Weszt

Recording this week, focusing on scratch tracks and studio setup. Things are off to a good start. Acoustic guitar sounds gorgeous and bass is coming together after a bit of work. Not too shabby for a few hours of work out of a spare bedroom. Encouraged. This is a new direction, not meant to be Weszt by any means, something different. Danceable, less burden on the vocals. Plenty of time to experiment, so I guess we’ll all find out where this goes.

I’ve got plenty of songs, though I intend to write a lot more as the album shapes up. Might not wait until I’ve got a full albums worth to release since I’ll likely just got straight to digital out the door.

That’s it for now.

My wife, Kelley, made this fully edible gingerbread cathedral that’s sitting on our mantel. Not bad, huh?

Merry Christmas everybody!

Inspired by a new demo I’ve been working on, I’ve decide to go ahead and launch the new Weszt Lab where I’ll be sharing things that I’m working on in my humble home studio. The recordings might be rough at times (especially since I don’t have the luxury of working with my producers here in the Pacific Northwest) but my hope is that you’ll enjoy hearing the new stuff in their infant state. Helps me stay close to everybody while I’m working towards the next big thing.

I’ve got another demo or two nearly done so don’t expect too much time between updates.

Visit: The Weszt Lab

Thanks everybody out there on the Easzt Coaszt!

Like any writer, I’ve got my crutches. I’m a big fan of descending chromatics and love to bounce between major and minor keys with vocal melodies. So much damn richness in there… the temptation is always strong. Furthermore straightforward major progressions are challenging in the banality; I tend to avoid them.

One could argue that these attributes are just my style and that could be true, but there’s no growth in complacency and I didn’t break away from gig life to write more of the same. These caves might go much deeper if I’m willing to explore. Exploring I am.

Bridges in songs have always been thorny sports but in my willingness to evolve (or just get out of evolutions way), I’m facing them with new determination and enthusiasm. Still not to easy when you can’t wait for a song to be finished; Christmas Day is coming every time. Writing in a frenzy of inspiration is romantic and all – and those waves hit me in fits – but sometimes you just have to craft. So this week we find our main character burning through bridges on at least three songs, hopeful that they can walk without crutches. Feels like progress. Time will tell.

On my playlist this week, November 22, 2010.

1. Cage the Elephant
2. Black Angels
3. Black Mountain
4. Stone Temple Pilots
5. Trombone Shorty