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stories about songwriting and recording

In the Studio (Part 6), April 5, 2010

Anybody got a good name for my new CD? That always seems to be the hardest part. We're at the final mixing stage for the ten tunes that have made the cut. We've got Alysha Brillinger helping out on vocals on a track or two. She's a young singer/songwriter from Toronto and a good friend of Adam's.

I've just sent out the 9th edition of my Pippus newsletter. I've got more details on the recording, upcoming shows, etc. To get your copy delivered straight to your inbox, sign up on my mailing list page (over there on the right).

In the Studio (Part 5), March 28, 2010

I went over to my friend and fellow singer/songwriter Blake Havard's place this morning and he videotaped five songs for me, including this one:

"Where I Come From" was the first song producer Adam Bailie and I recorded for the CD-in-progress. Adam is adding some African-style drumming to the track along with our harmonies in appropriate places. By the way, the other four songs Blake and I taped today include a Steve Earle cover, and three more originals including a voice and harmonica blues tune called "Leaving On Your Mind".

In the Studio (Part 4), March 24, 2010

Rented a nylon string guitar and a solid body, cherry red Gibson SG (that I have fallen in love with) for recording some lead guitar parts on the new album. Spent five hours in the studio with Adam yesterday doing that, talking about the songs and music in general, a name for the CD, and so on.

We've got ten tracks now, including a co-write that Adam brought to the table called "It's Only Music". Very funky with looping, auto tuning, and spoken word. It's about how music doesn't have to be all about hype, costumes, glitzy show biz, and "making it". It can be as simple as breathing; in some societies everybody participates. A more inclusive, natural approach to having/making music in our lives. Our pre-packaged, consumer-based culture tends to prefer having music done TO us by socially designated "stars". It's one way, but it's not the only way. Music is universal, if you want it to be. Everybody has a voice. A rhythm. I don't mean to downplay and celebrate super-talented people, or conversely, prop up bad art. But if make room for other ways of looking at how we make music, as a society, it will lead to a healthier (certainly a more fun) place to be.

Played Last Night, In the Studio (Part 3), and Hugh Fisher's New CD, March 20, 2010

I had a 'no show' at Trees last night. (I manage Music Nights at Trees Organic Coffee House, 450 Granville St.) so I played some tunes from my new CD as well as Steve Earle's "Goodbye". That song really got the crowd listening to every word. One of Earle's best songs, and my cold-induced raspy voice helped get the confessional quality across.

In the afternoon, I managed to lay down a few vocal bits and pieces over at Adam Bailie's for the new CD. I can't wait for you to hear what he's bringing to the tunes. We'll record three more basic tracks on Tuesday. All uptempo blues-based tunes, at least one of which will feature Adam on didgeridoo! And finally, Hugh Fisher dropped by this week. He gave me an advance copy of his about-to-be-released CD that he's been busy making over in Victoria. It's called "Kite" and it's playing right in fact. Highly recommended. Shades of James Taylor. Also some beautiful acoustic guitar instrumentals.

In the Studio (Part Two), March 5, 2010

Spent five hours in the studio with Adam Bailie yesterday. He's producing my new album. This is a joint project with me doing the songwriting and singing, and Adam placing his producing stamp on every track.

It was a good day. We got the voice and basic guitar track recorded on four songs, and voice and harmonica on another. Actually, with the 'cut-and-paste-and-slide-and-tweak' methods available with current technology, it's not as impressive as it sounds. For example, when I muff a couple of notes here or there, Adam can go in and edit later to make it work. So it's not like the analog days when what you recorded, pretty much, was what you got. Sure, there are limitations to what you can expect the equipment to do, but on this collection of songs, I'm fine with having less of a 'live off the floor' feel. Want to pre-order a copy? Drop me a line, and let me know - your expression of interest and support will go a long way at this point - and you'll be the first to get a copy the day it arrives from the duplication plant. I'll email you a couple of tracks 'in progress' too. And welcome your feedback on lyrics and/or arrangement while it's still a work-in-progress.

I haven't decided the street price yet (or the album title for that matter) but the pre-order price is $10. Like I say, get in touch if you want a copy.

In the Studio, February 25, 2010

I'm in the studio recording a new song called "Where I Come From". Adam Bailie is producing. He's young and has a lot of original ideas. We're taking a 'world' approach to this one. Adam plays with the duo "Watasun".

I've played this song song live enough times to know it has something going for it. The chorus/refrain is: "Where I come from / We believe in what we say". The line came more from the fact that the syllables fit the picking style, rather than it was something I was dying to say. So in that sense, how I got to those words was arbitrary. I built the rest of the lyric around that initial idea. Sometimes, it's all about the groove.