Inching Towards The Finish Line

I woke up this morning at 3:15.  Almost 3 hours before I needed to wake up, almost 6 hours before I WANTED to wake up.
What to do?
Put on a pot of coffee, and head into the home studio.

I've been having trouble getting decent rough mixes of Gravedigging For Two.  I want these so I can play them endlessly to myself as I rock out on the subway.  It gives me time to process how I want the mix to end up when I finally have John Jamieson mix it (and when I can finally put it to bed and move on to the next project).
I spent my spare time this morning working on Little Rose Tattoo, and think I've got a solid feel for how the song wants to be heard.  VERY happy, for me.  Now I can move on to the other 9, trying to combine the urge for each track to own itself while shaping them as a cohesive album.

I guess I shouldn't be anxious to rush this - I wrote LRT more than 15 years ago.  It's gone from a cool swing, to a chugging dark rant, to something that (to me) brings out some old-school R&B/Soul.

Either way, I'm excited to have reached another milestone.  I think.

Replay

As I waver back and forth on how to finish Gravedigging For Two...

Yesterday morning I was watching TV and plucking away on a guitar.  Playing one of the new songs (You and Me),   A new countermelody came out, so now I'm redoing the trumpets and trombone.

The beauty of writing and recording music:  Songs can take on a life of their own, pulling in unexpected directions and evolving like a child.
The pain of writing and recording music:  Songs can take on a life of their own, making more work for you and evolving like a child.

I hope this one grows up to be strong and resilient.

Rock N Roll Dropout

I finally finished recording my new album, Gravedigging For Two.
Ten songs that I'm really proud of, that have evolved from sketches, through a few different iterations and styles, to a cohesive package.

Now it should be time to mix and master the project, then putting it out in the world for sale/ consumption.  SHOULD...

Along with music and my wife, I have a huge passion for sailing.  And I'm not a rich man.
If I pay to have Gravedigging mixed and mastered, that will take a huge chunk of cash away from my sailboat fund (that will actually come into existence once my credit card debt is paid).
I waver on my choice daily, but for today I'm planning on doing a rough "monitor mix" of Gravedigging For Two.  Something I can listen to on my headphones, but not put out to the world.  Then, I can get closer to buying my sailboat and feeding THAT side of my soul.

I'm also planning to spend the winter re-recording Love Isn't Enough, and possibly Overture and Reflecting The Broken Mirror.  Other albums that I've written and am really proud of, but which had less-than-stellar recordings.

For now, I guess I'm climbing back into the woodshed to be a musical hermit.  But I'll be back!

Crash Course for Performance!

The other day, I was asked to sit in as a bassist for a friend of a friend.

I'd never heard of him, but said "sure, what the hell."  It's always good to get outside your comfort zone, and playing a show 4 days after first hearing the music definitely fits.

Luckily, I'm loving the album.  It's the best new music I've heard in ages:  Sam Taylor & The East End Love.  My wife heard the first couple of tracks, and thought it's "very me."  Great, stripped-down dirty blues-rock.  Just what my soul needs these days...

So I've got the songs down, got my Fender PJ ready, and just have to find a sexy outfit.   Okay, so that last part won't matter - nobody notices the bass player anyway.

Anyway, I'm REALLY excited to be a part of this.  I'm not sure if it's open to the public, it's at Cherry Cola's on Saturday night for Bob Segarini's birthday party.  And it's going to be a lot of fun!



ps.  That "Fender PJ" reference is the style of bass guitar.  I will NOT be wearing my pyjamas.

Recording Blast

Where has the time gone?
I've spent the last 6 months working and re-working Gravedigging For Two (the new album), and finally have arrangements that I can commit to.  The instruments are recorded, I just have to do the vocals now.

Tonight, however, I'm very excited to try something new:
A live-off-the-floor recording.  Just me. One microphone, one guitar, one take.

Here's the planned set list:

Love is the Drug,
Dead Flowers,
Dirty Old Town,
Downtown Train,
Sister Morphine,
Hurt,
Irish Heartbeat,
Romeo & Juliet,
Song To The Siren,
The Harder They Come,
The One I Love,
Play With Fire,
Unchained Melody
Will You Love Me Tomorrow.