album one - june update
The songs have been finished, lyrics finalised, demos made. Now I’m in the midst of recording the final parts, reviewing the takes and getting ready for mixing.
Some of the songs started life back in 2019 when I was completing my Master’s in Songwriting and Production at the University of South Wales. We were given endless prompts, tasks and challenges and every time I picked up an instrument, sat down with a notepad or just found myself with a moment alone and idea would pop into my head.
As I finalise the songs I’ll go into more detail about the process and the meaning.
For now, I want to thank Andrew Sanders at King’s Road Studios for his help with the core sessions. He very much took the lead in capturing excellent takes by Lucas Eldridge which helped the songs feel so much more alive and vibrant. Sanders also added plenty of tambourine, shaker and cabasa. As a drummer it takes him a lot less time than me to lock into a tempo and find the right rhythm to compliment a drum part.
We also re-amped the bass and keyboard parts. This gave them so much more character, as they had been initially recorded at home straight into my computer or using plugins. Sending the signals back out into amps then recording them with a mic responding in real time to air being moved, then sending those signals back in through rack compressors and EQs, it added the colour and tone that was missing from the demos.
The vocals have been tracked in two ways. Sessions at USW with Finn (of Small Miracles) were great for the parts where I needed to open up and sing loud. Finn is a great coach for this as a big, bold, performative singer. Having them gesturing and responding from the control room really helped me instil a live energy to the big choruses on the album. Some of the mic choices also brought out the necessary breathiness in chilly songs like Cold Air.
However, I found it more effective to track the most emotional and personal lyrics at home. I could take and re-take a line repeatedly without worrying about using another person’s time and energy, getting the phrasing just how I needed it to be.
There are two songs left to track, which we plan to capture as live takes. I’ll play guitar and sing simultaneously, capture a few options and pick the one that feels best.
Beyond that, some ear candy has been commissioned from Freyja Elsy and Jim Webster will be adding banjo to the opener then, I think I’ll be ready to mix.
