Dead Meadow is Recording a Haunting New Record!
At the time of this writing, we are in Sunset Sound recording our fifth studio album, and third for Matador Records. Sunset Sound is definitely haunted by lots of history. Apparently, the ghost of Jim Morrison walks the secret storage rooms and echo chambers in this fifty-year-old studio on the Sunset Strip. There's a vibe and energy to this place that is totally unique and hopefully an energy that can color our new music.
Click here for the history of Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California.
Even more than the vibes we have received in this sound temple was that of the energy and EVP noises captured during our tracking a month earlier in Indiana. In trying to reach out to our more atmospheric side, we returned to Stephen McCarty's (our drummer) family farm/estate in rural Indiana. The natural setting and a chance "to get away from it all" that first brought us there to record Howls from the Hills (Tolotta Records 2001) drew us back again for this creative endeavor.
Instead of recording tracks in the barn, the fall weather forced us to move the operation into the nearby inn/farmhouse that was the basis of the property. For years this had been abandoned (his grandparents who own the land have always lived in a newer house they built on the other side of the farm) and the old farmhouse was recently rebuilt by his uncle to be used as a guest house.
A totally empty, beautifully restored and warm farm house was definitely a g
reat place to spend the next few weeks tracking the basic instruments. His uncle added some beautiful features that added to the sound and ambience. A huge great room with fourteen-foot ceilings was perfect for the drum sounds. Old cupboards and closets served as great isolation rooms. Even an old architectural well was built into the new kitchen floor. Instead of covering the well up with the new construction, instead they covered it up with thick glass, with a light at the bottom -- a perfect reminder of the building past in the now modern updated kitchen.
The location was perfect but the only problem was the constant haunting issues along the way. At first, we didn't notice it, but soon it became apparent that there are hidden EVP sounds on some of the guitar sounds and buzzing bits. There was even a violin noise from nowhere and walking sounds when no one was upstairs! Luckily we were recording, so we plan to throw some of these sounds on the final piece. I guess it will be something for the heads to trip out to.
[Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) are voices detected in electronic devices that cannot be currently explained with known physical principles. Click here for Wikipedia's definition of EVP sounds.]
To add icing onto the cake of the story, we found out that the last renters of the home (that were there before renovations or even before Howls from the Hills was recorded) broke their lease due to apparitions. These guys were park rangers and one of them even pulled his gun as hand prints walked towards him in the carpet as he was laying there on the bed.
I hope this energy will come across and maybe the good vibes of our music helped this home. I always felt a good vibe even with the weird noises. I like to think something was there. It was just trying to have its voice on the record... like "I can play something, too."
The haunted vaults in the attic of Sunset Sound with tons of old reels. (Zippedoodah, Disney stuff and maybe a lost Doors reel????)
An odd-looking stringed instrument rests on the floor at Sunset Studios between takes.
Playing basketball in the courtyard at Sunset Sound. This photo is taken from Studio 2. On the left is Studio 1 and Studio 3 is on the right.
- Steve Kille