Solo Practice

"Practice is free," Aaron told us when we met him at the studio, referring to how we can do the work ahead of time and cut down on the amount of paid studio time we'll use for take after take if we'll practice the material before going in. The band can't practice as a whole this week, which is what ultimately cut out a day of recording for us this weekend, but I've been working at home to develop the parts I want to bring to the songs.

I did change the bass strings. I got a thick gauge of strings thinking that's what I'd picked before, but it turns out that I was playing on some very thin bass strings before. I sat last night and readjusted all the knobs on my amp to get a more high end punch to my bass than I used on the last record. I wanted to remove the pops and slurs last time, so I just turned up the bass and turned down the treble tone.

Listening to the Cardigans' first CD recently and a practiced performance with some older gentlemen has led me to re-think my way of playing bass, especially getting ready to go into the studio. I've been so happy with my basslines themselves since playing with the Distractions that I've patted myself on the back a little too much and not focused on how I'm playing them. As a result, I'm kind of a limp guitar player hitting low notes, not a bass player. So I simplified some of my bass lines last night, particularly on "Bring Out Your Dead," envisioning the basslines as pillars on the beat. I hope it will translate to the record. I also spent a lot of time working on my touch of the notes, practicing playing without slurs and hitting solid, precise notes. There were a number places, particularly in "The Great Stink," where I'd kept saying, "I'll fix that later." Well, later is now on the brink of recording these songs, and I went through and worked out the fills and runs as best I could in a one-night, one-man jam session.

With the last record, the song I developed the most vision for was "Elephants," coming up with several parts to overdub that made a significant change to the song. For this record, the song I've had in mind has been "Bring Out Your Dead." Shaking a tambourine requires a lot more precision than one might think, and I've played along with some live recordings trying to get my shimmy just right. I also envisioned a 12-string part for the song, and I practiced it while I'd let my aching and now muscular wrist get a break. I kept thinking that I could just tell Daniel what to do, and he could play it better than I could even with my practice. It may be humbling, but I may just pass that off to him in the studio tomorrow.

The final practice is tonight.
Then we set up at the studio.
Then we have a band slumber party.

To Change or Not to Change

The time to enter the studio is near, and I'm being forced to make a decision that I finally voiced with Daniel (He needs a nickname to distinguish him from Mr. Catsnatcher. That's how we roll. When you have 2 Matts, make one of them "Mattfi," but I digress...). I have been exceedingly pleased with my bass tones. After we played the first Distractions show back in '07, I bought a new amp and changed the original strings on my bass. I don't know when I felt I was sounding better than when I was playing a much more expensive bass through a much bigger and more expensive vintage amp, but it was shortly thereafter.

Now, on the way into the studio, I'm trying to decide if I should change my strings or not. The argument not to change stems from James Jamerson, who recorded all of the electric bass parts for Motown on one set of strings on the same bass. They sound great with a very worn-in sound. With that in mind, since I'm happy with the sound I'm getting, why change it? The other side of the argument is Mike Watt, who breaks strings so regularly in his live shows that he is definitely always playing on a new set of strings. I would say that I hope my bass sounds for this record mimic Double Nickels on the Dime more than Motown, and I'm also afraid that the tone I love so much won't come through on the record as it definitely didn't on Whimsical in Reverse (though, admittedly, we're playing in a completely different ballgame now).

But the conundrum doesn't stop there. A bass doesn't usually sound like a bass should with new strings on it. There's a metallic sound in the way the strings pronounce slurs when you don't carefully move your fingers along them, more like an acoustic guitar does.

I plan on buying new strings this evening and popping in a movie while I change them, but the reservations I have are not completely done away with. And who can remember what gauge or brand of strings to buy from one time to the next if one waits so long to change them?

Whiskey Rebellion Video

Check out a melding of two live performances of "Whiskey Rebellion." The first is from Springwater and features guest Distraction Mattfi. The second part is from the night before at the Boro, where I wasn't flailing about nearly as much.



Excitement about going to the studio grows.

Confirmation

Well, KELLY says he won't post anymore betwixt now and when we enter the studio, but I'm sure I'll have plenty of mundane minutiae to share with you.

We are confirmed to enter the studio the week after next. Daniel will be out of town this coming week, so we'll be practicing the following week. We have the option to set up on Thursday, March 26th, but that will depend on our practice schedule. After that, we will be in the studio recording on Friday night, March 27th, all day Saturday, and part of the day on Sunday morning, unless something comes up to deter us.

It feels good to have some news on this front. We've brought these songs to a certain point, and it almost feels like we can't concentrate on writing any more of the record until these are escorted by the hand to the next level. I intend to take a step back after that and really ask where we want the record to go after we can listen to and begin to digest the first half of recorded songs. There are some serious questions to be asked and plenty of new songs to be written, and I'm glad to have the first dates scheduled so we can move along with this grandiose project.

Back and Forth

We made some plans to go into the studio at the end of March. Those plans got shattered. Now there are new plans for the same weekend. Maybe those will get shattered, maybe it will happen. Tha D told me today i should stop talking about the studio and my anxious feelings will go away.

So...Our next post will from the studio. It gives you, the reader, something to look forward to reading.

We had to cancel a show on friday. I hate doing that. Actually, it's a first for me. But come ready to rock on April 25th at the Boro. We will have stories of the studio by that time and possibly a few new tunes.

Fingers are crossed that the stars are aligned for us to be in the studio two weeks from today!!!

Demos and iTunes

According to Peach, our EP "Whimsical In Reverse" will be available on iTunes in the next few weeks. How cool is that?

I've been busy making more demos for this record. Our plans to get started in April may be skewed a bit but thats ok. Just more time to prepare. Getting 6 people in the same room for two days straught is easier said than done. And we want everyone present and involved.

The recent excitement has caused a little bit of writer's block. The last few songs have come so quickly, my brain is telling me to take a rest. I have been working on some non-history songs to curb my creative drip. A newer song called "How Do We Make It Fly" is in the works. This song will be about theWright brothers and their flying machine. How people were present at Kitty Hawk? 12. And it was history. The smaller the crowd, the more legendary the event becomes.

I have also discovered the use of our PA mixer with the 4 track. Hello reverberated vocals!!

We are playing next friday March 13th @ The French Quarter Cafe in East Nashville. Come out if you want to rock.

We Actually Do Stuff

It looks like we may get started on this new record sooner than we expected. Some details and scheduling need to be ironed out but I feel confident that it can happen.

I would call us "unstoppable" these days. Every show we "bring it." We get better and better. Which is why it's time to go capture all this in the studio. We harp on practice, and "getting ready to record" but I feel we are ready. Never been more ready.

Details. I have been sitting at my piano for the last few weeks trying my hardest to come up with parts for the record. These need to be somewhat thought out so it doesn't take up too much time. I've got piano and organ ideas for 4 songs. I have always felt that overdubs are mundane and take away from the true spirit of the band but thats what live shows are about. I don't people expect us to bust out the boys choir on stage. Although, I do have a patch on my synth that emulates that. Certain songs will get "overdubs" and some special treatment, while others have the ability to stand alone. I don't want to fill up the tracks with a bunch of noise for the sake of having something there, so these pre-game ideas are handy. Most of my piano and organ parts are simple. They just need to be present and not drive the song. There are plenty of other elements that drive our songs, whether it be a bass line, drums, or riff. Little details are fun and exciting. Just like pedals. Which is another set of rambling I could save for another blog. At the end of the day, no matter what we do, the "live" feel will be preserved. I want people to "feel" this album. or atleast have the listener get "pumped" to come to a show.

This band actually DOES STUFF. I have been in many other bands before and we play some shows, rock a few parties, and when it comes time to make something out of it for the sake of preservation, it all falls apart. The fact that we made an EP and are now going through the motions of doing another record like any other band we love and enjoy seems a tad bit unreal to me. But then again, having people show up and sing a long seems unreal also. It makes me happy that this small unit has been creatively stimulated for almost 2 years now. Having a drummer that cares is a plus. I like to think we don't care, but it's more like we are grounded in reality rather than "not caring." Being grounded in reality allows you to continue to write, oerform, and make records all seem exciting every time you do it. Nothing is mundane or feels like a chore. Thats what the history album is all about, we feel lucky, so we're gonna do it! Ian Mckaye once said "running a record label is my something to do, without it, I would be bored and in jail." He's right. The Distractions are "something to do" and even after all this history stuff, there is PLENTY more to do. As long as there is a show to play, a song to write, a recording to make, an album sleeve to design, etc etc. We will keep trucking.