Thursday 4 August 2011

So much news, so little time to inform you of it!

24 hours in a day is NOT enough, and I have felt that more than ever the last couple of weeks. I've been desperately trying to juggle between rehearsing/recording/gigging in three bands, recording bands at the studio, recording bands NOT at the studio, mixing said recordings, moving into a new flat in Sandgate (and trying to survive when half of our stuff still hasn't been delivered), adopting a cat (he's called Alan), participating in a photo shoot and so on...

Anyway, I've managed to find a few minutes between tidying the flat and leaving for the studio (for more tidying before Zorzilla arrive) in order to update my blog, at the request of Thom from Ruby's Wishes/Yes We Canada!

So let's start there: the new two-track recording from Yes We Canada is being mastered today by my good friend Oz Craggs, I'm looking forward to hearing it. I recorded it live early last week up at the studio - everyone in one room, amps cranked up to the hilt, it sounds dirty as hell thanks to some serious compression combined with the URS 'Saturation' plugin across the mix buss. As if that wasn't enough dirt I've then run the stereo mix through two channels on the desk with the gain cranked up into the red on the way in, and a nice bit of the DDA channel EQ which has tied the mix together nicely. You can expect to hear one of those songs on my radio feature on Academy FM next Monday (105.9), and it'll be on my website MP3 player soon too!

The Ruby's Wishes mixes are nearly finished, just one vocal bit to record and then I can finish them off. I'm really pleased with the way they sound, can't beat a '4 mics on the kit' setup either! Yes, it was just a kick (D112), top snare ('57), floor tom ('57) and a C414 (mono overhead). You can expect to hear those songs in the next couple of weeks.

Today I have the awesome Zorzilla in the studio, laying down a couple of new songs, they should be really fun to record - we're going to go for that whole Dinosaur Jr/Hum HUGE guitar sound, out comes the JCM800 then!

Loads more stuff lined up over the coming weeks, including Tony King, new Blaise Paisel recording, the largely anticipated new Chutes EP, the new Jairus EP and a cool Rockabilly band in next week!

I'm also going to make the effort to do some more 'solo' stuff - I have a little recording setup at home by the beach in Sandgate and am looking for people to collaborate with me, interested?

Cool!