last couple of months...

Well I've been lazy about posting here for the past few months. In that time I've been working on a couple of things. I started the new Great North album  and we demo'd all the songs live (some photos from Strahans blog) Now we're just waiting for Olly to be back from Hawaii (where he is helping build an airport or something?)

 

I've also been recording some more things on Teacups EP and a few things have been chipped away at on the Watercolours album. Plus I recorded on some demos for Dan&Dave Gibsons new project (I might post some photos from them later if they surface, they took heaps so I didn't bother). 

This last weekend I recorded the start of some quieter songs with Hayden from Great North. 

 

 

Also Glass Owls recently made a video for their song "Griffin Boy" that I recorded a year and a bit ago

Anyway I'm off on tour doing sound for Avalanche City tomorrow for a couple of weeks so thought I should post before I leave. When I get back I've got plenty to do and some new projects starting up soon that I am very excited about.

Foothills.

 Photos from The Foothills. All photos taken by Esther Parker.

 

Christmas Album - Glass Owls

Just finished recording Glass Owls christmas song. I think they showed up with it in mind of being quite folky and had ideas to record cello and violin etc... By the time they left it was sounding more Smiths/Cure/Joy Division-y.



I played drums and listening back to them now I'm actually really surprised at how well that worked out. I used a cymbal and hi hat sample from another song I'd recorded recently. Then the drums are just a floor tom and snare with the Beatles trick on the snare drum (top skin almost fully loose with a teatowl half covering it). We also made a sample of a snare hit with tambourine on top of it which I doubled the end snares with. No photos or video of me playing drums fortunately (I probably looked ridiculous)


Michael came to and played some casiotone organ DI'd through my sansamp to get it a bit dirtier sounding. He also features in the gang vocal...

Glass Owls EP Release

Weow! Glass Owls release their EP "Dead Love" Next Friday.

I recorded it a few months ago here at Little Monster, you can find some posts about recording it HERE

Juice Bar - Artisan Guns, Glass Owls, Welfare Mothers

Friday night I was doing sound at the Juice Bar for Artisan Guns, Glass Owls and Welfare mothers. It was a pretty fun show. I am not the biggest fan of Juice Bars PA system, they have a limiter on the FOH that kicks in really early and all the mids are sucked like crazy. But this is all as protection from people who have no idea what they're up to. Really I don't blame them for being overprotective, its just a wee bit frustrating.

Despite this I love a good "family show" as Anthony from Glass Owls put it. Great turn out, Great performances and fun was had by all (especially when members from all 3 bands were on stage to cover Time of the Season by the Zombies and then Light and Day by The Polyphonic Spree) Also I really enjoyed Welfare Mothers set! Good.

Next weekend; Splore.

Glass Owls

Artisan Guns

Glass Owls Day 4

Finished tracking for all 6 songs yesterday, got some more guitar, handclaps, tambourine, shaker, vocals, backing vocals and clarinet all done!

It was my first time tracking a Clarinet (well up close anyway, I have recorded them in orchestras before) and I think it was a success. I opted for a mic that I knew was very sensitive and not too coloured; the Blue Kiwi (it also happened to be already set up!) Sounded great, captured all the air and detail!

EP is sounding really good, now I have to get cracking on mixing it all!

Glass Owls Day 3

Day three of Glass Owls EP tracking, Tomas showed up first thing this morning with some rather impressive bandages (due to a small incident whilst longboarding at considerable speeds)(apparently) Fortunately he only had one song left on guitar! We almost finished all the guitar parts today, (we had an idea for one more just as they were leaving) and we finished vocals on a couple of tracks.

Tomorrows plan: finish vocals for 4 remaining songs, record some clarinet, handclaps tambourine and shaker.


I love spending days geeking out on guitars.

Glass Owls day 2

Glass Owls again today, we got drums bass and acoustic tracked on the remaining 3 songs and then started some electric guitar tracking. It gets pretty hot in studios generally when they don't have air conditioning, it was SO HOT today in my room with the doors and windows closed and up to 5 of us in one room with doors and windows closed playing drums etc... So we made sure to take lots of breaks and managed not to die. Chris Tom and I went to feed the Chickens, they are lots of fun.

Pretty pleased with how everything is going, I'm looking forward to hopefully finishing electric guitar tomorrow and starting on some vocals.