.
Thanks for checking in throughout the process, and please keep coming back for more updates.
It's been a blast!
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Recording: Day 13
My stress level has been all over the place as of late. I want nothing but great things for this record and I'm feeling pretty good that it will meet and exceed my expectations by leaps and bounds. Having Travis around has taught us all so much. We've approached these newer songs way differently than we may have otherwise and it's opened up our ears and minds to new ideas. Having a producer is one thing, but having a producer who has written some records that I spin on a regular basis and thoroughly enjoy is another.
Personally, I've learned quite a lot about tones, sounds, vocals, melodies, harmonies and... "moxy".
I know that when it comes time to start writing again I will be approaching things way differently and keep a much more open mind than in the past. I'm very excited to see where this record takes us and even more excited to write the next chapter.
Last night I finished up vocals for two more tracks leaving us with just two more to finish. I get more and more excited with each session that we do. Most indie records take about two weeks to finish and tonight we'll crack the 14 day mark, so by all accounts we're really on track even with most of us working full time jobs.
Like I mentioned in yesterday's blog, we should have a guest vocalist coming in tonight and I can't wait to tell you about that after it happens.
Two more songs, a few handclaps and shakers, and we can call it a wrap!
Personally, I've learned quite a lot about tones, sounds, vocals, melodies, harmonies and... "moxy".
I know that when it comes time to start writing again I will be approaching things way differently and keep a much more open mind than in the past. I'm very excited to see where this record takes us and even more excited to write the next chapter.
Last night I finished up vocals for two more tracks leaving us with just two more to finish. I get more and more excited with each session that we do. Most indie records take about two weeks to finish and tonight we'll crack the 14 day mark, so by all accounts we're really on track even with most of us working full time jobs.
Like I mentioned in yesterday's blog, we should have a guest vocalist coming in tonight and I can't wait to tell you about that after it happens.
Two more songs, a few handclaps and shakers, and we can call it a wrap!
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Recording: Day 12
Let me think a second... how many songs do we have completed for the record?
8 SONGS DONE!
That's right, folks we are now down to the final four tunes. Tonight I plan to wrestle my way through two more and then we'll be sharing some ideas on the final tune that is pretty bare bones at this point. Tomorrow during the day, Travis and JoAnna will take those ideas and coordinate some drums. I know that I've said this 100 times throughout the journal here, but we are not sure which direction this song will take so it's a bit of experiementation on all of our parts. It will be... interesting, to say the least.
Tomorrow evening we're planning to have a guest vocalist come in to lend his pipes to our record. We're not exactly sure where it's going to fit in, or what exactly will happen, but we shall experiement until everything is perfect or at least listenable. More on that after it actually happens. It will be cool. I hope.
So as usual, it's all work and no play, but things are surely coming together nicely. Travis is a vocals kind of guy so we've gotten to toss a lot of great ideas back and fourth. He's been a joy to work with, through and through.
We're all very anxious to get back to playing shows ASAP, so hopefully in May we'll be able to line up a few and we're pretty certain that we'll be showcasing at this year's Florida Music Festival as well.
We hope to have something for you to hear before too long, so keep those ears on alert!
8 SONGS DONE!
That's right, folks we are now down to the final four tunes. Tonight I plan to wrestle my way through two more and then we'll be sharing some ideas on the final tune that is pretty bare bones at this point. Tomorrow during the day, Travis and JoAnna will take those ideas and coordinate some drums. I know that I've said this 100 times throughout the journal here, but we are not sure which direction this song will take so it's a bit of experiementation on all of our parts. It will be... interesting, to say the least.
Tomorrow evening we're planning to have a guest vocalist come in to lend his pipes to our record. We're not exactly sure where it's going to fit in, or what exactly will happen, but we shall experiement until everything is perfect or at least listenable. More on that after it actually happens. It will be cool. I hope.
So as usual, it's all work and no play, but things are surely coming together nicely. Travis is a vocals kind of guy so we've gotten to toss a lot of great ideas back and fourth. He's been a joy to work with, through and through.
We're all very anxious to get back to playing shows ASAP, so hopefully in May we'll be able to line up a few and we're pretty certain that we'll be showcasing at this year's Florida Music Festival as well.
We hope to have something for you to hear before too long, so keep those ears on alert!
Monday, March 26, 2007
Recording: Day 11
Yesterday was possibly the longest day of my life.
I had to get myself to work at 5:30am and didn't get home til 5:30pm.
We had decided to take a week or regain our composure and opted to kick back up this week to (hopefully) finish up the record. We've put ourselves on a bit of a time crunch, but deadlines create results. I hope they are good ones.
I spent all of last night in the vocal bathroom belting out extremely high notes to the microphone, the shower, and possibly the neighbors.
I had spent the entire day on my feet and talking so I'll admit to not being in prime singing condition. However, we finished up yet another tune! I believe that brings our total number of songs complete to six. Halfway through vocals!
The evening was dedicated to a song that I was never completely taken with, but it has done a complete 180 since it's conception. The drums are more driving, the bass walks nicely, the guitars shimmer, and now the vocals are sassy, sexy, and driven by some slick harmonies and a big chorus. It is slowly turning into a song that I find to be listenable. I'm sure I will love it after it is mixed.
Tonight the rest of the band is headed into downtown Orlando to see Rory at The Social while I stay home and sing. Sacrifices must be made, y'know?
I'm hoping to get through another song or two this evening and have something to show the rest of the band when they get back. We already wrapped up (what's looking to be) my favorite song for the record, but there are some others coming up that I think are phenomenal as well.
Also - I still have video that I'm editing. It ended up being quite lengthy, so it's just taking a little longer than expected.
Take care!
I had to get myself to work at 5:30am and didn't get home til 5:30pm.
We had decided to take a week or regain our composure and opted to kick back up this week to (hopefully) finish up the record. We've put ourselves on a bit of a time crunch, but deadlines create results. I hope they are good ones.
I spent all of last night in the vocal bathroom belting out extremely high notes to the microphone, the shower, and possibly the neighbors.
I had spent the entire day on my feet and talking so I'll admit to not being in prime singing condition. However, we finished up yet another tune! I believe that brings our total number of songs complete to six. Halfway through vocals!
The evening was dedicated to a song that I was never completely taken with, but it has done a complete 180 since it's conception. The drums are more driving, the bass walks nicely, the guitars shimmer, and now the vocals are sassy, sexy, and driven by some slick harmonies and a big chorus. It is slowly turning into a song that I find to be listenable. I'm sure I will love it after it is mixed.
Tonight the rest of the band is headed into downtown Orlando to see Rory at The Social while I stay home and sing. Sacrifices must be made, y'know?
I'm hoping to get through another song or two this evening and have something to show the rest of the band when they get back. We already wrapped up (what's looking to be) my favorite song for the record, but there are some others coming up that I think are phenomenal as well.
Also - I still have video that I'm editing. It ended up being quite lengthy, so it's just taking a little longer than expected.
Take care!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Non-Recording: Day 1
Today is break day!!
We're getting a 2 day break to catch up on some sleep and not listen to our own music. It's much needed. It makes me smile though when even when we aren't making a record we're talking about it. Everyone here in camp ENY seems genuinely excited about getting this thing done and getting it out there even though we really don't want it to end. More vocals, harmonies, guitars, and handclaps are due in the future but I think we'll use the next couple days to just chill and catch up on our movie watching. I'll attempt to finish editing some video (if I can sit still long enough to focus) but most likely just be kind of lazy.
I have "Snakes on a Plane" on lease from Netflix and I am dying to watch it. I also want to see "300" sometime in the future. It comes highly recommended from Travis and everyone else I know who has seen it.
If anything exciting happens, rest assured that you will hear about it. I'm trying to book us a few shows for March, so keep an eye on that show listing.
Also, since I'm a bit behind on my music recommendations, here are a couple of records to check out!
Out Now:
Sherwood - A Different Light
A great new album from a great band. Please go get this record if you like music, life, and the world in general.
Out April 3, 2007:
Here are a few records being released on Bert's 22nd birthday!
Chevelle - Vena Sera
The Academy Is... - Santi
Out April 10, 2007:
Limbeck - Self Titled
This might be the only record of 2007 aside from ours that will matter.
Break!
We're getting a 2 day break to catch up on some sleep and not listen to our own music. It's much needed. It makes me smile though when even when we aren't making a record we're talking about it. Everyone here in camp ENY seems genuinely excited about getting this thing done and getting it out there even though we really don't want it to end. More vocals, harmonies, guitars, and handclaps are due in the future but I think we'll use the next couple days to just chill and catch up on our movie watching. I'll attempt to finish editing some video (if I can sit still long enough to focus) but most likely just be kind of lazy.
I have "Snakes on a Plane" on lease from Netflix and I am dying to watch it. I also want to see "300" sometime in the future. It comes highly recommended from Travis and everyone else I know who has seen it.
If anything exciting happens, rest assured that you will hear about it. I'm trying to book us a few shows for March, so keep an eye on that show listing.
Also, since I'm a bit behind on my music recommendations, here are a couple of records to check out!
Out Now:
Sherwood - A Different Light
A great new album from a great band. Please go get this record if you like music, life, and the world in general.
Out April 3, 2007:
Here are a few records being released on Bert's 22nd birthday!
Chevelle - Vena Sera
The Academy Is... - Santi
Out April 10, 2007:
Limbeck - Self Titled
This might be the only record of 2007 aside from ours that will matter.
Break!
Recording: Day 10
Tonight's session kicked off around 9pm. Even though I was a little late in getting there Doug was recording some acoustic guitar for the tune that we chose to rebuild.
He built a solid foundation for the tune and we'll prepare to build on it another night. We once again turned the bathroom into a vocal booth and dove into some more tunes. I got a little too frustrated on the song we chose to start off with decided to find something a little more suited to the moment.
Myself, JoAnna, and Bert all ended up lending some vocal stylings to the track and by 1:00am we had something pretty solid. That's 5 songs finished. Doug bumps the percentage complete up into the 80% range.
Travis packed up some gear to get away from us crazies so he could do some mixing in peace. We'll get a short break and then hopefully kick up again on Thursday.
It was obvious that we needed a break simply because as we all sat around in the control room listening back to various parts we were totally reusing all the same jokes from previous days. We were all completely out of new material.
There's only so much verbal, mental, and airsoft gun abuse that people can take!
He built a solid foundation for the tune and we'll prepare to build on it another night. We once again turned the bathroom into a vocal booth and dove into some more tunes. I got a little too frustrated on the song we chose to start off with decided to find something a little more suited to the moment.
Myself, JoAnna, and Bert all ended up lending some vocal stylings to the track and by 1:00am we had something pretty solid. That's 5 songs finished. Doug bumps the percentage complete up into the 80% range.
Travis packed up some gear to get away from us crazies so he could do some mixing in peace. We'll get a short break and then hopefully kick up again on Thursday.
It was obvious that we needed a break simply because as we all sat around in the control room listening back to various parts we were totally reusing all the same jokes from previous days. We were all completely out of new material.
There's only so much verbal, mental, and airsoft gun abuse that people can take!
Monday, March 19, 2007
Recording: Day 9 redux
Last night we finished up vocals on yet another song.
4 TUNES IN THE BAG!
We turned one of the bathrooms in the house into a vocal booth by throwing towels everywhere to deaden the sound and then stuck a mic in front of me. At this point both Bert and JoAnna have contributed background vocals and things are sounding big, full, and harmonious.
Tonight we power into day number 10. So much for a break, eh?
Travis seems to want to get this thing done about as badly as we do (probably just so he can stop seeing us all the time), but we're anxious to get it done just as much.
We're still re-building one tune from scratch (it's almost there!) and I have to do vocals for 8 more songs. We're averaging about two tunes a day and hope to get through at least one more tonight since we won't get started until around 9pm.
I am still completely baffled by how hard it is to make a record.
More later!
4 TUNES IN THE BAG!
We turned one of the bathrooms in the house into a vocal booth by throwing towels everywhere to deaden the sound and then stuck a mic in front of me. At this point both Bert and JoAnna have contributed background vocals and things are sounding big, full, and harmonious.
Tonight we power into day number 10. So much for a break, eh?
Travis seems to want to get this thing done about as badly as we do (probably just so he can stop seeing us all the time), but we're anxious to get it done just as much.
We're still re-building one tune from scratch (it's almost there!) and I have to do vocals for 8 more songs. We're averaging about two tunes a day and hope to get through at least one more tonight since we won't get started until around 9pm.
I am still completely baffled by how hard it is to make a record.
More later!
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Recording: Day 9 - Part II
That's 3 songs in the BAG!
We are officially finished with 3 out of 12 songs. Fantastic.
Everytime we complete a tune, I get more excited.
I rounded out vocals for one of our newer tunes and then the rest of the band joined in for gang vocal madness. We've got some super big songs coming your way. I think I can perhaps bump up our percentage to 65% complete.
Ugh, I feel like I keep writing the exact same things a different way.
The recording is going amazing. It baffles me how much work has gone into making this record. Each person put all of their energy into making their parts the best they can be and I couldn't be more proud of my bandmates. Even though I sometimes spent six hours sitting in one place listening to the same song over and over I go to bed each night absolutely exhausted.
I'm a little sad that our sessions are winding down but we have more to do and I hope that it can be completed sooner than later.
We're about to take a quick break for dinner and then hopefully kick up with another round of vocals. I'm a singing MACHINE!
We are officially finished with 3 out of 12 songs. Fantastic.
Everytime we complete a tune, I get more excited.
I rounded out vocals for one of our newer tunes and then the rest of the band joined in for gang vocal madness. We've got some super big songs coming your way. I think I can perhaps bump up our percentage to 65% complete.
Ugh, I feel like I keep writing the exact same things a different way.
The recording is going amazing. It baffles me how much work has gone into making this record. Each person put all of their energy into making their parts the best they can be and I couldn't be more proud of my bandmates. Even though I sometimes spent six hours sitting in one place listening to the same song over and over I go to bed each night absolutely exhausted.
I'm a little sad that our sessions are winding down but we have more to do and I hope that it can be completed sooner than later.
We're about to take a quick break for dinner and then hopefully kick up with another round of vocals. I'm a singing MACHINE!
Recording: Day 9
Here's another quick update while we take a quick break...
We've been working on vocals all day. We officially have two songs finished at this point with one more whole tune to record. Today is our last day for these sessions and we'll likely take a week off and then resume a little later so that we can get both our passion and energy back.
It's coming along! Slowly but surely.
We've been working on vocals all day. We officially have two songs finished at this point with one more whole tune to record. Today is our last day for these sessions and we'll likely take a week off and then resume a little later so that we can get both our passion and energy back.
It's coming along! Slowly but surely.
Recording: Day 8
Just a quick update before I turn in for the night. It's about 1:30am right now and we just wrapped recording for the night. Today was by far one of the longest days for us.
Last night we started on the synthesizer side of things and got through 5 out of the 6 songs which utilize the high pitched squeels of joy. I actually had to take a step back and bust out an older synth and we used that on one of the tracks we finished up first thing this morning. After wrapping that up we headed back to the guitars and fixed up a few things and completely tackled one additional tune that we had yet to touch.
A little later into the evening we decided to start on vocals. I found myself in one of our bathrooms surrounded by towels and I belted through one song and that is now officially in the bag. I started on another song but it was getting pretty late so I only made it a few parts in. Tomorrow we'll finish up with that and hopefully toss a few more in the bag by the end of the day.
As things stand we have one songs COMPLETELY finished. Chances are that vocals will take a few more weeks to finish up as we have time. There's still one song that I've mentioned a few times that we were toying with. Travis wasn't thrilled with the original demo and we broke it down so we could rebuild. However, due to lots of overtime with the guitars I'm not sure if the song will be finished in time to be included in the record. It's a little hearbreaking since it was definitely one of my favorite songs and definitely one of the most personal. I'm not ruling it out yet, but 11 songs is better than 7, yes?
I started editing some additional footage today but since I was playing a more active roll in tonight's session (i.e. playing instruments or singing rather than sitting around bored out of my mind) that will be put on hold until I get a little more time to finish it up.
I hope that tomorrow will be very productive since it's the last day that we have scheduled right now. We'll let you know how things go and hopefully we can make a big dent in the tracks that we have yet to finish.
I'm so tired that my eyes are blurring.
To bed now. Sleep. Good.
Last night we started on the synthesizer side of things and got through 5 out of the 6 songs which utilize the high pitched squeels of joy. I actually had to take a step back and bust out an older synth and we used that on one of the tracks we finished up first thing this morning. After wrapping that up we headed back to the guitars and fixed up a few things and completely tackled one additional tune that we had yet to touch.
A little later into the evening we decided to start on vocals. I found myself in one of our bathrooms surrounded by towels and I belted through one song and that is now officially in the bag. I started on another song but it was getting pretty late so I only made it a few parts in. Tomorrow we'll finish up with that and hopefully toss a few more in the bag by the end of the day.
As things stand we have one songs COMPLETELY finished. Chances are that vocals will take a few more weeks to finish up as we have time. There's still one song that I've mentioned a few times that we were toying with. Travis wasn't thrilled with the original demo and we broke it down so we could rebuild. However, due to lots of overtime with the guitars I'm not sure if the song will be finished in time to be included in the record. It's a little hearbreaking since it was definitely one of my favorite songs and definitely one of the most personal. I'm not ruling it out yet, but 11 songs is better than 7, yes?
I started editing some additional footage today but since I was playing a more active roll in tonight's session (i.e. playing instruments or singing rather than sitting around bored out of my mind) that will be put on hold until I get a little more time to finish it up.
I hope that tomorrow will be very productive since it's the last day that we have scheduled right now. We'll let you know how things go and hopefully we can make a big dent in the tracks that we have yet to finish.
I'm so tired that my eyes are blurring.
To bed now. Sleep. Good.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Recording: Day 7 - Part II
So it's been quite the day. Quite a long day to be more specific. Doug and myself have been plugging away all day with the guitar side of the sonic spectrum. Yesterday we finished two songs and got ourselves halfway through two others. Today we riffed it up and I think as things stand right now we only have two more songs that have nothing as far as guitars. There are a few things we plan to revisit over the weekend, but right now it is late and we had to shut down the amps and plan to focus on something a bit quieter. We just made a quick trip to our favorite restaraunt, Ti'Juana Flats and have returned stuffed to the gills with mexican food goodness. Everyone is couch surfing for the moment while I our minds get refreshed and our stomachs settle.
For the remainder of the evening we'll either tackle acoustic guitar or Moog lines. I don't think we have decided as of yet.
When Doug was asked what percentage of the record was complete he responded with 60%. That sounds good to me. We're 60% done with our full length record. Some songs are shaping up nicely, others need work, and some even blew us away.
Have I mentioned lately how excited we are to release this?
Travis has been awesome to us and fits in very well with the crew. Our slightly askew brands of sarcasm mesh nicely and he likes to pick on Doug just as much as the rest of us.
It's been a heck of a day and I can't wait to update you more tomorrow. Soon we should have enough footage to post another video journal, so stayed tuned for that as long as I have time to do some quick editing.
Thanks for checking in!
For the remainder of the evening we'll either tackle acoustic guitar or Moog lines. I don't think we have decided as of yet.
When Doug was asked what percentage of the record was complete he responded with 60%. That sounds good to me. We're 60% done with our full length record. Some songs are shaping up nicely, others need work, and some even blew us away.
Have I mentioned lately how excited we are to release this?
Travis has been awesome to us and fits in very well with the crew. Our slightly askew brands of sarcasm mesh nicely and he likes to pick on Doug just as much as the rest of us.
It's been a heck of a day and I can't wait to update you more tomorrow. Soon we should have enough footage to post another video journal, so stayed tuned for that as long as I have time to do some quick editing.
Thanks for checking in!
midday mayhem
Hey guys,
JoAnna here. Just keeping updates and whatnot. We're halfway through day 7 of recording, and we're crankin' out the tunes like nobody's business. I know we keep saying it, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised to hear the revamped versions of some of our stuff. Guitarmonies galore! Anyway. It sounds awesome. We're still only about halfway through guitar parts, but the time and patience is well worth it, because we know this is going to sound great.
Some time is always spent picking on/beating up Doug, but that's everyday. We don't need to be recording for that to happen. For me anyway.
Eh, I'll leave this short and sweet. More to come later, I'm sure.
JoAnna here. Just keeping updates and whatnot. We're halfway through day 7 of recording, and we're crankin' out the tunes like nobody's business. I know we keep saying it, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised to hear the revamped versions of some of our stuff. Guitarmonies galore! Anyway. It sounds awesome. We're still only about halfway through guitar parts, but the time and patience is well worth it, because we know this is going to sound great.
Some time is always spent picking on/beating up Doug, but that's everyday. We don't need to be recording for that to happen. For me anyway.
Eh, I'll leave this short and sweet. More to come later, I'm sure.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Recording: Day 6 - Part II
Aaaaaaaaaand we're done for day numero six!
As I mentioned earlier, tonight was all about the guitars. Switching guitars, shaping tones, and playing really loudly through crazy amplifiers. Nothing better, right?
We spent a whole lot of time making sure that we're really happy with how everything sounds. Sound is important when making a record. Just so you know, this record is so far sounding amazing. One of the big reasons that we wanted to work with Travis in the first place was because his records always were so sonically pleasing. He's an advocate of big sounds and lots of layers. Remember that "Sarcasm" record? This record is going to sound 300 times bigger. Possibly 500 times bigger. There's no telling!
As far as guitars go, we finished up all the guitar parts on 2 tracks and I layed down rhythm guitar on 2 or 3 other songs. I honestly can't remember.
Our ears were starting to get tired so we decided to break for the night and resume tomorrow morning. We should be able to finish up 4 or 5 more songs tomorrow and then hammer through additional guitars, bass, and other instrumentation over the weekend.
While playing through tunes over the course of the day I realized how excited I am to start playing these songs at live shows. Sure, some of them we've been playing live for a while, but they have taken on completely new life and it's going to be exciting for everyone.
As a whole, this experience of working with Travis who is an all around fantastic musician, producer, and person is going to make us a stronger band. You'll see. Soon.
Tomorrow I shall update you again.
Until then...
As I mentioned earlier, tonight was all about the guitars. Switching guitars, shaping tones, and playing really loudly through crazy amplifiers. Nothing better, right?
We spent a whole lot of time making sure that we're really happy with how everything sounds. Sound is important when making a record. Just so you know, this record is so far sounding amazing. One of the big reasons that we wanted to work with Travis in the first place was because his records always were so sonically pleasing. He's an advocate of big sounds and lots of layers. Remember that "Sarcasm" record? This record is going to sound 300 times bigger. Possibly 500 times bigger. There's no telling!
As far as guitars go, we finished up all the guitar parts on 2 tracks and I layed down rhythm guitar on 2 or 3 other songs. I honestly can't remember.
Our ears were starting to get tired so we decided to break for the night and resume tomorrow morning. We should be able to finish up 4 or 5 more songs tomorrow and then hammer through additional guitars, bass, and other instrumentation over the weekend.
While playing through tunes over the course of the day I realized how excited I am to start playing these songs at live shows. Sure, some of them we've been playing live for a while, but they have taken on completely new life and it's going to be exciting for everyone.
As a whole, this experience of working with Travis who is an all around fantastic musician, producer, and person is going to make us a stronger band. You'll see. Soon.
Tomorrow I shall update you again.
Until then...
Recording: Days 5 & 6
So I totally missed a day. Oops.
Let's see if I can remember all the craziness I missed reporting on...
Yesterday was focused on recording all the bass parts for the record. Bert spent Tuesday and Wednesday hammering out parts for everything. Things were a little bumpy along the way but as of yesterday evening he had laid basic tracks down for everything and I think we're going to go back to a song or two and review them over the weekend.
That went fairly late into the evening and around 9pm we started with some acoustic guitar sounds and decided to tackle one of the tunes that we wanted to rework from the ground up.
We got some structure ideas down and tracked a few things but it was getting late and we decided it would be better left for another evening. We'll also be clunking out some additional drum and bass tracks for that at some point.
This brings us to today... Thursday. Doug and myself managed to get a few days off of work to bring guitars into the mix. We started early at 11:00 in the A.M. and we tracked guitar lines for two songs. So in five hours we did 2 songs. Sure, sounds like a long time, but the stuff we did record is pretty killer.
There were two songs that I wrote the same week we started tracking and we hammered those out first.
A lot of time was put into finding ideal sounds and tones.
We're about to kick up on song number 3 for the day, so more on this as it develops.
More crazy camera footage was captured last night, so expect more video soon!
Let's see if I can remember all the craziness I missed reporting on...
Yesterday was focused on recording all the bass parts for the record. Bert spent Tuesday and Wednesday hammering out parts for everything. Things were a little bumpy along the way but as of yesterday evening he had laid basic tracks down for everything and I think we're going to go back to a song or two and review them over the weekend.
That went fairly late into the evening and around 9pm we started with some acoustic guitar sounds and decided to tackle one of the tunes that we wanted to rework from the ground up.
We got some structure ideas down and tracked a few things but it was getting late and we decided it would be better left for another evening. We'll also be clunking out some additional drum and bass tracks for that at some point.
This brings us to today... Thursday. Doug and myself managed to get a few days off of work to bring guitars into the mix. We started early at 11:00 in the A.M. and we tracked guitar lines for two songs. So in five hours we did 2 songs. Sure, sounds like a long time, but the stuff we did record is pretty killer.
There were two songs that I wrote the same week we started tracking and we hammered those out first.
A lot of time was put into finding ideal sounds and tones.
We're about to kick up on song number 3 for the day, so more on this as it develops.
More crazy camera footage was captured last night, so expect more video soon!
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