Where there's a will there is a paycheck
I'm sitting here listening to the songs recorded for the second album Chris and I have been working on. I realized a moment ago that I never really went over the recording processes we've gone through over recording this second round of songs. The first album, Since Pangaea, I wrote about in this journal a lot I feel. But the thing about Since Pangaea is that while it started out as a collection of songs chosen from a wide range that we had composed and recorded demos of some before (I actually have a copy of the initial recordings that I have labeled in a collection as Since Valbaara) and during the actual process of recording the album we already kind of had the track list set, minus a couple adjustments (two or three songs were replaced with brand new ones). While the songs were composed separate we still only recorded probably 16-17 songs, with the final track list ending up as a 15 song album. Chris and I were also learning a lot about the recording process. There was a lot to tell, and it was all pretty focused. We had set goals in mind from the start to the finish.
With 20th Century Music however, we didn't have a deadline. We didn't have a track list. What we did have was an ever growing number of songs we were composing and then just recording, for nothing more than the mere sake of recording them. We decided to re-record old numbers like Devil in a Green Dress, Sex, Drugs & Celebrity, This Drink, Just A Body, and Your Mistake. We finally got around to completing and recording old compositions like Union Park, Magic Tricks For Loan Sharks, Gearhead, Never Break Free, and Let's Destroy Everything. We started composing brand new material and recording it nearly immediately. We ended up with 32 new songs recorded, and over 30 composed and waiting for their chance to be recorded. I can honestly say that, while I'm not crazy about every song, I am proud of each one Chris and I have composed. I think they're all good, or have the potential to be good if reworked. The way each of the songs find their own voice, own inspirations, yet still able to join their siblings as one cohesive family. Sure, some may be cousins rather than siblings, but all are identifiable as David Lee songs I think.
Since Pangaea was exciting to release just because Chris and I hadn't released an album legitimately before that. We put out all the stops we could afford on that. We gave it as professional a polish we could muster. I designed complete album art for it. We outsourced for the mix to actual engineers. We registered copyrights. We got a UPC code. We had copies pressed for it. We got it distributed to iTunes, Amazon, and a number of other online retailers. We have a BandCamp page, and a Facebook page. The one thing I regret not doing for it, which was a major faux pas, was not marketing it. Period. I'm surprised we got the sales and listens we did. There was an intention to make some music videos for the songs And I Was, Mary Never Had A Chance, Blindsided, and Revolving Door. Right now I'm finally working on a video for And I Was, about halfway done with it. Ordered a Zoom Q3 so we could record performances with some sharp sound quality to throw onto YouTube. Some might cry "too little too late" but the way I see it, if nobody knows about you anyway then you haven't really had a chance to fade away yet.
Anyway, 20th Century Music is exciting in its own way, now that it is nearing completion. Before, when we referred to songs for it we just had a vague idea of what kind of sound the album should have and how "this song would be really cool to have on the second album". But the only 2 songs we knew were going to make it were Union Park and Mars, and unsure about anything beyond that. It's exciting to know that not a single song will be on the album just for the sake of making it longer. It's exciting that we have to cut 17 songs for the album, not replace 3/4 with new material. I've always loved composing and recording, just the whole making music process.
This album (and the next one) has basically been an exercise in composition, and in a much shorter time than most musicians (less than a year for over half the material). I'm also excited by the variation in themes in the songs. From celebrity excess, self destruction and nostalgic reminiscence, to the loss of loved ones, turning into robots and a message to cheer up, emo kids. There's even a song about expatriating from Earth. The amount of sardonic and cynical lyrics has been upped as well, which is probably one of the only things my lyrics really have in common with my attitude these days.
One of the most exciting things to happen though is that Chris and I have finally found our groove with recording for this album. We come up with bass lines and drum tracks without too much effort, the vocal harmonies have become a cinch to compose, and our red dot efficiency has skyrocketed to where we for the most part only really record what we need. On Since Pangaea, Chris recorded maybe 10-15 solos for Simply Strange. I'm not lying. And I listened to each one. It was not fun. This time we sometimes come up with a basic solo outline and maybe 2 variations on it. Most of the solos are fully composed though, and double/quadtracked (if necessary to be multitracked). We're less fearful of straying from acoustic guitar, but also appreciate its placement enough still to still feature it plentifully. Compositionally speaking, the songs have more depth than ever but still maintain that surface hummability essential to any pop number.
As of this typing Chris and I still haven't figured on the 15 song track listing for 20th Century Music yet. We're conducting a private taste test, seeing what songs survey says we should put on it. We have an internal list of about 9 or 10, with no particular order. Survey results so far are showing a trend with some songs though, meaning we may have a track list sooner than later.
Exciting times.
With 20th Century Music however, we didn't have a deadline. We didn't have a track list. What we did have was an ever growing number of songs we were composing and then just recording, for nothing more than the mere sake of recording them. We decided to re-record old numbers like Devil in a Green Dress, Sex, Drugs & Celebrity, This Drink, Just A Body, and Your Mistake. We finally got around to completing and recording old compositions like Union Park, Magic Tricks For Loan Sharks, Gearhead, Never Break Free, and Let's Destroy Everything. We started composing brand new material and recording it nearly immediately. We ended up with 32 new songs recorded, and over 30 composed and waiting for their chance to be recorded. I can honestly say that, while I'm not crazy about every song, I am proud of each one Chris and I have composed. I think they're all good, or have the potential to be good if reworked. The way each of the songs find their own voice, own inspirations, yet still able to join their siblings as one cohesive family. Sure, some may be cousins rather than siblings, but all are identifiable as David Lee songs I think.
Since Pangaea was exciting to release just because Chris and I hadn't released an album legitimately before that. We put out all the stops we could afford on that. We gave it as professional a polish we could muster. I designed complete album art for it. We outsourced for the mix to actual engineers. We registered copyrights. We got a UPC code. We had copies pressed for it. We got it distributed to iTunes, Amazon, and a number of other online retailers. We have a BandCamp page, and a Facebook page. The one thing I regret not doing for it, which was a major faux pas, was not marketing it. Period. I'm surprised we got the sales and listens we did. There was an intention to make some music videos for the songs And I Was, Mary Never Had A Chance, Blindsided, and Revolving Door. Right now I'm finally working on a video for And I Was, about halfway done with it. Ordered a Zoom Q3 so we could record performances with some sharp sound quality to throw onto YouTube. Some might cry "too little too late" but the way I see it, if nobody knows about you anyway then you haven't really had a chance to fade away yet.
Anyway, 20th Century Music is exciting in its own way, now that it is nearing completion. Before, when we referred to songs for it we just had a vague idea of what kind of sound the album should have and how "this song would be really cool to have on the second album". But the only 2 songs we knew were going to make it were Union Park and Mars, and unsure about anything beyond that. It's exciting to know that not a single song will be on the album just for the sake of making it longer. It's exciting that we have to cut 17 songs for the album, not replace 3/4 with new material. I've always loved composing and recording, just the whole making music process.
This album (and the next one) has basically been an exercise in composition, and in a much shorter time than most musicians (less than a year for over half the material). I'm also excited by the variation in themes in the songs. From celebrity excess, self destruction and nostalgic reminiscence, to the loss of loved ones, turning into robots and a message to cheer up, emo kids. There's even a song about expatriating from Earth. The amount of sardonic and cynical lyrics has been upped as well, which is probably one of the only things my lyrics really have in common with my attitude these days.
One of the most exciting things to happen though is that Chris and I have finally found our groove with recording for this album. We come up with bass lines and drum tracks without too much effort, the vocal harmonies have become a cinch to compose, and our red dot efficiency has skyrocketed to where we for the most part only really record what we need. On Since Pangaea, Chris recorded maybe 10-15 solos for Simply Strange. I'm not lying. And I listened to each one. It was not fun. This time we sometimes come up with a basic solo outline and maybe 2 variations on it. Most of the solos are fully composed though, and double/quadtracked (if necessary to be multitracked). We're less fearful of straying from acoustic guitar, but also appreciate its placement enough still to still feature it plentifully. Compositionally speaking, the songs have more depth than ever but still maintain that surface hummability essential to any pop number.
As of this typing Chris and I still haven't figured on the 15 song track listing for 20th Century Music yet. We're conducting a private taste test, seeing what songs survey says we should put on it. We have an internal list of about 9 or 10, with no particular order. Survey results so far are showing a trend with some songs though, meaning we may have a track list sooner than later.
Exciting times.