Neglect

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I've been busy this month doing non-musical things. Work, Christmas parties, family visits, etc etc etc...

I've been making eyes at my Telecasters, and I think they've been winking back at me. I'll let this flirtation run for the next couple of weeks, but I'm sure we'll be hooking up soon.


C'mon baby, we could make beautiful music together. Or at least rush through a few bars...

Naive

The first week of January 2005 I got dumped. It was actually the only time in 35 years that it's happened to me, and it was crushing.
That first Saturday night, I hid at home alone and got really drunk. I remember waking up Sunday, and opening another bottle of gin.

Wallowing in self-pitty, I sat at my keyboard and started hammering out the notes that made sense at the time. Stopping only to scribble my thoughts, everything melded to be 'Naive'. I think it took about an hour to write.

So drunk that I could barely stand up, I programmed a strange 9-bar drum pattern that would repeat throughout the verses, only omitting the 9th for choruses. I think it accurately portrayed the anger and frustration I felt at the time, while the piano expressed my sorrow and hurt.
The off-kilter guitar line at the end spoke of my disorientation (and tipsiness).

Within about 3 hours, Naive went from being a twinkle in the Bombay Sapphire to a written, arranged, recorded, and produced track already been posted online.
I tried to encompass the only relationship (at that point) that I had believed to potentially last a lifetime. That was the girl that made me realize that I could spend my life with one person. The abrupt end was an experience that I (thankfully) have never had to go through again.

Recreating the song for 'Overture', I felt guilty over-writing the original performances. Unfortunately in my drunken stupor I had deleted the files as soon as i posted, intent on keeping it pure.
So I redid the track, keeping only the original guitar performance that I found somewhere random on my PC. I wasn't able to sign with the same swagger or hurt inflecting, but maybe that's just a sign that I'm much better now. I can't completely reconnect with the Matt that wrote that in a near-suicidal plea to my self-conscious.

Naive
Thought I'd want to spend my life with you
Told me that you felt the same
I let you in, I dropped my guard, tore down my wall
It left me so Naive

Blaming no-one but myself for this
Malice never was your style
Here alone, I'll think about what I gave in
To make me so Naive

Never want to love again
You hurt too much to be my friend
Don't understand, I can't believe
You got this far, I'm so Naive

Faith in no-one but myself from now
Tarnished soul that I'll conceal
Humanity I'll never feel a kinship with
It left me so Naive

Never want to feel this way again
Dead and breathing, just the same
An open sore for all to see, I'll wear with pride
I'll never be Naive

Never want to love again
You hurt too much to be my friend
Don't understand, I can't believe
You got this far, I'm so Naive

Rushing Along on the Current

So "Overture" has started selling fairly well, and thanks to everyone buying.

Recording the album was a great pleasure. I really do love those songs and was happy to strip them down and put them into different poses.
Mixing the album was... interesting. I'm still learning how to do this properly, and in ways that suit me as opposed to "the industry." It took a lot of patience, trial-and-error, and care. I'm happy with the end result, i think I got it to around 95% of what I had wanted. That other 5% would only come from professional assistance, and I am happy to trade that off for the pride in it being a self-produced endeavor.
Mastering the album was more frustrating than interesting. Honestly, it's the part i like least. There's very little creativity, it's just adding that last little "sheen" to the project. Equalizing all the tracks so that they sound like one package (and not 11 isolated, random bits), compressing and controlling the volume, and such. Nitpicky, and not my thing at all.

I was happy to take a little time off after this job, but am now back to work! Aside from the batch of new songs I'm working on (title tbd), I also found a piece that I did a decade ago: I scored a play that ended up falling apart a couple of days prior to opening. A shitty script, but I really enjoyed the musical aspect. Along with writing and arranging the new songs, I am side-tracking to modernize, edit, and re-work this score. Who knows what it will become...

Musical Tangent/ Shameless Plug

My fiancee and I are saving up for our wedding next year, which means no holidays. However, the other day I discovered a contest for Hilton Mexico.

I had a very short time to write a song on why Kate deserves to win a vacation, make a video of it, and submit it to Hilton.

So as of Tuesday, you're able to watch the video, and if you like it
VOTE FOR ME HERE!!!
You can vote again daily, or more often if you run between internet cafes.


Enjoy the video, have a good laugh. it's kinda catchy too...






I'll be taking down loads of Triscuits and maple syrup, and returning with lots of bottles of Mescale, by the looks of it. hahaha

No Fun

Years ago, I played in a truly amazing band. However, like many creative teams, ours fell apart due to conflict within the group. Mainly myself and the drummer.
After a year of arguing, which really escalated in the last month, we went into the studio to record the latest album. Things were said, tempers flared, fists nearly flew.
I quit that night. One does need to put up with a certain amount of BS in life, but when you hit the wall you have to fix it. I remember the singer sitting at the mixing desk, head in hands, wondering what to do. "You learned so much with us," he said wanting me to reconsider. I had learned more with them in 3 years than in the decade prior, but it was irrelevant.
Unfortunately, even with our issues, the drummer and I had a great connection. We grew up with the same musical influences, and could read each other. We knew what the other was about to do, without usually discussing it.

We were a great band, i'm proud of the work we did, and I won't do it again. The weekend after quitting, I wrote No Fun:

No Fun,
I never hurt anybody but you
That’s the price of love
At least a love that’s true

I never used up anybody before
I’m a bastard I know
I never used up anyone
Until they were No Fun

No Fun,
Backed in a corner I let you fall
To your own disgrace
You still don’t see it at all
No Fun,
I didn’t mean it it’s what I do
To hold myself above
To protect me from you

I never used up anybody before
I’m a bastard I know
I never used up anyone
Until they were No Fun

No Fun,
Next to you everything went pale
Your ego ruled your world
Now you’re tired and oh-so stale

I never used up anybody before
I’m a bastard I know
I never used up anyone
Until they were No Fun

History Re-viewed

I don't know when this was - sometime between 2000 and 2003. Canadian Music Week, if I remember correctly.

Damn, I looked cool smoking on stage!
hahaha

Overture: The Greatest Unheard Hits

That's it! It's done!
Overture: The Greatest Unheard Hits is finally complete.
Songs that were written over the last decade, but I was never quite happy with them. Either the arrangement in the original (private) recording wasn't quite up to snuff, or there were a few lines that needed amending...
One morning I got up, and while waiting for the coffee pot to brew I picked up an acoustic guitar. Strumming what had always been a piano-based tune, I suddenly had the idea of recording my favourite songs with a bare-basic acoustic guitar/percussion setup. It obviously didn't stay that way, as Naive only has guitar in the lead while the song exits...
I'm really proud of these songs, and the way that they've evolved since being written. While not a cohesive group of songs like 'Reflecting', which was all about the failure of my marriage, 'Overture' is a handful of snapshots covering the hectic and strange past decade.

I finished mixing the disc on Tuesday, and spent Wednesday and Thursday mastering it. Once all the songs were EQ'd properly, and sounded like a cohesive unit, I burned to a CD.
Listening to the living room stereo, it was a little tinny. Listening on the bedroom stereo, it was a bit bassy (the exact opposite). Listening at my studio was fine - that's where I recorded and mixed the record. Putting it on my iPod, it was a little bassy. Not overpowering, but a little more than I'd wanted. I've left it a little too bassy - most people these days are listening to music on their computers, which cut out the lower frequencies. Hopefully my mix will compensate for that. If you like it, that's great. If it's too much bottom end for you, then shake your own.

So go ahead, and give it a trial here. The songs get clipped after 2 minutes, and to hear the full versions you'll need to buy them. I also have three of the tracks on Reverb Nation, with the full songs, but without download capability (in case you want to hear the surprise endings).

Enjoy!

Canadian Democracy

Did Axl Rose lose all his money along with his hairline (apparently he's got a weave)?
If so, did have to record Chinese Democracy in his home-studio? That album took 10 years to come out - it feels like my record is trudging along at a similar pace.

I've been extremely busy with night-school for the last month or so, so Overture has remained at about 95% complete. The mixes still need a little tweaking, but I haven't had a chance to address them. It's REALLY frustrating.
I'm constantly being asked when it will be completed, and I'm tired of having to say "soon."

I have thought of spending a grand to have a pro mix it, but I'm just worried that it wouldn't come back how I want it. That's why I'm doing this all myself: I write it, I record it, I perform it, I mix it... this way it'll end up what I want. Eventually. Adding another person, no matter how competent, adds another point of (mis)communication and opinion. And that's what I'm trying to avoid.

I've taken the next two weeks off work, and I'm counting on Overture being done by the end of next week.


Oh, and aside from the next album that's mostly written I'm also thinking about a total abberation: a techno project! Just for fun, to see if I can...

PS. I recently re-discovered Pulp's 'Different Class' album. Brilliant!

Mixing Holdups

Mixing Overture is turning out to be a bigger deal than I'd expected. Mixing 'Reflecting' took a weekend. Other albums I've worked on (granted we hired engineers and producers) took a long day or two at most.
Doing 'Overture' myself, things are different. Perhaps it's the more acoustic-guitar-based aspect? Perhaps it's the songs themselves, or the arrangement?

I've remixed four of the eleven tracks to a point I'm happy with. The other seven are about 90% done. I won't release it for public ears until I'm sure it's right. I guess that's the beauty of being indie - the only pressure is from my own need to do this.

No Fun and Porno are still up for your listening pleasure, but even they are on the Seven Left list (for minor EQ adjustments, mostly)!

****************************

On a tangent, I went to see U2 at the Rogers Centre last week. With Peter Gabriel, U2 was the only band left on my Must See list. And they were surprisingly mediocre.
They played a pretty good set list. They could never cover everybody's wants - there was no Bullet The Blue Sky, nothing from Zooropa, etc etc etc. But they played the usual favourites, and a few cool obscurities. The sound degenerated through the long set to the point where it was a blurry mush. Bono really is a fantastic frontman, the banter was rich. But I just found the show to be... lackluster. I'll be glad to get back to my live dvds of them.

Porno/ No Fun

I spent the long weekend tweaking the final mixes for Overture, and planned to master it at the same time.
Mastering is essentially adding an equalizer, compressor, and setting the volume so that each song sounds similar as a whole.

I got through Porno and No Fun quickly, excited to post a couple of tracks as soon as possible. Working for about 12 hours, I was happy to complete it. I sat back, lit a cigar, opened a beer, and played my music. It sounded awful - my ears had become fatigued, and I had to toss out the whole project. Hopefully I can complete the final 9 in the next 7-10 days.

But for now, have a peek at Porno and No Fun. The streaming is free, and once the whole album is done it'll be up for sale, similar to Reflecting The Broken Mirror.
Feel free to critique - the good and the bad!

And To Follow...

It's another summery long weekend, and you know what that means: MORE TIME IN THE STUDIO!!!

A couple more tweaks to the mix, finish adjusting the levels on Shadow, and it's off to Mastering. Then Overture: The Unheard Hits will see the light!
Hear the light? That doesn't make sense either...

Oh well. I'm off to earn some money to pay for the recordings.

Rebound/ MultiTracking

Gotta love multi-tracking.
In the old days, a musician or band would huddle around a microphone to record a live take, all in one go. This meant that you had to have the arrangement and all the parts decided beforehand, distances from the mic set to make the volume consistant, and if anyone screwed up you had to start all over again. Les Paul developed the multi-tracking system, where you could record something, and then play along with it to record another instrument on the same tape. For those not in-the-know, think of a cassette: four tracks. Side one - left, Side one - right, Side two - left, and Side two - right. If you could play them all at once, you'd hear Side One properly and Side Two backwards.
Dear Departed Les worked out a way where you could record all four tracks on the tape, and that would be your song. You could put the drums on one, the guitars on another, the vocals on a third, etc... Then, you could manipulate each track separately, adjusting volume for example.

In the 50s and early 60s, musicians used 4 tracks at most. The Beatles' Sgt.Pepper album was recorded on two 4-track machines wired together. It's an amazing example of ingenuity, recording such an intricate, grandiose album on something so limited.
In the 70s, engineers developed 24- and 48-track systems, giving the musicians many more options.

Now, with computers, we really do have unlimited track options. The only block we have is the RAM in our PCs. With this freedom, pop musicians often record instruments and ideas that never, ever make it onto the version you hear on the radio. I've seen video clips showing U2's producers (Daniel Lanois & Brian Eno) showcasing weird guitar and organ tracks that never made it to The Joshua Tree. I find that stuff fascinating.

And that's where my inspiration has come from this time. I was working on Porno, which is basically a heavy-drum/piano track. There area also a dozen guitar tracks going, some synthesized saxophone, etc etc etc, that were good but didn't fit the mix. So I was pleasantly surprised when I accidentally solo'd an acoustic guitar bashing through the verse.
I muted the piano and drums. I turned up the bongos and shakers. I manipulated what I'd recorded, and turned it into something else.

So now I have ELEVEN songs for the album. Along with Porno, the piano/drum version, I also now have Porno Guitar. This adrenaline rush also helped me finish Pop Song and Stormy Weather.
A couple of tweaks, and Shadow is all I've got left. I'm almost done, and back on track!

Are all artists this flaky?

Second Thoughts

Don't Fall For Me has been tracked, mixed, and is waiting to be mastered for final album completion.
No Fun has been tracked, mixed, and is waiting to be mastered for final album completion.
One Night Stand has been tracked, mixed, and is waiting to be mastered for final album completion.
Love Song has been tracked, mixed, and is waiting to be mastered for final album completion.
Let You Go has been tracked, mixed, and is waiting to be mastered for final album completion.
Naive has been tracked, mixed, and is waiting to be mastered for final album completion.
Pop Song has been tracked, and is almost done being mixed.
Porno has been tracked, and is almost done being mixed.
Shadow has been tracked.
Stormy Weather has been tracked.

I've been in this position for the last 3 weeks or so, for two reasons. Reason #1 is that I got engaged to my lovely girlfriend, and the excitement of her moving in combined with starting to plan the wedding has taken up all our time.
Reason #2 is that i'm starting to second-guess the songs. I like them, but I feel that I can do better. At what point do you show your cards? I do love these songs, but I feel that they're not quite 100%. Do I hold off and rework, possibly ad infinitum? Or do I just take the leap and release as they are?

Crack

Three years ago, I bought an amazing Takamine acoustic guitar on Ebay. Got an amazing deal too, about $600 off the MRSP, as it was a 'factory second'. That implies that there was some sort of imperfection, anything from a blemish in the woodgrain finish to the headstock falling off and being glued back on.
A couple of years ago, a friend was playing it and noticed a hairline crack in the finish. It was so small that I'd never noticed it before. That was probably what qualified it as a 'second'. No biggie, it still looked and sounded perfect.

Last night Toronto had one of the worst storms I can remember. I watched the black clouds race across the entire horizon in about 3 minutes, my patio furniture was smashing against the railings, and I saw half the city lose power.
I had been watching the TV and stopped strumming the Takamine to set it on the couch beside me. As the storm raced in, the air pressure must have changed. I heard a loud CRACK coming from the far side of the couch. I saw the hairline crack suddenly quadruple in size.

Tomorrow I'm bringing it to Capsule Music for a repair estimate. I may have left it too late, but even if I have to pay a few hundred dollars it'll still be cheaper than if I'd paid full price. But if anyone can fix it, it'll be Capsule...

Rebound

Wow, sorry for the neglect on this blog in the last couple of weeks. My OTHER job has been taking all my time and energy...

A couple of weeks ago, I got my hands on a bootleg video of The X-Pensive Winos' 1993 concert in Boston. This was Keith Richard's (far superior) sideline for when the Rolling Stones weren't busy. I saw the Toronto stop of this tour at Massey Hall and it holds the title of Best Concert Ever, even after 16 years and hundreds of competitors.
So you can understand that I was pretty excited to watch the professional-but-never-released recording of a similar experience. I sat down, turned it up, and hit play. Overawed, stunned, gob-smacked, none of those words explain how I felt. I actually got a little teary at the showmanship, technique and style exposed. Those older than me think of Keef as the junkie side-kick to Mick Jagger, and those younger than me know him as Johnny Depp's inspiration for Cap'n Jack Sparrow. Somehow in the noise, what gets overlooked is his ability to play the perfect note at the perfect time. The essence of taste. The video reminded me of why I got his portrait tattooed on my forearm eight years ago. Reminded me of why I became obsessed with The Stones in the mid-eighties. Hell, it reminded me precisely why I wanted to learn the guitar and bought a Telecaster! I wouldn't be doing this today if I hadn't discovered Keith Richards.

The downside was that this video shamed me, gave me an inferiority complex. I couldn't grasp 1/10 of his talent. Realizing this took the wind from my sails, and I quickly lost direction and interest with finishing Overture.
Luckily, it was shortlived. I met a guy at work with amazing musical taste. A former musician himself, he's a fan of Joy Division (actually had a ticket to see them before Ian Curtis's suicide), Buddy Holly, Iggy Pop, rocksteady, reggae, Detroit Motown, etc etc etc... Admitting to being a songsmith myself, I somehow forgot to mention my influences but emailed him a link to Reflecting The Broken Mirror (the disc playing on this site).
He was impressed, enjoying what I wrote, but commented that he couldn't define it. Without being told who I listen to, he couldn't identify the musicians that inspire me. Showing the intelligence not to bandy about random names, he admitted that it wasn't an obvious copy of something good. This compliment restarted the stutter that was holding back Overture. Like it or not, I seem to have squeezed Bowie, Richards, Iggy, Ferry, Roxy, Motown, The Pistols, Japan, Placebo, The Sisters, and everyone else, into my very own recipe of Matt Swift.

So now I'm back. I have mixed Don't Fall For Me, Let You Go (why can't i), No Fun, Love Song, One Night Stand, and Naive. And I should have the last four done by the end of the long weekend...

* for the record, the best compliment I ever received was being called "Bryan Ferry on crack." I don't think it was meant positively, but since Let's Stick Together is my Ferry Fave, and was created in a frenzy of cocaine, I'll take it well.
The worst was the guy who said "Swift must have every Tom Petty album ever released." Not that I dislike Tom, but I haven't listened to him since my Full Moon Fever cassette got eaten by the car stereo...

Another Happy Accident

As promised (to myself), I finished tracking Overture on Canada Day. 2.5 days of singing, with the occasional last-minute musical addition.
Yesterday I started mixing the project. I put together Don't Fall For Me, Let You Go, No Fun, and Love Song. I'll probably have to go back and tweak something, but they're "done."

Don't Fall For Me was interesting. When I started the mix, I noticed a strange harmonic coming from a guitar track, but couldn't tell which one. Isolating the instruments, I muted the drums. Finding the culprit, I slapped an EQ on it to fix.
Getting back to the mix, I was air-guitaring as the intro played. And that's where things got weird...

DFFM has been kicking around for almost 10 years. And it's ALWAYS been the same: fast, almost punk-lite, driving. So why didn't everything join in with a beastly crash?
I frantically scanned my options: is a speaker broken? No. Are a bunch of tracks turned down? No, they're all set properly. Is a cat sitting on my keyboard? No, they wouldn't dare. Wait - what's that little yellow icon doing there? Yes, I had accidentally muted all the drums.

As I reached for the little yellow button, I hesitated. It sounded kinda good with just a strummy acoustic guitar bashing out the first chorus... I ran through it a couple of times, and quickly fell in love with this new arrangement. All it took was a fast edit to decide when to actually start the drums, and it was done. A decade-old song that's just been given a new sheen.

Hopefully by the end of the week I can post a clip, a taste of what is to come...

Studio Update

Tuesday, June 30. Day 2 of my studio run to finish Overture.

Yesterday morning I woke up and put on a pot of coffee, anxious to get to work. Other committments have been swamping me for the last few weeks, leaving me unable to finish the last bits of Overture. Also, this last bit is the hardest; i'm a good guitarist and bassist, can program drums well, and am an adequate (for me) pianist. However, my vocals are tough. Along with her obvious talent, my wanting to avoid was a big reason for trying Kate as a vocalist on this album. Unfortunately, that didn't work out as well as we'd hoped.

So I was waiting for the coffee to brew, at around 8am on a Monday morning. It's not surprising that I just slumped in the chair, realizing that I had no inspiration or energy left. Maybe I should have slept in and waited? But no - while waiting for Mr.Coffee, I set up the first track, Don't Fall For Me. And by the time my first cup was brewed, I was excited again.

Monday covered DFFM, Let You Go, and Love Song, along with a bunch of "housekeeping" needed to clean up and streamline the projects. I was pleased and a little surprised to get through so much on Day One.
Day Two started slowly. Kate was here, and I'm way too self-concious of my singing to start tracking when there's such a talented vocalist within earshot. She left for work, and I jumped to it. No Fun, One Night Stand, Pop Song, and Porno are already completed.

This leaves Shadow, Stormy Weather, and Naive left. Hopefully they'll be done later today.

And did you notice that they're being tracked alphabetically? I had to do them in the order they appear in the Project Folder, otherwise I'll probably forget something. I had already planned out 'Overture: The Greatest Unheard Hits" as a 10-song collection, covering the favourites from my last 3 or 4 unrecorded projects. And on Monday I realized that I had miscounted, only including nine. Luckily I found a tenth that fits stylistically as well as just being a damn good song. That's 'Naive', and the reason it's out of order.

Well, that's enough of a break - back to work!

An Exciting One Night Stand

For those of you that don't know, my recording studio is in my home.
This morning while getting ready for work, I felt the need. I powered on my setup, and loaded One Night Stand (without any vocals yet).
I repeated it 5 or 6 times while brushing my teeth (etc.). I'm REALLY excited about this project...




ps. Don't try to sing along with ANYTHING when you've got an electric toothbrush and mouthful of paste...

Knowing When To Quit

One of the drawbacks to independently producing your own album is that there is nobody telling you when you’re done. A producer can work as both an editor and a boss, two things that can come in very handy in a project like this.

Since my studio is PC-based, I’m not limited to a certain number of tracks. I can record as many things as I like, and edit for content later when I’m mixing. The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper” album was recorded with two 4-track machines. They recorded the drums on two (for stereo), the bass, a few guitars, vocal tracks, and the weird effects that they became famous for. For such an elaborate, intricate recording, it is incomprehensible to do it with only eight tracks. Most of the Overture songs are currently running between 15 and 24 tracks. Eight for the drums alone! Most songs have 4 or 5 guitars weaving in and out. And I haven’t even gotten to the vocals yet… Later, I’ll worry about editing; right now I’m just throwing ideas into the bowl with a basic recipe that I’ll let develop on it’s own. I already know that there are some parts that I'll omit from the mix completely - that's par for the course. The soft piano drifting along in 'One Night Stand' may not fit with the slidey gritty guitar. One will win, the other will be silenced until I find a reason to remix.

My other issue is schedule-based. As this isn’t being recorded for a record label, and is completely self-funded (thanks for buying Reflecting – you’re enabling me to do this one), there is no rush to complete. What could have been done in 2 weeks, originally planned as a bare acoustic-guitar-driven project, has now grown to 2 months. And the stripped-down theme has gone out the window too. It’s still based on acoustic guitar songs, but it’s much fuller. The are more guitars, the drums are bigger… there’s a lot of stuff that you might not notice when you first hear the songs.

Over the last few weeks, whenever I’ve thought I was almost finished, I’d hear something missing. Setting up to sing, I’d suddenly decide that I needed another guitar quietly whomp-whomping in the background. So I’m locking out the week of June 29 to finish recording. I promise to complete all tracking by Friday June 3, just in time to take Kate out for her birthday. Whatever doesn’t get done by then, won’t. Unless I get laryngitis or something, this promise isn’t absolute. But if I don’t set a schedule, I’ll twiddle forever and never finish.


As an aside, this guitar seems to be inspiring Overture. The songs are honest: not really pretty, but good. They were written by a man sometimes beaten down, but resolute. And those are all qualities I see in my '74 Telecaster.

Lara's Guitar

Since I started selling 'Reflecting The Broken Mirror' last year, I've had a few comments about one track not really fitting in with the rest. Lara's Guitar is the only instrumental, it's simply one acoustic guitar being strummed for around 3 minutes.

In 2007, my best friend got married. Along with being his best man, he asked me to write and record the music for his bride to walk down the aisle to. How's that for an honour??? I gladly accepted.
I instantly thought of using a half-written song I've had tucked away for a couple of years. It's a pretty piano-based melody, but still cool enough to not be cheesy wedding music. I adjusted it a bit, and gave him a quick test recording. "Pretty," he replied. "Get rid of that fucking piano - you're a guitarist!" They were having a Teddy-boy styled wedding, so I decided to make it really cool. Keeping the basic structure for the song, I added some simple drums, a swinging bassline and some twangy, tremolo guitar. Very cool, it made me think of Buddy Holly with a goth edge. I proudly sat him down and played him the track. He STILL didn't like it!
Back to the drawing board I went. I was unsure of where to go from there, and reminded of why I don't want to write music for a living: I do what I want, not what you want.

One night I stayed home to watch Apocalypto. As most musicians do (to the annoyance of our partners), I sat a guitar on my lap and plucked away absently while absorbed in the movie. During the rape/pillage of the Mayan village, I suddenly got distracted by the funny sounds coming from the box on my lap. Without realizing it, I had started to play the progression that would be perfect for my friend's wedding. Excitedly, I stopped the film and got to work.
Shane loved the music. It was simple, guitar-based, and just the right length. His bride, Lara, didn't even care to hear it beforehand. She said that her faith in me (she also begged me to not let her groom dress as Ziggy Stardust) was enough.
Instead of recording it for the ceremony, I was able to bring my guitar and play it live as she entered the room. That's when I realized how right it was for them, and made it actually mean something to me.
Shortly afterwards, my friend moved to Ireland to live with his new family. This songs is a connection between us (one of many) and it seemed important to be included in the collection of songs I was putting together.

I don't think I ever told them that it was inspired by a horrible scene in a movie about a nearly-extinct culture.

Tangent

A couple of weeks ago, I was having a Lush bubblebath, complete with Cuban cigar and a couple of beers, while watching Hard Core Logo on my laptop, the machine resting safely on my toilet lid. Yes, I’m THAT Rock N Roll.

Out of nowhere, I had a great idea. I have never really been happy with the kick drums in my recordings. They’re usually more of a ‘hit’ than a note. If you listen to some Detroit-era Motown, you can hear what I want: The Four Tops' "I Can't Help Myself" is a perfect example. Phoom, ch, ba-boom ch… Not my ‘Thud, ch, thu-thud ch’.

So what if I tracked the kick-drum as I have done, but then mimic the beat with a really soft synthesizer, quietly following the chord progression? Even with the drums on their own, you’d still get the impression that you knew the basics. To make that 'Thud' a 'Phoom'...
I spent the last two weeks recreating the kick-drum patterns, making sure that the synthesized notes were subtle enough, and the right sound. I made sure each track followed the song’s chord progression perfectly.

And yesterday, I realized that it made absolutely no difference. Not a sausage. Nil. Once the other instruments are blended into the mix, the synth notes are either too subtle and unnecessary, or they’re too powerful and muddy up the track.

Oh well, when these ideas succeed they create the magic and innovation that IS music. Unfortunately, more often than not, they don’t.

No Fun

In 2003, I was the bassist in a band that fit me perfectly, musically. In that context, I was able to express myself so well, to create in collaboration with some incredible musicians. I was a large creative force in the group, and my efforts were returned with the technical knowledge that I didn't have beforehand.
Unfortunately, the drummer was a tremendous prick. We argued quite a bit, and it lead them to search for my replacement behind my back. Always unsuccessfully. Either they couldn't find anyone that would suit them better than me, or the talented ones wouldn't play with them due to their personal reputations.
After a huge fight in the studio, the drummer crossed a serious line and I quit on the spot. They felt betrayed, as they had taught me so much about the industry. I felt that I had to leave to preserve my integrity and self-respect. Similar to girl/boyfriend breakups, I guess. Hence the song...


No Fun - I never hurt anybody but you
That's the price of love
At least a love that's true

I never used up anybody before
I'm a bastard, I know
I never used up anyone
Until they were No Fun

No Fun - Backed in a corner I let you fall
To your own disgrace
You still don't see it at all
No Fun - I didn't mean it it's what I do
To hold myself above
To protect me from you

I never used up anybody before
I'm a bastard, I know
I never used up anyone
Until they were No Fun

No Fun - Next to you everything went pale
Your ego ruled your world
And now you're tired and oh-so stale.

Guest Vocalist?

My girlfriend, Kate, is a trained opera singer and actress. I am neither.

I am not a big fan of my own singing voice. I sing my own songs mostly out of pragmatism: it's much easier to do it myself than to try to explain to someone what and how I want them to sing.
However, I'm always looking to improve my product and try new things. So I've asked Kate to sing on 'Overture'. I had already wanted her to perform the backup tracks, but she's going to go whole-hog and do the lead tracks too. We're going to start with two tracks to see how it goes. She'll be singing 'No Fun' and 'Pop Song'.
I spent some time transcribing the vocal melodies into sheet music, which was a challenge unto itself. To sit at my keyboard and plink out what I think I was trying to vocalize. Now I have printed sheet music that looks more professional than my usual scribbles.

I'm really not sure how this will work out. She's definitely got a beautiful voice, but I worry that it may be too sweet, the annunciation too precise, just too... correct for music like mine. But we'll see. She's professional enough to understand if it doesn't work (as long as I can communicate that properly). Who knows? If it works, my project will be that much better. And she'll have yet another addition to her repertoire. If it doesn't work, I'll have 'alternate takes', with both my voice and hers as options...

Tonight: Slow Show (of brilliance)

My plan for this blog is mostly to document what I'm doing, but I also want to express what I think about other musicians.

Tonight I'm going to see one of my favourite bands, The National. A year ago I saw REM and Modest Mouse, and The National was the unknown opening act. I couldn't have cared less about them, when I knew the headliners that were coming up.
About 30 seconds into their first song, Fake Empire, I was captivated. They were by far the highlight of the night. I went out the next day and bought their Boxer album. And in the 12 months that have passed, I've only occasionally been able to listen to anything else. Occasionally I feel a tear coming on as I revel in the tracks on this disc.
They've inspired me to style 'Overture' the way I have, using more organic-sounding instruments than in the past.

So tonight they're playing at The Koolhaus. And I'm VERY excited.

Here's an example of their greatness:
Feel free to turn off my music on the right, just for this...



Slow Show
Standing at the punch table swallowing punch
can’t pay attention to the sound of anyone
a little more stupid, a little more scared
every minute more unprepared
I made a mistake in my life today
everything I love gets lost in drawers
I want to start over, I want to be winning
way out of sync from the beginning

I wanna hurry home to you
put on a slow, dumb show for you
and crack you up
so you can put a blue ribbon on my brain
god I’m very, very frightening
I’ll overdo it

Looking for somewhere to stand and stay
I leaned on the wall and the wall leaned away
Can I get a minute of not being nervous
and not thinking of my dick
My leg is sparkles, my leg is pins
I better get my shit together, better gather my shit in
You could drive a car through my head in five minutes
from one side of it to the other

I wanna hurry home to you
put on a slow, dumb show for you
and crack you up
so you can put a blue ribbon on my brain
god I’m very, very frightening
I’ll overdo it

You know I dreamed about you
for twenty-nine years before I saw you
You know I dreamed about you
I missed you for twenty-nine
You know I dreamed about you
for twenty-nine years before I saw you
You know I dreamed about you
I missed you for twenty-nine

Overture Update

Yesterday was a holiday Monday, celebrating the birthday of British Queen Victoria.
Know what that means? Yes, a whole extra day to work on my next album.
Drums: done.
Bass: done.
Primary guitars: done.
Piano: done.
Guitar overdubs: at least 90% done.
Vocals: next.

This project is sounding better than I had planned, I can't remember being this excited about a disc.

And since this project is actually a collection of my older (but never heard) songs, I've tentatively named it 'Overture: The Greatest Unheard Hits'.

What do you think?

Inspiration

I've had writer's block lately. Music comes easily, but I have trouble writing lyrics that make me proud.

The other day I woke up at around 8am, and turned on Mr. Coffee. While waiting for it to finish, I picked up my acoustic guitar and strummed out an old tune. Then I played a second one that never got past the rough demo stage.
Suddenly I decided to take my favourite never-heard 9 or 10 songs, and re-record/ re-arrange them. The only thing I kept were the lyrics and the basic chord progressions.
I realized around 2:30 that afternoon that I still hadn't had breakfast, and forced a quick break. Then I was right back to the recording. I stopped at about 10pm that night. I recorded for 14 hours straight - the first time I've done that in a couple of years.
I got the drums programmed, basslines written and recorded, and the main guitars tracked for 9 songs. They've all got vocal guide tracks, and a few have piano lines recorded.

It's feeling pretty awesome.