Year Two – Day 105 – June 21st 2010
Mastering Session
I take a train to Frankfort, get in Joe's car and we ride to Blue Bell. We listen to the mixes on the way up and he plays me some City Line Stuff. It's funny how a relationship can shift just by spending time with someone. It's even funnier when someone is exactly who you thought they were when you first met them. You never know what sort of effect a person is going to have on your life when you first meet them, God reveals that to you with the passage of time. This guy opened up a creative door that I didn't even know was in the room and finally I got the right person to make the record I always wanted to make.
Today we were mastering the record. I don't know much about the mastering process, the guys who are going to do it, or where the hell we are in fact going. But for the first time in this entire process I'm putting my faith in Joe and not even questioning it. He's been right 99% of the time throughout the entire recording process (I did win one acoustic guitar battle) so I figure why fight it in my head or out loud.
We pull into a house. An older lady answers the door and so does a strange looking dog (I would find out later it was a poodle owned by the mastering engineer, he basically didn't do the punk ass poodle haircut on his dog...a thing I respect) she tells me and Joe that the guys are downstairs.
We walk downstairs and into a very impressive recording studio. It's not very fancy but there's something about the room that let's you know that it gets a good sound and that if the walls could talk they'd tell you some very interesting stories.
I meet two guys named Paul they will be taking care of my record today. Joe has to work so he departs not soon after they begin. I sit for a while and it wouldn't be long till I start asking questions. This is the first mastering session I've ever sat in on and I'm curious about what actually happens. The general thing people say is that they just make it louder, but even I can see there's so much more than that. Paul starts talking to me about equalization, compression, limiting, noise reduction among other things...my eyes glaze over as I don't have a clue what he's talking about. All I know is that the songs sound better then they did before and that they are working to establish a sonic consistency so that everything sounds like it came from the same guy.
They're super cool guys. We chat about music and life stuff, I realize that they are the guys from Get The Led Out, this super cool Zeppelin Tribute band that Andrew Lipke plays in, I laugh at how small the world is. I'm flattered by the compliments they give me as we go through the songs. I'm even more flattered when they compliment everyone else. Musician's of this caliber and school confirm what I've been saying in my brain for the past few weeks, this is the best stuff I've ever recorded.
Six hours later my record is finished, ready to be duplicated I write two checks and am out the door.
I take the train into the city and go straight to Philly Rising.
It took six months to finish Superego. So to have a finished album in three weeks is really an amazing feeling.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Boy Wonder: Professional Musician 263
Year Two Day 99 – June 15th 2010
Sixth Day in The Studio
It's really funny. As independent and “the guy who calls the shots” as I claim to be (and am more often than not) I felt a little strange that I'd be spending the majority of the final day of tracking for the new album without Joe there. Every producer is different and plays a different role when making an album and different artists require different things. Whereas Angie took a more passive approach producing Superego lending a more big picture vision and allowing me to figure out how best to execute it, Joe micromanages just about everything. He has a specific idea about how things should sound from the bass knob on the guitar to the proper shaker used on a song to the lead vocal. I decided that I was just going to trust him and it was a little like mommy dropping you off for preschool. He'd been holding my hand through the process.
But with Brian from Range Standing in I was sure things would be just fine and quickly settled in to get the work done that we needed to get done. The plan; go through each song one by one and do the leads and the backgrounds. For the first time since I've been making records I'm singing all of the background vocals as well as the leads. I've always been fascinated by using voices other than my own when doing recordings. I figure that's what you'd hear at a concert so it's best to hear on a record. Often when I'd bring this up Joe would go “Oh, I see this more as a...You kinda record” I imagined people like Michael Jackson or Sting stacking their voices on top of each other making that big sweet vocal sound.
I got a chance to take a lil breather as Today was also collab day. There are three musicians on this new record other than Jake and Rob and Two were coming in today.
If there's one thing I've carried over from my days in film school it's casting. When I was making movies in high school and college (and even beyond) I always tended to cast a person who's look and personality was closest to the role as opposed to casting a super talented actor who would have had to work harder to create the reality and exist in the world of the movie. There are some skilled people out there but if they're not right for the role it doesn't work. Same with music. You have to look at the tune itself and put the right person in a kind of position that allows them to shine. Otherwise your record's gonna sound like crap.
Bob Beach was in at 1:10 to lay down some harmonica on one of the record's blusier numbers, At 1:25 he had finished. The man is a phenomenal musician and an even better human being. I think we spent more time chatting about music and life then he did actually laying down his track. I know a few other guys that play harmonica, but they never get called because Bob always seems to know exactly what to do. I wanted the song to capture the chaos that comes with certain kinds of...ahem romantic issues how certain events can really turn into a tornado that turns your life upside down, I had gotten the pain part down but Bob was really the one that brought the ruckus. I'm really proud of the track Bob bounces and I get back to work. Getting these harmonies right is a lot tougher than I thought. Maybe I'll be nicer to singers when they come in to do backgrounds...lol
Joe rolled in around 4. He listened to the songs I had worked on with Brian. He surprisingly hears Bob's Harmonica
Joe: What?!
Me: What?
Joe: Did Bob Beach Come In?
Me: Yeah
Joe: How long was he here for?
Me: 15 Minutes
Joe: That's Nuts
We did some patchwork on some of the vocals as Katherine Mundy walks into the room with her guy Kent. Probably the most normal couple I've ever met.
Kat has a quiet confidence, behind quite a few layers of modesty I always get a sense that she knows that she can handle anything that's thrown at her. I don't generally ask a whole lot of people anyway because the music's never that complex. Did I mention she's one of the most talented pure singers I've ever met, a pure clear tone with just enough blues to make it interesting. This is the second time she's done background vocals for me (she did quite a bit of work on Superego) probably because out of all of the female vocalists that I've encountered her voice is the closest to mine. She's done her homework and is prepared to lay down the vocals when she walks in the room which is so important (not knowing what you're doing in the studio wastes time and money) 30 minutes later she's finished. Her vocal makes the track sparkle, like Andy Summers always did with Sting.
Kat bounces and we go through everything just to make sure we're satisfied. This is the last day of tracking and Joe is going to mix the record this week. Six days in the studio and I'm done tracking . By Monday we master. Should be awesome.
Sixth Day in The Studio
It's really funny. As independent and “the guy who calls the shots” as I claim to be (and am more often than not) I felt a little strange that I'd be spending the majority of the final day of tracking for the new album without Joe there. Every producer is different and plays a different role when making an album and different artists require different things. Whereas Angie took a more passive approach producing Superego lending a more big picture vision and allowing me to figure out how best to execute it, Joe micromanages just about everything. He has a specific idea about how things should sound from the bass knob on the guitar to the proper shaker used on a song to the lead vocal. I decided that I was just going to trust him and it was a little like mommy dropping you off for preschool. He'd been holding my hand through the process.
But with Brian from Range Standing in I was sure things would be just fine and quickly settled in to get the work done that we needed to get done. The plan; go through each song one by one and do the leads and the backgrounds. For the first time since I've been making records I'm singing all of the background vocals as well as the leads. I've always been fascinated by using voices other than my own when doing recordings. I figure that's what you'd hear at a concert so it's best to hear on a record. Often when I'd bring this up Joe would go “Oh, I see this more as a...You kinda record” I imagined people like Michael Jackson or Sting stacking their voices on top of each other making that big sweet vocal sound.
I got a chance to take a lil breather as Today was also collab day. There are three musicians on this new record other than Jake and Rob and Two were coming in today.
If there's one thing I've carried over from my days in film school it's casting. When I was making movies in high school and college (and even beyond) I always tended to cast a person who's look and personality was closest to the role as opposed to casting a super talented actor who would have had to work harder to create the reality and exist in the world of the movie. There are some skilled people out there but if they're not right for the role it doesn't work. Same with music. You have to look at the tune itself and put the right person in a kind of position that allows them to shine. Otherwise your record's gonna sound like crap.
Bob Beach was in at 1:10 to lay down some harmonica on one of the record's blusier numbers, At 1:25 he had finished. The man is a phenomenal musician and an even better human being. I think we spent more time chatting about music and life then he did actually laying down his track. I know a few other guys that play harmonica, but they never get called because Bob always seems to know exactly what to do. I wanted the song to capture the chaos that comes with certain kinds of...ahem romantic issues how certain events can really turn into a tornado that turns your life upside down, I had gotten the pain part down but Bob was really the one that brought the ruckus. I'm really proud of the track Bob bounces and I get back to work. Getting these harmonies right is a lot tougher than I thought. Maybe I'll be nicer to singers when they come in to do backgrounds...lol
Joe rolled in around 4. He listened to the songs I had worked on with Brian. He surprisingly hears Bob's Harmonica
Joe: What?!
Me: What?
Joe: Did Bob Beach Come In?
Me: Yeah
Joe: How long was he here for?
Me: 15 Minutes
Joe: That's Nuts
We did some patchwork on some of the vocals as Katherine Mundy walks into the room with her guy Kent. Probably the most normal couple I've ever met.
Kat has a quiet confidence, behind quite a few layers of modesty I always get a sense that she knows that she can handle anything that's thrown at her. I don't generally ask a whole lot of people anyway because the music's never that complex. Did I mention she's one of the most talented pure singers I've ever met, a pure clear tone with just enough blues to make it interesting. This is the second time she's done background vocals for me (she did quite a bit of work on Superego) probably because out of all of the female vocalists that I've encountered her voice is the closest to mine. She's done her homework and is prepared to lay down the vocals when she walks in the room which is so important (not knowing what you're doing in the studio wastes time and money) 30 minutes later she's finished. Her vocal makes the track sparkle, like Andy Summers always did with Sting.
Kat bounces and we go through everything just to make sure we're satisfied. This is the last day of tracking and Joe is going to mix the record this week. Six days in the studio and I'm done tracking . By Monday we master. Should be awesome.
Boy Wonder: Professional Musician 262
Year Two Day 98 – June 14th 2010
Fifth Day In The Studio
This has been an extremely intense process as we try to get everything done we need to get done to put the record out by July 2nd. The agenda today? Acoustic Guitar Stuff Mostly, likely some electric stuff as well along with vocals, which would eat up most of the day.
One of the main differences between this record and the ones proceeding it will most definitely be the way guitars have been used. Joe has a way of blending acoustic and electric guitars that I'd never even thought of, stuff that people actually do on records, as a player I would've never even attempted to do stuff like what I'm doing now...which is why Joe got the job.
As the songs build from layering guitars I notice this is probably the most acoustic guitar I've used on a record since my first. I often don't think of all the people that see me playing solo acoustic at Philly Rising Every Monday, to those folks that's all I do. I've been running away from that aspect of what I do for quite some time on record and it's cool that Joe's kinda saying uh this is a part of your overall game and we need to showcase it.
After laying down all the guitars we needed we went to a Whole Foods, got some throat coat tea and went to work.
We have finally arrived at the place where I'm most confident. I'm usually a nervous wreck when it comes to writing songs and playing guitar but I've been singing for almost 25 years. I'm at ease because I know exactly what needs to be done and exactly what it's going to take to do it. Singing full time has forced me to hone my instrument and now I can pull things from my body that I wasn't able to the last time around (Thank You Bang Camaro). It is here when I can become difficult to work with because in my mind if we're doing MY material nobody's gonna tell me how to sing it.
This part of it is less dramatic as Joe and I burn through the majority of the tunes. I'm trying to get as much done as humanly possible because Joe won't be here for most of the final session tomorrow and I'd rather get as much stuff done as possible with him here so that we have some sort of consensus as to how everything should sound. I'm excited about everything so far. The Music is taking the kid of direction I've always wanted it to take. This record is the record I've always wanted to make.
As the day came to a close I received two things I'd been waiting for. Album Artwork and Alex (of Bang Camaro and Township Fame)'s guitar solo's via email for one of the songs. Everything is phenomenal. Although getting the artwork exactly right is probably gonna take the rest of the evening.
I'm excited as we might actually make this July 2nd Release Date
Fifth Day In The Studio
This has been an extremely intense process as we try to get everything done we need to get done to put the record out by July 2nd. The agenda today? Acoustic Guitar Stuff Mostly, likely some electric stuff as well along with vocals, which would eat up most of the day.
One of the main differences between this record and the ones proceeding it will most definitely be the way guitars have been used. Joe has a way of blending acoustic and electric guitars that I'd never even thought of, stuff that people actually do on records, as a player I would've never even attempted to do stuff like what I'm doing now...which is why Joe got the job.
As the songs build from layering guitars I notice this is probably the most acoustic guitar I've used on a record since my first. I often don't think of all the people that see me playing solo acoustic at Philly Rising Every Monday, to those folks that's all I do. I've been running away from that aspect of what I do for quite some time on record and it's cool that Joe's kinda saying uh this is a part of your overall game and we need to showcase it.
After laying down all the guitars we needed we went to a Whole Foods, got some throat coat tea and went to work.
We have finally arrived at the place where I'm most confident. I'm usually a nervous wreck when it comes to writing songs and playing guitar but I've been singing for almost 25 years. I'm at ease because I know exactly what needs to be done and exactly what it's going to take to do it. Singing full time has forced me to hone my instrument and now I can pull things from my body that I wasn't able to the last time around (Thank You Bang Camaro). It is here when I can become difficult to work with because in my mind if we're doing MY material nobody's gonna tell me how to sing it.
This part of it is less dramatic as Joe and I burn through the majority of the tunes. I'm trying to get as much done as humanly possible because Joe won't be here for most of the final session tomorrow and I'd rather get as much stuff done as possible with him here so that we have some sort of consensus as to how everything should sound. I'm excited about everything so far. The Music is taking the kid of direction I've always wanted it to take. This record is the record I've always wanted to make.
As the day came to a close I received two things I'd been waiting for. Album Artwork and Alex (of Bang Camaro and Township Fame)'s guitar solo's via email for one of the songs. Everything is phenomenal. Although getting the artwork exactly right is probably gonna take the rest of the evening.
I'm excited as we might actually make this July 2nd Release Date
Boy Wonder: Professional Musician 261
Year Two Day 96 – June 12th 2010
Fourth Day In The Studio
We roll in on a Saturday for a few hours of auxiliary percussion and possibly acoustic guitars. It was the first time during the making of a Boy Wonder album that one of the trio came back intot he studio after the initial recording sessions. Joe had ideas, the one thing I'm learning about Joe is that he always does. He wanted Rob to come in and throw some shakers, woodblocks, triangles etc. on a few of the tracks to round them out I guess. Not quite sure what he's up to, and part of me finds that oddly refreshing.
Rob and Joe both beat me there, not that I needed to be there for the session other than to approve or disapprove of something. They were already hard at work.
Lately I've been discovering that we're just scratching the surface of how good Rob in fact is. He like Jake is always surprising me. He's is now the longest standing drummer in the Boy Wonder band. He's got an energy and a modern feel that's really shaped the music since he's been here.
My sentimental thoughts are quickly squashed as I try to stop him and Joe from using wind chimes on one of the songs. They're probably joking but I'm not gonna take any chances, cause unless someone's gonna pay me large sums of money, I ain't usin wind chimes on any of my songs.
I'm learning how even the smallest of things (like which shaker to use) can really make or break what a song sounds like when you lay it down. We must have gone through a bunch of different things before settling on the right one. Crazy stuff.
Of course the time flew by and we didn't have time to do acoustic guitars. Fortunately we've got Monday and Tuesday to finish up
Fourth Day In The Studio
We roll in on a Saturday for a few hours of auxiliary percussion and possibly acoustic guitars. It was the first time during the making of a Boy Wonder album that one of the trio came back intot he studio after the initial recording sessions. Joe had ideas, the one thing I'm learning about Joe is that he always does. He wanted Rob to come in and throw some shakers, woodblocks, triangles etc. on a few of the tracks to round them out I guess. Not quite sure what he's up to, and part of me finds that oddly refreshing.
Rob and Joe both beat me there, not that I needed to be there for the session other than to approve or disapprove of something. They were already hard at work.
Lately I've been discovering that we're just scratching the surface of how good Rob in fact is. He like Jake is always surprising me. He's is now the longest standing drummer in the Boy Wonder band. He's got an energy and a modern feel that's really shaped the music since he's been here.
My sentimental thoughts are quickly squashed as I try to stop him and Joe from using wind chimes on one of the songs. They're probably joking but I'm not gonna take any chances, cause unless someone's gonna pay me large sums of money, I ain't usin wind chimes on any of my songs.
I'm learning how even the smallest of things (like which shaker to use) can really make or break what a song sounds like when you lay it down. We must have gone through a bunch of different things before settling on the right one. Crazy stuff.
Of course the time flew by and we didn't have time to do acoustic guitars. Fortunately we've got Monday and Tuesday to finish up
Boy Wonder: Professional Musician 260
Year Two – Day 91 – June 7th 2010
Third Day In The Studio
Guitars, Guitars, and more Guitars
I was able to get myself and my gear a ride from pop dukes this morning. Today would be the day where the record would become a more solitary thing. The thrill of working with the band rarely lasts long in this process one maybe two days tops, we get their parts and they serve as the foundation of what will become a Boy Wonder album. We were super focused on making sure their parts sounded good so that I could come in today and add my guitar parts.
Oh have I mentioned that I'm trying to fast track this album to be released by my Downstairs Show at World Cafe Live on July 2nd ? Which means I will be dealing with other stuff today as well as it pertains to making the record. I met a young up and coming artist who is going to be doing some artwork for my new album cover, which means I need a title for the record soon. It's weird to be working on a bunch of aspects of this process at the same time, usually everything is more linear. But if I want to do this fast I don't have that option.
I get to the studio before Joe does and after a quick conversation with Marc Joe arrives and I'm ready to work. When it comes to being in the studio you have to drag me there kicking and screaming but once I'm there I love getting in there and working, especially on my stuff. You can get in there and just roll.
Joe's got a plethora of Guitars, Amps, and effects. You add those plus the things in the studio and the gear I brought you've got a lot of tools to play with which was good because it gave each song an opportunity to have it's own voice. I don't want them to sound too far apart, one of the knocks I've always gotten is that I hop around too much from genre to genre and this time around I'd like something at least a little more cohesive.
We started out by going through all the tunes that were gonna rock primarily on acoustic guitar since we weren't doing acoustic guitars today we were going to skip those and rock with the ones that were going to be half or all electric. We threw the amp heads on a table in the control room with the cab in the recording room and basically sat all day and searched to the right guitar sounds. We were going for wet and sparse mostly, like Andy Summers approach to the Police Songs. As usual I grumble to myself as I'm generally not open to new things when it comes to making records especially if I think a song sounds fine the way it is. But again I brought Joe in because I wanted his vision. I felt extremely apprehensive at first...but only at first. Once I saw past my nose I started to listen to what he was actually going for and as I nodded my head to the grooves I began to run his ideas through my filter and find my own voice.
After five hours of banging through most of these songs Joe decided that he needed a slice of his Ellios Pizza, I looked up and decided I also needed a slice of Joe's Ellios Pizza. We got one of the interns to preheat the oven for us (I f'n love Range) and we took a short break. I'm not really a fan of breaks when I'm paying by the hour but I did need to rest for a minute.
I'd also got word that Alex from Bang Camaro and Township had agreed to play on a song on the album. I was extremely excited about it, the second I heard the Camaro double guitar thing I often wondered how that would sound over one of my songs, not to mention Alex is just a beat on the axe and a helluva guy. I felt like I had a tune that fit the vibe perfectly.
The sun has set and the songs are really beginning to take shape. I'm extremely happy with everything that's happening so far even if I have to be dragged kicking and screaming to the finish line. As the day ends I get a first glimpse of the artwork for the album cover.
Third Day In The Studio
Guitars, Guitars, and more Guitars
I was able to get myself and my gear a ride from pop dukes this morning. Today would be the day where the record would become a more solitary thing. The thrill of working with the band rarely lasts long in this process one maybe two days tops, we get their parts and they serve as the foundation of what will become a Boy Wonder album. We were super focused on making sure their parts sounded good so that I could come in today and add my guitar parts.
Oh have I mentioned that I'm trying to fast track this album to be released by my Downstairs Show at World Cafe Live on July 2nd ? Which means I will be dealing with other stuff today as well as it pertains to making the record. I met a young up and coming artist who is going to be doing some artwork for my new album cover, which means I need a title for the record soon. It's weird to be working on a bunch of aspects of this process at the same time, usually everything is more linear. But if I want to do this fast I don't have that option.
I get to the studio before Joe does and after a quick conversation with Marc Joe arrives and I'm ready to work. When it comes to being in the studio you have to drag me there kicking and screaming but once I'm there I love getting in there and working, especially on my stuff. You can get in there and just roll.
Joe's got a plethora of Guitars, Amps, and effects. You add those plus the things in the studio and the gear I brought you've got a lot of tools to play with which was good because it gave each song an opportunity to have it's own voice. I don't want them to sound too far apart, one of the knocks I've always gotten is that I hop around too much from genre to genre and this time around I'd like something at least a little more cohesive.
We started out by going through all the tunes that were gonna rock primarily on acoustic guitar since we weren't doing acoustic guitars today we were going to skip those and rock with the ones that were going to be half or all electric. We threw the amp heads on a table in the control room with the cab in the recording room and basically sat all day and searched to the right guitar sounds. We were going for wet and sparse mostly, like Andy Summers approach to the Police Songs. As usual I grumble to myself as I'm generally not open to new things when it comes to making records especially if I think a song sounds fine the way it is. But again I brought Joe in because I wanted his vision. I felt extremely apprehensive at first...but only at first. Once I saw past my nose I started to listen to what he was actually going for and as I nodded my head to the grooves I began to run his ideas through my filter and find my own voice.
After five hours of banging through most of these songs Joe decided that he needed a slice of his Ellios Pizza, I looked up and decided I also needed a slice of Joe's Ellios Pizza. We got one of the interns to preheat the oven for us (I f'n love Range) and we took a short break. I'm not really a fan of breaks when I'm paying by the hour but I did need to rest for a minute.
I'd also got word that Alex from Bang Camaro and Township had agreed to play on a song on the album. I was extremely excited about it, the second I heard the Camaro double guitar thing I often wondered how that would sound over one of my songs, not to mention Alex is just a beat on the axe and a helluva guy. I felt like I had a tune that fit the vibe perfectly.
The sun has set and the songs are really beginning to take shape. I'm extremely happy with everything that's happening so far even if I have to be dragged kicking and screaming to the finish line. As the day ends I get a first glimpse of the artwork for the album cover.
Boy Wonder: Professional Musician 259
Year Two – Day 88 – June 5th 2010
Second Day in the Studio
In my head I figured that today would be easier since everything was left here set up from Thursday's session. I was right.
Joe and I are still each other out, I'm beginning understanding the way Joe likes to work and the sounds he wants to go for. There will be a push and pull as the days progress, because I have my own ideas and vision as well for the project. The self imposed deadline won't give us time to argue these things out. I've decided to put myself in his hands and see what we have when we're done.
Today we finished up the rest of the bass and drum tracks for the songs. I am blown away by the growth of Jake and Rob. As I take this music in a slightly different direction they're there, they're game, they're used to it.
We worked on more of the heavier stuff tonight. I often wonder if this is the right move for me, if taking the music in a more rock and roll direction is a good idea considering all the in roads I've made in certain circles more focused on funk and soul music. I remind myself that I got into this because I wanted to make rock music and finally I'm going in a direction more in tune with what I wanted when I first went on my journey.
We were done in about four hours the foundation for the songs is laid down and over the next few days I'll add my guitars and my voice to seal the deal. I brace myself cause I'm almost certain Joe has different plans than I do.
Second Day in the Studio
In my head I figured that today would be easier since everything was left here set up from Thursday's session. I was right.
Joe and I are still each other out, I'm beginning understanding the way Joe likes to work and the sounds he wants to go for. There will be a push and pull as the days progress, because I have my own ideas and vision as well for the project. The self imposed deadline won't give us time to argue these things out. I've decided to put myself in his hands and see what we have when we're done.
Today we finished up the rest of the bass and drum tracks for the songs. I am blown away by the growth of Jake and Rob. As I take this music in a slightly different direction they're there, they're game, they're used to it.
We worked on more of the heavier stuff tonight. I often wonder if this is the right move for me, if taking the music in a more rock and roll direction is a good idea considering all the in roads I've made in certain circles more focused on funk and soul music. I remind myself that I got into this because I wanted to make rock music and finally I'm going in a direction more in tune with what I wanted when I first went on my journey.
We were done in about four hours the foundation for the songs is laid down and over the next few days I'll add my guitars and my voice to seal the deal. I brace myself cause I'm almost certain Joe has different plans than I do.
Boy Wonder: Professional Musician 258
Year Two Day 86 – June 3rd 2010
Today is the first day of the sessions for the new Boy Wonder album.
As I rode the bus to the studio I thought of how much had changed in the two years plus since I went in the studio to record what would become Superego. I had a 9-5 job and had just taken over Philly Rising, I was booking at The Mansion and had just taken a residency at a Place called Lickety Split. Jake and Rob were my unit Rob had been with me maybe less than a year. I wasn't terribly sure of myself, all I knew was that these songs were good and if I did them right I might be able to sell more records than I had previously. I had given up on local media giving a crap about my work I just wanted to make a good record.
I'd done that bus ride a million times before it was only when I walked up to the studio I realized that two years had passed. I'd taken the work I'd done here previously and used it to showcase myself all over the country. I played my first downstairs show at World Cafe Live six weeks after the album came out. Songs from the album were what I showcased to Bang Camaro and the rest is history. Superego had outsold all of my previous records combined, was the first of my records played on the radio, the first time people danced to my music, I won an award for one of the songs (it was local but you know what I mean) there's an audience now albeit a small one, so following up something like that can be a little intimidating.
Fortunately I have enough of what worked last time to make me comfortable. Jake and Rob are the Rhythm Section, I'm back at Range Recording Studios, I've got my gear, and a few songs that I like in my back pocket. I was running late, Jake was there when I arrived as we waited on Rob and Joe to show up. I go to grab a six pack as Joe walks into the studio.
Joe Bisirri, the producer/engineer for this particular project. Skinny guy mad scientist type. Primarily I know him from beign the bassist for one of my favorite local bands City Line. As I got to know him I learned he was producing their stuff and he'd really whipped them into shape. He'd done some work with Mat Duke and John Legend so I figured someone with that broad a body of work would know what to do with me. We've had a few meetings prior to this session. He's heard the tunes and he has a bunch of stuff in a box, mics and stuff and as Rob arrives he uses the next two hours setting up drums. I'm a little anxious, cause I'm paying by the hour but he's assuring me it will be worth it.
Two hours pass and we begin to lay down tracks the way we did it before the three of us in a room playing some music. One thing was extremely apparent as the sessions progressed...that Joe wasn't gonna let anything just slide by. Didn't matter how long it took we were gonna get good takes. Also we're gonna be relaying down guitars. I do prefer the sound of the three pieces playing together but making this record is going to be about stretching and doing stuff I hadn't done previously which is what it should always be about.
Fast forward 8 hours later we got exactly half of what we needed. We're behind where I'd like us to be but the stuff sounds awesome
Today is the first day of the sessions for the new Boy Wonder album.
As I rode the bus to the studio I thought of how much had changed in the two years plus since I went in the studio to record what would become Superego. I had a 9-5 job and had just taken over Philly Rising, I was booking at The Mansion and had just taken a residency at a Place called Lickety Split. Jake and Rob were my unit Rob had been with me maybe less than a year. I wasn't terribly sure of myself, all I knew was that these songs were good and if I did them right I might be able to sell more records than I had previously. I had given up on local media giving a crap about my work I just wanted to make a good record.
I'd done that bus ride a million times before it was only when I walked up to the studio I realized that two years had passed. I'd taken the work I'd done here previously and used it to showcase myself all over the country. I played my first downstairs show at World Cafe Live six weeks after the album came out. Songs from the album were what I showcased to Bang Camaro and the rest is history. Superego had outsold all of my previous records combined, was the first of my records played on the radio, the first time people danced to my music, I won an award for one of the songs (it was local but you know what I mean) there's an audience now albeit a small one, so following up something like that can be a little intimidating.
Fortunately I have enough of what worked last time to make me comfortable. Jake and Rob are the Rhythm Section, I'm back at Range Recording Studios, I've got my gear, and a few songs that I like in my back pocket. I was running late, Jake was there when I arrived as we waited on Rob and Joe to show up. I go to grab a six pack as Joe walks into the studio.
Joe Bisirri, the producer/engineer for this particular project. Skinny guy mad scientist type. Primarily I know him from beign the bassist for one of my favorite local bands City Line. As I got to know him I learned he was producing their stuff and he'd really whipped them into shape. He'd done some work with Mat Duke and John Legend so I figured someone with that broad a body of work would know what to do with me. We've had a few meetings prior to this session. He's heard the tunes and he has a bunch of stuff in a box, mics and stuff and as Rob arrives he uses the next two hours setting up drums. I'm a little anxious, cause I'm paying by the hour but he's assuring me it will be worth it.
Two hours pass and we begin to lay down tracks the way we did it before the three of us in a room playing some music. One thing was extremely apparent as the sessions progressed...that Joe wasn't gonna let anything just slide by. Didn't matter how long it took we were gonna get good takes. Also we're gonna be relaying down guitars. I do prefer the sound of the three pieces playing together but making this record is going to be about stretching and doing stuff I hadn't done previously which is what it should always be about.
Fast forward 8 hours later we got exactly half of what we needed. We're behind where I'd like us to be but the stuff sounds awesome
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Counter
