Introducing The Uke

I buggered up my left hand a few weeks ago quite badly, and haven't been able to do much work on the new album.  I don't think it was anything major.  I spent a week or so doing the squeezy-squeezy thing on my hands, comparing the damaged left with the healthy right.  There was some swelling, but the bones didn't wiggle anywhere that they shouldn't.  Probably just some tendon damage.  So I've been letting it heal by itself - all a doctor would offer is "rest it" or "surgery."  Hopefully "rest it" is working.

I can play for an hour or so now before it starts to ache, so it IS healing.  It's just taking longer than it should because my other passion, sailing, has been putting a strain on it every time it starts to get better.


So here's a product endorsement and story to tide you over...

In June, I was at the Beaches Arts & Crafts festival with my wife.  Tired of the usual hand-made rugs, toys, and paintings, I leaped when I saw a small tent packed with ukuleles and banjos.
I ran over, talked to the luthier, and started plucking away on his wares.  I fell in love instantly, and came home $200 lighter with an amazing handmade Tenor Resonator Ukulele from Rosbilt*.
I've spent the summer playing it and getting used to the size and chords - ukes are new to me, but I'm a solid fan now.  If you're curious, check this guy out - Ross Stuart.  He makes some incredible instruments!   Mine has perfect intonation, sounds metallic yet strangely fragile and soft, it's a bit louder than standard wood ukuleles, and even after daily playing it only needs a minor tuning adjustment maybe once a week.

Sitting on the couch one weekend morning watching TV, I started plucking away absentmindedly on the uke.  An interesting melody came out, and my focus instantly changed to the instrument.  I rushed down to my studio and powered everything up.
I didn't want to bother setting up a microphone for the ukulele, so I decided to play it on an electric guitar.  Just get the damn thing recorded before it's forgotten!  30 minutes later I had a basic drum track programmed and a full song arranged.  Still, I wasn't ready to leave it alone.
While listening over and over to the song, I reached for the harmonica I had sitting on the mixing desk.  Virtually instantly a counter-melody came out of the instrument that, again, I had to get down on tape before it disappeared.  Again, no mic.  So I set up a synthesizer and played it on the keys.
And listened to it over and over and over.
The song was too good to leave alone, so I finally set up the mic and sang whatever came to mind.
Less than 3 hours from when I first plucked that melody from the uke, I had a full song written:  drums, bass, guitar/uke, harmonica/synth, and vocals.  Just wild...

I love the song, it's one of my strongest.  And it'll wait in line for the project after the one currently in production, to give it a little time to "mature."  One of the things I love about it is that it was written on 2 instruments I'm not particularly adept with, ukulele and harmonica, but built itself into beauty.  And yes, the uke will be on the record, it's just too cool to omit.

God, sometimes I just love music.

*and for the record, I have no professional interest in Rosbilt.  Ross (can I call him that?) has no idea that I'm writing this, and likely doesn't remember me at all.  But CHEERS to him!

Mr. Bass Man

Drums? Done.
Bass?  DONE.

I just completed the bass tracks for all ten songs in the new project. The big surprise for me was that I did them all in one single day.  Normally this should have taken 3 or 4 days I think.
Perhaps it's due to this album being in "pre-production" for a year.  Just not having enough time to record it, I've spent the last year tweaking the songs.  With rough demos done on a computer, I can mute the recordedguitar and vocal trackss, set up a mic, plug in my guitar, and play along with the drums, keys, and bass.  Or I can just mute the bass and play it live.
I've been doing that constantly, changing the lines I'm playing to see what's working best.

So I got it all done in one day.  I ripped through each song one right after the other.  I don't think any song took more than 2 or 3 takes (with maybe 1 or 2 punch-ins).  My fingers are numb and callussed, but those are war wounds I'm proud of.

I'm pretty anxious to get started on the guitar tracks.  These shouldn't take long.  The vocal tracks, that's what will take long...

Post-Graffiti's

Thanks to everyone that came to see The Boys From County Hell yesterday!

We had a great time, and it seemed that most of you did too.  I got to meet a few new people, and I really hope to see them all again soon.

To those that weren't there:  You really missed out.  It might have been our best show yet, everything gelled and we were in sync. 

One guy told me that he liked how obvious it was that we were enjoying ourselves.  I'm glad he noticed, and I'm even more glad that he actually told me.  I'm pretty picky about who I play with.  Not that I'm a snob, more because I don't want to do something I'm not 100% proud of and into.  Phoning in a performance happens to everyone occasionally, but it's unfair to the audience that has given time and money to see you.  And it's unfair to the other musicians onstage.
I try to play every show like it's my last.  Give everything I have.  Because you never know - it might be your last show.  And if you don't give your all, your next show just might not have an audience.


Anyway, I'm really happy to be playing with Cliff, Vera, Johnny, and Jonathan.

The Boys From County Hell, Sunday

There's a great band I play guitar with, called The Boys From County Hell.  Even though there's a girl in it, the name is sticking.

We play (mostly) rowdy Irish folk songs, some more 'rock' than others.  And there's a smattering of traditional reels in it to add some fun.  Lots of Pogues and Dubliners songs.

And it's always a DAMN GOOD TIME.

We're playing this Sunday (july 29) at Graffiti's, 170 Baldwin St, Toronto, from 4-7pm.

If you're in the city, come and check it out!


Here's a clip of The Dubliners playing 'Whiskey In The Jar'.

Overload

A couple of weeks ago, I started working on the recordings that will become my next album. For all ten songs, the drum tracks have been programmed. I’ll wait until the actual recordings are complete before running them through the synth (Toontrack’s Superior Drummer) and rendering them to audio. Just in case I want to make changes as the other instruments shape the songs…

I’ve been practicing the bass-lines, as these will be the next parts recorded.

And here lies my dilemma: The new album has been written. They are ten songs, with fully written and edited lyrics, arranged and organized as I want them. But since starting the “final” drum programming, I’ve written another SIX GOOD SONGS! This is unprecedented for me. My normal practice has been to write 10 that I’m proud of, and throw them on a disc. As it stands these should wait for the 2013 project. But I don’t want to put them on the backburner.

Should I:
a) Record the new album with the planned ten songs and leave the new six for later?
b) Record all sixteen songs and choose the best ten?
c) Record all sixteen songs and sell as a sixteen-song album?
d) Put all sixteen on the backburner and work on the album of cover songs that I can’t legally release anyway but has some pretty cool arrangements?

Goodbye

For my mother, who passed away 4 months ago...


Goodbye

The last words that I ever spoke
The last time you'd understand
Simple words, no room to cry
I think I knew we were saying goodbye.

Wander through the darkness
Clouded memories lifting to fly
So much history, so alive
I think I knew we were saying goodbye.

A young boy, first day of school
Watching his family drive away
Stand alone, young man, stand high
I think I knew we were saying goodbye.

A grown man stands by your side
The same hollow, trying to hide
A strong voice, a tear in the eye
I think I knew we were saying goodbye.

The last words that I ever spoke
The last time you'd understand
I told you that I loved you
I think I knew we were saying goodbye.



(c) 2012 matt swift - steal this one and you're in for some EVIL karma.

Studio-Ready

Wow, what a month!


I booked an entire 5-day stretch to finish building my studio. With cinderblock walls, the sound was brutal. I couldn’t record anything without boomy echoes ruining every take.

I bought 48 Auralex Wedgies and spent a couple of weeks planning the locations and methods to mount them on the walls. The plan was excellent, the execution was not. My plan was to mount wood strapping up near the ceiling, and hang the 12”x12” panels like artwork from the strapping. I borrowed a hammer drill, and bought tapcon screws and a drillbit. Nothing would go into the cinderblocks. Plan#1: Fail.
I headed back to Home Depot, to purchase some industrial-strength tape. Taping the strapping should hold, after all the weight of the wood and foam might be 1lb for each horizontal foot of wall. The tape wouldn’t grip. Plan#2: Fail.
I went back to Home Depot for the third time, to buy some hardcore glue that was “guaranteed” to work on wood, concrete, and foam. Guess what – it wouldn’t hold either. Plan#3: Fail.
Then I had a brainwave: the tape would hold for a few hours before falling off, and the glue probably didn’t have enough time to get a grip before falling off. So I put tape on the wood, and then glued the tape to the wall. The tape should hold long enough for the glue to set. Plan#4: SUCCESS.
That only took about 3 days to work out.
Then I had to mount the foam wedgies on the wall. I bought 100’ of 1” wooden strapping, and had it all segmented into 12” lengths. The plan was to mount each foam square onto two 12” pieces of wood, one vertically on each side. Then I would put a picture-hook into the top and hang them from the wooden strapping like frames. As the entire 24-pack of foam weighed a total of 4.5lbs, I wasn’t worried about strain on the adhesive. The industrial-strength tape looked simple enough, run a foot of it along each 12” piece of foam frame, and stick the foam to the frame. I tried this, and the foam dried out the glue on the tape. No go. Plan#5: Fail.
I tried putting the hardcore glue that was “guaranteed” to work on wood, concrete, and foam. Guess what – it wouldn’t hold either. Plan#6: Fail.
I gave up – I contacted Auralex, and was convinced to buy their proprietary glue spray. It’s the only thing guaranteed to work. Unfortunately you can’t buy it locally, but must purchase online. I ordered it from LAMusic on a Friday, and it was delivered to me on the Monday. Great turnaround time. This worked like a charm. Plan#6: SUCCESS.

I also bought a KRK ERGO unit, to address any remaining sonic deficiencies. I spent yesterday configuring that and testing the room. It’s sounding much better. There was a lot of frustration, trial and error, but the end result was well worth the struggle.

Now I’m ready to start recording the new album!