Archive for the ‘Lab’ Category

Apr 2012
03

New, Unfinished Songs in the “Lab” on SoundCloud

Posted in Lab

Write. Record. Experiment. Reflect. And Repeat. That’s basically where I’m at musically – as the faithful few readers of this website probably know. But I’m no longer so content keeping my experiments to myself so I’ve decided, what the hell, let’s put up some works in progress. By works in progress, I mean you’ll likely hear these songs again when they’re better. Then you’ll hear them a few more times and possibly get sick of them.

I’m not promising finished.

But you’ll be expecting it.

I’m not promising professional.

But you’re already hoping for it.

I’m just promising to honesty and a little insight into the writing process of a songwriter/vocalist/guitar player whose music has often been described as good, but hard to market.

So here’s where can checkout a few ditties from the mountain of songs I’m getting a bit closer to finishing:

Mar 2012
27

Works in Progress: Part I (plus new demo)

Posted in Lab

Feeling pent up musically so I’ve decided to start sharing things I’m working on while I’m working on them, warts and all. Risky, I know, since this might leave a lasting bad impression, but what the hell, it’s not like I’m selling these songs (at least not yet).

So that being said, things are coming along slowly but surely.

Recently came the realization I needed to put aside recording and playing long enough to get some lyrics done and tonight I rounded out two songs: “Rock. Don’t Stop” and “Living Out the Fantasy”. I threw down some scratch vocals and here’s out one of them turned out:

Like many songs these days, these one had a code name: “Kasabian”. Took a lot of inspiration from the band (Kasabian, if that wasn’t already obvious) and a slew of late 80s, early 90s British bands like Charlatans UK.

Much work to be done, but the basic ideas all seem to be there.

Jan 2012
05

“There Goes”

Posted in Lab

Project: Ashen Mix/Blisters
Status: Rough demo

Oh hell yeah – I love this f’ing song. Abandoned the original verse after a few suggestions from my good friend, JW, wrote most of the lyrics while driving a U-Haul from Oregon to L.A., and was inspired to write it while watching skateboarders in Budapest and London. Rich history for a song I believe sums up the direction for Ashen Mix.

May 2011
30

Joyrider

Posted in Lab

Project: Like Warm Honey
Status: Rough demo

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This is one of the first tracks I worked on after setting up my basic home studio and a decent representation of where the new music is headed. Lots of focus on rhythm, guitar taking more of a color role. No acoustic here and I don’t expect any on the final tracks.

Anxious to start working on final performances as there is a bit of copy and paste going on. Helped when working out the arrangements, but far too sterile for anything final.

I think it’s all pretty damn interesting. Nervous about feedback, admittedly.