Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Gears Turning Before Knobs


So after doing some initial rehearsal, we’ve been doing some listening and thinking. The most exciting, and perhaps daunting, aspect of recording is the near limitless possibilities. But as much as unbridled creative freedom is enticing, it’s a slippery slope into indecision and paralysis. I guess the trick is giving yourself enough parameters to feel comfortable and even to have something to react against at times. And so we are listening, thinking, reading. The core of the songs are in place, but now is time to breathe life into the vision for the record so when we arrive for the first day of tracking, we know where we are heading—even if the road curves along the way. There is a growing discussion about reverb v. echo that proves how geeky we are. I’m wondering if I can sneak a chorus pedal into the mix. So I’ll go back to listening to the new Phoenix record and think about how we’re going to create a thing of beauty.

—Matt

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Day 3: Rehearsal Part 2


And now this. I might as well have taken a boat to the studio. As I scaled the stairs and neared the practice room, strange echoing, chiming notes emanated forth. “Ah, Tyler is here.” I plug in my bass and Tyler and I loop the chorus to “Orion’s Belt,” as he tries out some slide and Ebow. Soon Mark arrives and we get ready to play, waiting for John to give the cue. We start with “Safe and Sound,” a jangly oldy-but-goodie. John even sits in on the kit while Miguel steps out for a bit. Then it’s on to “Last Day of March.” This one gets toyed with more, as we try speeding up the tempo and rocking out. Tyler is really belting this one out. It will be interesting to see where we end up—more Spoonish or more Trail of Dead or neither. Last on the list is a brand new number, “For You.” We decide to take a more bare and mellow approach, letting the melody soar. We head out to the console room and listen as John goes through the takes from yesterday and today. There’s definitely some good stuff to work with. After sitting with the rough tracks a few days, we’ll come back next Tuesday to run them again. 

—Matt

Songs from the day:
1. Safe and Sound
2. Last Day of March
3. For You

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Day 2: Rehearsal


Howdy sports fans. Here’s the report from Day 2. We set up in Studio B upstairs, a large brick and hardwood floor room. Mark decides to take them up on the offer to use a VOX AC30. The sound is thick in the air—feels great. I plug into an old exposed-top Ampeg tube amp and try out a new pickup booster pedal on the bass. It doesn’t take long to get the sound dialed in and we get to work. First up is “Traces of Gold,” the title track (and my personal new fav). A few minor tweaks and ideas for the arrangement, but this one is mostly ready to go. The biggest change-ups so far are “Day and Night” and “Orion’s Belt.” We slow them down a bit, at John’s request, and they take on more of a roots-rock feel. Seems to be working out quite well and offers a nice balance with the other rockers. 

The energy is good. John, clad in headphones, moves back and forth between the board and the practice room—taking notes, making suggestions, and playing tambourine. We take a break and conversation drifts between European tours and synthesizers. Back at it. Miguel rocks the drums and we try some new approaches. Getting there. Still some things to work out, but we roll through 8 tracks, putting us in great shape for Tuesday. 

—Matt

Songs from Day 2:
1. Traces of Gold
2. Beauty Is Growing
3. Rest
4. Day and Night
5. Superstar Me
6. Shop You Around
7. Orion’s Belt
8. Weather

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Day 1: Meeting with John

It’s a drizzly Sunday afternoon—a fine day to begin an album. Tyler and I arrive at the studio around 1:30, our bellies full of Arby’s, our ears full of My Morning Jacket. We walk upstairs and find with John, Mark and Miguel in the kitchen. There is a cat on the table. After hearing some fish stories from Mark’s weekend, we head upstairs with acoustic guitars and coffee in hand. It’s and honor having John Morand at the helm—having worked with artists like Carbon Leaf and Sparklehorse. It’s raining outside, but inside vibes are good. John pours over his track list and notes. We run through a few songs acoustically, making comments on the structure and possibilities. We play songs and answer John’s questions. He chimes in with new thoughts. Already we have some great ideas taking shape. The verse melody on “Orion’s Belt” has been reworked—John nods enthusiastically. Apparently, this is going to be a rock record. Tomorrow and Tuesday we’ll be rehearsing with Miguel, recording the sessions as bare-bones demo tracks (10-12).  

—Matt

Songs from the day:
1. Traces of Gold
2. Orion’s Belt
3. Safe and Sound
4. Weather
5. Last Day of March
6. Day and Night
7. Rest