Monday 31 August 2009

Recording the stickittothe man way....


The ability to make the best of and adapt to a shitty situation is a virtue of character and this is no less true in the case of the struggle most musicians are currently facing to adapt to the digitalisation and subsequent devaluation of music.

So it seems proper, then, to focus on the advantages of the new climate- the most exciting one to me being that you can very easily and cheaply make the record that you want to make without the overbearing presence of a label who behave as if the debt that you owe them should be paid back with artistic integrity being the currency.

For the past two weeks, i've been absorbing myself in the home-recording process. I've been lucky enough to be surrounded by awesome musicians, engineers and friends who have been willing to help out and its turning into an increasingly ambitious project- an eight piece band, a string quartet to record next week and a beautifully grand, but lo-fi sound that's been forming out of it all.

The EP, which will have anything up to seven tracks on it, will be released entirely independently by me and my friends, handpressed and screen-printed from my flat between me, my other half and my sister (plus whoever else winds up getting sucked in). I'll probably put it out digitally if i can get my head around iTunes.

I can't speak objectively about my own performing abilities or songwriting, but the level of musicianship of my band has made this the most fun and exciting project i've ever worked on. Its still in the very formative stages, but i can already see how beautifully this first wave of songs has been contributed to by a lot of really amazing, creative people with keen ears already. Its gonna be bitchin'.

Jo
xxo

More as it comes.