One of the master tapes for the album. Bob Katz is doing the mastering out in Florida.
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Saturday, 8 October 2011
Album & Tour Update
I'm getting near the finishing post for the album "A Random Quiet".
I'm still working on the last track. It's called "The Wandering" and it starts off with an electric piano, some picked acoustic guitar and tom-toms. Electric guitars and straight-ahead drums hit in the chorus.
I hope to finish recording and mixing in the next week, before finalising the running order and sending off the tapes for mastering.
You may have already listened to or downloaded some of the tracks on this website. Those early mixes will soon be taken down, to replaced with the finished, mastered versions.
The album will be preceded by a download single, available through Bandcamp. You'll be able to get it in FLAC, Apple Lossless and mp3. The single should be out before Christmas, with the album released in the New Year. "A Random Quiet" will also be made available on CD through Bandcamp and CDBaby, as well as selected record stores and at gigs.
Tour dates are currently being finalised for March & April 2012. I'll be going out solo and performing acoustic guitar renditions of the songs from the album, along with the odd Additional Moog tune. Gigs are being arranged for Germany, Switzerland, UK, Northern Ireland & Ireland.
I'm still working on the last track. It's called "The Wandering" and it starts off with an electric piano, some picked acoustic guitar and tom-toms. Electric guitars and straight-ahead drums hit in the chorus.
I hope to finish recording and mixing in the next week, before finalising the running order and sending off the tapes for mastering.
You may have already listened to or downloaded some of the tracks on this website. Those early mixes will soon be taken down, to replaced with the finished, mastered versions.
The album will be preceded by a download single, available through Bandcamp. You'll be able to get it in FLAC, Apple Lossless and mp3. The single should be out before Christmas, with the album released in the New Year. "A Random Quiet" will also be made available on CD through Bandcamp and CDBaby, as well as selected record stores and at gigs.
Tour dates are currently being finalised for March & April 2012. I'll be going out solo and performing acoustic guitar renditions of the songs from the album, along with the odd Additional Moog tune. Gigs are being arranged for Germany, Switzerland, UK, Northern Ireland & Ireland.
Thursday, 8 September 2011
My EP Only Future
As much as I enjoy putting an album together over time, trying to craft it so it flows like an album should, I realise how long the process can take.
"A Random Quiet" is by far the best thing I've ever recorded and I look forward to finally getting it out there. At the moment I'm recording one last song for the album, called "The Wandering".
Once the album's out I think I'm going to start releasing EPs only. I always used to like buying 12" or 7" EPs when I was growing up. As a musician, EPs are great for capturing the moment. You put out 3-5 songs that you're working on at that moment in time, without them conforming to the idea of an album. Then you move on. I like that process.
What format those EPs take - I'm not sure. They'll come out digitally of course (in FLAC). As for CDs/vinyl etc, one possible idea is to collect 3 or 4 EPs together and release those together on one physical album. I also like 3" CDs - you don't see them often but they look neat.
My first EP for 2012 will probably be "I Remember Old Computer" - 4 songs with an 8 bit/retro gaming theme, complete with prerequisite Sega/Nintendo noises.
The second one will be a really stripped down acoustic guitar/mini drum kit EP - recorded in a church on a hill in winter.
"A Random Quiet" is by far the best thing I've ever recorded and I look forward to finally getting it out there. At the moment I'm recording one last song for the album, called "The Wandering".
Once the album's out I think I'm going to start releasing EPs only. I always used to like buying 12" or 7" EPs when I was growing up. As a musician, EPs are great for capturing the moment. You put out 3-5 songs that you're working on at that moment in time, without them conforming to the idea of an album. Then you move on. I like that process.
What format those EPs take - I'm not sure. They'll come out digitally of course (in FLAC). As for CDs/vinyl etc, one possible idea is to collect 3 or 4 EPs together and release those together on one physical album. I also like 3" CDs - you don't see them often but they look neat.
My first EP for 2012 will probably be "I Remember Old Computer" - 4 songs with an 8 bit/retro gaming theme, complete with prerequisite Sega/Nintendo noises.
Friday, 19 August 2011
Album artwork
Here's a preview of the album cover :
I'm currently mixing the opening track "Bye Bye, Big Blue" which is my favourite of the songs at the moment. Coming soon - a video previewing the songs as they were recorded & mixed.
I'm currently mixing the opening track "Bye Bye, Big Blue" which is my favourite of the songs at the moment. Coming soon - a video previewing the songs as they were recorded & mixed.
Sunday, 14 August 2011
Album and Tour Info
"Hall of Ghosts" is the latest track to be mixed for the album - it was also mixed and edited on analogue tape. An mp3 version is coming soon. Two other songs are left to be mixed "Bye Bye Big Blue" and "Tonight, It's Over" along with a new song that is yet to be recorded called "The Wandering".
Meanwhile, tour dates are starting to be organised for next year with the aim of doing some UK and Europe dates from March through May. These are either going to be solo sets (vocal & acoustic guitar) or as a duo (acoustic guitar and drums).
The artwork is also being worked on for the album cover after a photo shoot in rural North Shropshire.
Meanwhile, tour dates are starting to be organised for next year with the aim of doing some UK and Europe dates from March through May. These are either going to be solo sets (vocal & acoustic guitar) or as a duo (acoustic guitar and drums).
The artwork is also being worked on for the album cover after a photo shoot in rural North Shropshire.
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Album Update
Looks like a rethink is on the cards. I already mixed a track called "Old Computer Instrumental" for the album but its sibling "I Remember Old Computer" (no musical relation) will just not hang together right and one song won't work without the other on the album.
I think I'm going to save that pairing for a future single or EP and write and record a new song specifically for the album. Sonically, it might work better as the Computer songs have that great 8 bit synth sound on them but they might no sit well next to the guitar-based songs.
That means the album will most likely be 8 songs which is great because a) I can think of plenty of classic albums I enjoy that have only 8 songs and b) some of the songs are longer than the usual 3-4 minutes so the running time will still clock in at about 35-40 mins which is good for the old attention span.
The artwork for the album has been photographed too (Sample coming soon) and now I'm deciding on what to call this recording.
I think I'm going to save that pairing for a future single or EP and write and record a new song specifically for the album. Sonically, it might work better as the Computer songs have that great 8 bit synth sound on them but they might no sit well next to the guitar-based songs.
That means the album will most likely be 8 songs which is great because a) I can think of plenty of classic albums I enjoy that have only 8 songs and b) some of the songs are longer than the usual 3-4 minutes so the running time will still clock in at about 35-40 mins which is good for the old attention span.
The artwork for the album has been photographed too (Sample coming soon) and now I'm deciding on what to call this recording.
Monday, 11 July 2011
Hall Of Ghosts in top 10 Overplay chart
The track Giant Water is currently at #10 on Overplay's indie download chart.
http://overplay.com/Chart.aspx
http://overplay.com/Chart.aspx
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