As you, my friends and supporters, might remember, recording had been delayed due to sound issues in my new abode. I can’t say I’ve 100% solved them, but workable solutions have been found and recording has resumed. In the time it took to tackle these issues, I’ve thrown out a number of contendor songs and have written more towards a particular vision which seems like it could be realized.

My vision for Ashen Mix and its songs are roughly as follows:

• Dance beats
• Drum and bass oriented songs
• Low volume vocals (as much as possible)
• Less woe-is-me or damn-I-suck-so-much type lyrics (try and have fun)
• Make the guitar do damn near anything
• Keep it all lo-fi and digital

So that being said, here is a link to an MP3 of the first song that really sums up Ashen Mix: “There Goes”.

Download: There Goes (MP3)

I hope you’re all having a great year so far and hope to see you at live gig real soon.

Setting up the studio in L.A. has not been without it’s challenges. New apartment with new sound issues… guess I was spoiled in the last location. So while I’ve been hunting the source of all these noise issues, I’ve been writing and that’s put me on a better path.

Over twenty songs have been sketched out for Ashen Mix so far, but unfortunately most – despite how amazing they might be – don’t quite fit the vision. Seven, however, do and only one has been shared so far (“There Goes”). I’m inclined to stick with these seven and put them online as some sort of collection (“E.P.” seems weird without a pressing), maybe sharing them as they’re completed.

Hopefully this weekend I get the noise issues resolved and proper recording can continue so we can get to the sharing.

Don’t get the wrong idea – I’ll be living there. Already am, as a matter of fact, but recording is still on hold while we search for a more permanent residence. Excited to be here and with all the energy of Southern California, I’d be surprised if that all doesn’t have an influence on the music.

However, not all is wine and roses. U-Haul got robbed during our move and both Weszt-era Guild Jumbo 12-strings were stolen along with a Variax which we used to duplicate the sitar and other studio only sounds. A lot of love and history in those acoustics and a terrible way to close a chapter. I try not to think about the loss. Still doesn’t seem real. We will try to replace them, but how can you replace things like that? At least my bass and Fender Strat were in the other car.

So for now, I’ll be focusing mostly on lyrics, new song ideas, and getting used to Los Angeles. Big change from Corvallis, Oregon, I assure you, but a good one. I’m more than thrilled to be close to rock bands again. Ready to rejoin them.

That’s about it for now.

Unfortunately the Ashen Mix sessions are on hold for the moment as I relocate to a new home and state. More on that soon.

Despite travel, a massive head cold, and an ear infection, writing continues. I’m collaborating a little as well with an old friend so that’s added a new influence to the mix (*cough*) which so far has produced exciting results. I’ve got several new songs going, though I’m taking the opportunity away from the studio to focus on lyrics and other ideas.

For fun, can you guess from this picture where I’ve been lately?

Yes, I actually have blistered my fingers trying to perfect the guitars for the new recording.

So it looks like the new release will be called “Like Warm Honey” – album name, not the name of the “group”. Still plenty of time to change one’s mind, but that name’s stuck for a while now.

Here are the names of the songs that look to make the initial release:

1. Great Escape
2. Joyrider
3. Love Song in Hell
4. Sober
5. Pulls You Under
6. Getting Over

There are many others in the works, but these so far look like they will be the first. I plan to release a few initially and then the others as they wrap up.

Hopefully soon you’ll hear the damn group name!

I tell you what, this whole DIY, lo-fi, do-or-die recording experience is a roller coaster. Exciting one minute, depressing the next. But all in all, the tracks just keep getting better.

This week has been almost entirely recording bass and guitar. Then recording them again. And yet again.

Performance is everything.

It’s entirely possible that I can copy and paste what I need but that’s crap. That’s sterile and the music will sound that way. I’m already relying on the computer for my drum sounds (nothing programmed, just the sounds) but that musician is tight. There’s no wiggle room with that guy, you’ve got to hit your marks every day time.

When I started this whole process, I’d never really played bass. Took me a while to get any measure of skill and there’s no guarantee I’ll be considered a real bass player when I finish. However it’ll be tight and I’m already proud of the work.

“Great Escape” is likely to be the opening track and I’m more or less working on songs in order of release… so hopefully I give my fingers a short break from tracking soon. Hard to type with all my fingers aching!

If you happened to catch it, I posted a rough demo of “Great Escape” a week or two ago. I also promptly pulled it.

I knew when I posted the demo that there were problems in the bridge. I thought I could live with them for a little while. I thought wrong. Besides I think posting rough demos of the new music was a cheap ploy to find a little encouragement and I need to concentrate and stay true to my vision. Thanks to those who “liked” it.

So I’ve started final production. “Final”, mind you, is a loose term for how I’m doing things because I don’t intend to record a whole bunch of songs and then release them as a collection. I’ll wrap up one or two, launch under the new name, and release more tracks as I finish them. I hope to have a full collection done by December, the first as early as September.

That being said, September is just a few weeks away and I nearly blistered a finger or two trying to nail the bass part on the bridge of “Great Escape” tonight. Two hours and just couldn’t get in the pocket.

I’ll rant and rave more soon.

Quick update from a recording session for the new stuff.