Today was supposed to be a music day but I’m exhausted so I’m not sure if I can record.
I’m going to set everything up for recording anyway after lunch because if I don’t record today, I will on Wednesday or Friday.
At the very least I need to finish the final guitar/vocals on two songs so I can start mixing but I will try for 4.
Playing those shows was good because it made me realize I want to play two songs in lower tuning, not to mention it gave me a chance to memorize the lyrics.
Talking to other bands and artists also helped me realize just how different each persons standards are for themselves.
I started to assume that most independent artists knew how to record themselves. It was something I put off learning for years but when I did I kicked myself because of how easy it was after a week of messing around to figure out how it worked. But many artists don’t know how to use DAWs or don’t have confidence in their own ability.
I can identify 3 camps. Those who know how to use DAWs and may do it well or may not but they want to share something that is completely or mostly self produced. Then there are those who don’t know at all and pay others or ask favors to get it all done. Then there are those in the middle who can use these apps but are going for some very specific sound that is beyond their ability.
I’ve fit into all 3 categories before and I see strong points and weak points to each.
In this day and age I think all artists should try to learn the basics, if for no other reason than to create demos to show to whoever will produce or mix the album. The more they have to work with, the closer they can get to your vision.
Personally I prefer self production right now. I like how it pushes me outside of what I thought I could do, and allows me to explore all different kinds of versions of a song. To do that with someone else steering the ship would require them to be with you for hours upon hours working with you, and that’s either Too expensive or a very very big ask for a friend who isn’t part of your band and equally invested in the outcome.
I like how I can set my own terms as to what is important. I don’t mind a few tiny mistakes that don’t hurt the overall feel of the song. I don’t mind things being imperfect if they have the right energy in them.
I am still hiring a friend to mix because I think my ears are still a little insensitive to nuance.
But after talking to a friend who loves analog recordings, I can see how some people may not love what I produce. The friend I will hire to mix is more of a digital artist, using a lot of studio effects rather than guitar pedals and amp noise.
I don’t have a preference. I like both as long as they fit the work and I think this work works both ways. I’d like to record an analogue version of these songs once I more well versed and know what I’m doing, perhaps a full band version.
For now I’m happy just to record stuff that sounds full and comfortable and lets the melodies shine.
Speaking Leaves
