Band Update

Once again, I’ve become a bit slow at updating this blog.  But there have been reasons!  Not having anywhere to live and no job certainly takes your time away! 

But, I’ve also been working pretty hard at getting the band’s online presence sorted out.  So after a lot of jangling trying to figure out whether to use WordPress, Moonfruit, or go static, we opted to go for a WordPress.org site using LCN for the domain name and hosting.  It’s actually not that bad price-wise.  Buying the domain name and hosting cost us around £67 for one year.  Not much point paying for a long time because you don’t really know how long your band is going to be around, but let’s hope for all our sakes it does stick around for some time!  You can find the website here.  Not all pages have content yet but you can treat yourself to a news entry, band biogrpahy and photo gallery.  More content is coming so keep checking back.

You can also now find us on Twitter and somewhere in the ether of Facebook there is also a fan page.  Although, I have to admit that I’m not really sure how useful the fan page is on Facebook.  So far I’ve not found it particularly useful but we’ll see how it goes.  We also have a YouTube channel – phew, I’m pretty tired just thinking about all the social media stuff that needs to be implemented into the average musician’s life these days.

We have our first gig coming up on the 26th August at Henry’s Cellar Bar in Edinburgh courtesy of the Bainbridge Music Showcase.  I must stress though that all bands looking for gigs need to be aware of promoters still expecting you to pay to play.  Matt Stevens puts it pretty well here so I don’t really need to go into it again but all I can say is that I did turn down a gig on my band’s behalf because they were expecting us to cough up £100 to play with other local bands.  If we were really lucky we’d get £50 back if we sold all the tickets so we’d still be £50 out of pocket.  When I stressed with this promoter that I didn’t agree with pay to play as I thought it was taking advantage of musicians, he told me he was a musician himself and pay to play was standard.  They’ll honestly tell you anything to get your money so please, when gig hunting, don’t fall for this.  The more musicians that agree to it, the more promoters will get away with it.  The nature of being a promoter is that it’s their responsibility to organise and promote the gig.  If they are doing it purely to make money out of the bands then they are in the wrong industry.  But don’t fear, there are good guys out there so when you find them just make sure you stick with them and recommend them to your musician pals.

I’ve got some equipment stuff coming up that I need to post so expect that up soon and links to some other stuff I’ve been up to so stay tuned for that.

Researching the Future of Music and Discovering Music 2.0

I’ve been reading my ass off with every little piece of info I can find about the new music industry.  Nothing confuses me more than recognising musicians all over the place still don’t understand what this means for them.  There’s nothing negative about the doors being flung open for them.  Why don’t they understand this?  Is it because the information is still too hard to come by and you have to really dig deep into contacts and the internet in order to find this information?

The reality is, and let’s be clear about this – the music industry is the single reason that the it’s now experiencing a lack of profit and has very little to do with illegal file sharers.  People forget that the music industry were particularly unhappy when player pianos came out meaning you could no longer rely on highbrow concerts to get your music fix (most of these probably meaning that many poorer individuals had no access to luxuries such as music), then along came vinyl and the upset started again – how dare music be taken out of some other institution’s control.  Then along came cassettes and the furore came up again about piracy and tape sharing (shock horror!), once again the same thing happened with CDs and record companies slapping lawsuits about on “dear listener” in order to stop them from having the audacity to see music as a social resource to be shared.  Now we’re in the digital age and once again we see outcries of illegal behaviour, piracy, and suing the listener.  Nobody seems to mind that over this lengthy period, and amongst all the cries of protecting the artist, that the music industry has never once protected the rights and profits of the artist – they have always sought to control, dictate and restrict the artist’s cash flow and rights of how they can use their own music.

I’ve made it a point to read myself silly with what is out there on this subject because in order for me to survive as a musician, I need to adapt to the new landscape.  We aren’t going to go back to the way things were – and why would we want to?  Digital services have led to musicians finally getting control of their work back.  No longer do you need a record company to come sniffing around offering help and money.  That’s why they are all so upset about why they are in decline but they only have their own business models to blame.  They failed to adapt on so many levels and relied heavily on the sale of CDs to see them through.  Illegal downloading is a small symptom of the lack of CD sales.  Next time you head into a record shop, try and count the variety of artists available to you.  Are they the obscure artists or the big chart toppers who have major backing and corporate influence?  The variety and quality of artists available to purchase has shrunk and this has a lot to do with large supermarkets selling CDs and DVDs at cut prices.  There’s a large list of other reasons for what has gone wrong and at the bottom of the pile is the downloading issue.  Sadly, there are too many musicians out there who still believe the record company line about file sharing.  It’s the same line they used about CDs when they were trying to introduce DRM and the same they used about cassettes.  If people really did the research, they’d realise what a huge pile of doo-doo this excuse is.

I could go on but instead I’m going to highlight the books I’ve been reading lately.  I intend to write my own because I really think this subject needs better coverage and understanding.  While musicians stumble around trying to understand their environment, they are missing the wealth of opportunities that could radically change their lives as artists if only they knew how to get involved.

So here are the books I’ve been reading:

Get started with this one.  It’s a very easy read and a great introduction to how things have ended up where they have.  There’s some downright shocking stuff in here about the amount of money wasted by record executives, how the Mafia got involved in the illegal practice of payola (getting radio jockeys to prioritise “hits” for a large sum of money which is a scary realisation when you think how many songs they’ve done this with), and how Steve Jobs managed to stitch up the entire industry while Apple made huge profits.  Once you’ve read this, you’ll want to know more.

Two chaps from Berklee College of Music in the US.  This was written a few years ago now but is still startlingly relevant.  It also helps the reader to devise ideas about the avenues open to them in these circumstances.  It’s a very positive book with a lot of valuable information for those trying to navigate the “Digital Revolution”.  Gerd Leonhard is a media futurist and I recommend checking out his other work.  Check out his talk on Music 2.0:

 

 

Does what it says on the cover really.  A handy little book written by two lawyers with a music background who outline everything you need to do in order to establish your music, your way, all by yourself.  Obviously you will need some chums – like your band or anyone who wants to help out.  Goes through every step you could possibly consider taking in order to establish yourself as an artist with your own income from your own hard work.  Doesn’t mean you’ll be rich but you’ll certainly feel better knowing that what you own and distribute is yours.

Hope you found this useful and if you have any new music industry info to share then please, as always, head to the comments section.

When Life Gets In The Way

What do you do when that pesky life stuff gets in the way?  I’ve been trying to figure this out over the last couple of months which is why there hasn’t been much on the blog front.

Last time I was here I’d just put out my acoustic EP which sold reasonably well.  Since then it’s all been about getting band members sorted.  Bass players became a major issue.  The first left due to lack of an ability to either commit or learn the material.  A second bass player came and went in much the same fashion.  So after a lot of frustration, we seem to have found someone who is both excited about being in the band and committed to learning the material.  At least that’s sorted!

Unfortunately, other happenings over the last couple of months have really thrown a spanner in the works of me feeling remotely creative.  I found out in December 2010 that my job wasn’t going to get extended due to the public sector cuts courtesy of our current government.  I spent from December to March applying for jobs with little success and the one job interview I had, I ended up being told I was over qualified for!  Then I ended up with nowhere to live and am currently being put up by someone I used to work with – obviously this is not a permanent fix because I need to find a job and a permanent place to say.  Job hunting is not going well as the amount of people applying for each position is anything from the 200-300 mark.  The vicious circle now being that in order to find a permanent place to stay, I need to find a job.

Basically, I’ve been feeling a bit like dumping everything and hitting the road again like I did in 2008.  The problem is that I’m happy with the sound the band is now working on and it’s taken a long time to get it together (I don’t like deserting things that have taken a lot of work).  At the same time, I am getting increasingly frustrated by the lack of routine in not having work.  Sure, every musician doesn’t like the day job but for me, it’s really hard to live without one.  I need the routine and organisation in order to get on with all my other stuff.  Having every day empty would mean most musicians would have music coming out of their ears, but it doesn’t work for me this way – I get nothing done unless I’m fitting in writing songs in a tight timetable.  Unfortunately, having the mental health issue means lots of time on my hands is lots of time to feel down and get nothing done.  It’s not good.

But it’s not all bad, I’ve been able to get out and see some local Edinburgh bands lately.  There’s a good scene here, even if a little hard to find.  Sometimes I wonder if it’s all worth it though.  The way we buy and listen to music has changed so much but in many cases musicians feel they will get noticed using the same old channels – gigging lots, doing the circuit etc – all of which are still valuable but I guess that’s not enough anymore.  Bands and musicians really do have to do it all themselves and be incredibly pro-active about being seen and heard.  Something needs to change but I don’t profess to know what it is.  I guess it feels a bit like the music industry, and those trying to crack it, are basically stuck in limbo.  It’s a system that’s in transition and some of the old habits have to go but none of us really know what the system is going to be once it’s stopped morphing.  However, I think it’s also a good opportunity for musicians to finally have a say in how the music industry operates.  The record industry of old basically didn’t catch on to the digital age but now it’s here there is no real concrete guidance on how to navigate it.  Sure, you can fumble your way through Twitter, Facebook and Bandcamp and get advice from others online but how many other bands are doing that?  How do you find that special act at the moment?  I’d wager the record companies are finding that a minefield because we are over saturated with music.  Don’t get me wrong, you won’t hear me complaining about having a vast amount of access to whatever music I want to hear, but how do you get around the fact that music is available on such a massive scale that it’s lost it’s value?  I remember when buying an album meant saving up my pocket money or blowing it on singles (remember those!).  Now there’s so much music I don’t even know what’s worth buying.  I tend to use the internet to find stuff I like but that’s about it.  The record stores don’t cover my needs as their shelves are awash with chart toppers that speak for the pop audience more than ever before and music has reached the back of the queue behind films and games in most of these stores.  Because of that I think it’s pushed the alternative scene even further away and those within it have to find new ways to communicate with a fanbase.  I don’t think that the charts ever really spoke for the musician as such but it certainly doesn’t now.

It’s not all down to illegal downloading.  I really do think that’s a small element of the problem.  When music made money it wasn’t competing with games consoles, film, mobile phone apps and all sorts of other digital entertainment funsies trying to get your attention.  If you’re wondering why I’ve mentioned mobile phone apps, just think about how many of you stare at the ruddy things on a daily basis – often for not that good a reason.  There are so many methods of communication and interaction that are getting in our faces, which are incredibly distracting, that I think music has become a very background item for most people – which I hate the thought of.  The only people I really have good conversations with about music these days are other musicians or those who grew up in the “golden era” of music which was all a lot more fun than it is these days.  I guess what we as musicians need to work out is how to really change the shape of the music industry to do what we want it to be, or how to get it to serve the would-be-music-buying public in a way that will get them to value music again.

Imagine, with all this rattling around my head, you can see why I’m probably questioning why I’m even doing music.  The main reason is that I love it but my real concern is that the reality of making a real living out of it is pretty remote, even more so than it was a few years ago.  So do I stick around in a place where I can’t get a job to push at something that may well just be a lifelong hobby at best or do I really try and make something of it knowing full well what a bloody huge mountain it’s going to be to climb?

More importantly, when you have these little crises about your part in the world as a musician, how do you check yo’self so you don’t wreck yo’self?

Apart from my weird move to some Ice Cube, I hope this blog post has given you some stuff to think about that you would like to share in the comments section.

Bandcamp

I’ve just uploaded The Orchestra Girl EP to Bandcamp.  It took a little while to get it set up but I think it looks pretty good.  I sold about 14 physical copies last week which meant I was able to pay the artist for all her hard work.  Now I’m going to see how well the online sell goes.  I actually really like the idea that you can have the choice to set your price, let the fans set their price or let them have it for free.  With such a range of options there’s good scope for your music to get to a much wider audience.  As I’m just starting out I really decided to do a set price for the physical and digital download but I think I might go back in and allow a track off the EP to be downloaded for free as well.

Next steps are to focus on getting the band set together and, eventually, getting an electric album ready to go but I think this may take some time because now I’m not just relying on me to write and record the songs.  There’s more people in the mix and more schedules to fit around.  I hope it’s not going to take too long.  Things are in a bit of a state of flux for me at the moment as I have the job issue and I’ve got a job interview coming up so it’s hard to concentrate on anything other than making sure I have finances to keep this going.  The most important thing for me at the moment is having enough money to survive but at the same time, to have enough money to keep pushing the envelope with what I’m able to produce in terms of songwriting and physical items that people can get hold of.  Once we start gigging I think things will start getting a bit easier.  The electric set is sounding really, really interesting and I think people are going to be surprised after they’ve spent so much time listening to me with my guitar.  A whole new side to Ames is about to come out and it’s really exciting.

Anyway, if you fancy it, take a look at the Bandcamp option if you’re trying to get your music out there.  It’s pretty simple to use and has some useful options.  If you’re already on there, post your links in the comments section and I’ll look you up!  Always on the lookout for new artists.

Cheers

Ames

Ames – 2011

It’s been a busy few weeks for me.  Some great stuff has been happening but some difficult stuff too.  Just before Christmas, I was told that my job was going to be a victim of the public sector slashing.  I was on a temporary contract that we were certain was going to be made permanent but it was not to be.  Not the best way to start Christmas or even your New Year.  Without going into too much detail, I’ve found the last month very draining and have not had the creativity in me to really focus on anything for too long.  I have clinical depression and have been living with it for some time.  Music is a massive factor in what keeps me going every day, without the ability to be creative I would really struggle with everything in my life.  So I really had a bit of a big relapse over the last few weeks with a lot of trips to the doctor and trying to stay awake at work when 10 minutes of pure concentration would render me almost unconscious.  But, eventually I had to go for the meds increase to get me over the hump and I’ve started feeling better.  I’m picking up my guitar more and I’ve got a job interview next week.  But, I think most people would have been pretty down with the prospect of being unemployed in the current climate so I think I just added a bit of extra spice!

Thinking about it, this is soooo 2010.  I ended my year on a bit of a bum note and some of it was like a New Year hangover that lasted a bit longer than it should.  So what else has been happening?

The EP went on sale on Monday 24th January 2011.  I didn’t set up an online store just because I only had 50 copies printed, but I did have it pointed out to me that it might be worth doing an Ebay fixed price for those further afield who would like a copy and I aim to have this done by the end of the week.  I’ve sold about 15 copies which doesn’t sound like a massive amount but I’ve almost made enough money to pay the artist for her hard work.  I guess your next question would be whether I expect to make any profit?  In a word – no.  I don’t deny it would be nice to make a profit from something I put a lot of effort into creating but I expect to break even with what it has cost me to put it all together.  The main thing to think about here is that those 15 people are going to play it at home, their families will hear it and some of them will be interested enough to want to know more.  That’s why you should do it regardless of whether you expect to make a whack of profit – most of us aren’t in it for the money even though we think it would be nice.  The reality is the same for most artists in that you have to make a lot of sacrifices for the rewards to come.  My sacrifice so far has been pretty small fry but honestly, I really don’t care that I’m not going to make a penny from this.  The idea that people were interested enough to buy a copy and support me is good enough for me.  Without that support, my music won’t be heard and it’s really as simple as that.  If you’re in it for the lifestyle and the cash then you’re in the wrong game unless you want manufactured stardom.

So, aside from the EP, what else have I been up to?  Well 2011 has already seen Ames say goodbye to the bass player.  A serious lack of commitment from his side saw us let him go.  This can be a problem when you’re trying to accomplish something.  Unless that person really understands what you are trying to do and feels the same way about moving things forward, it can be a real hassle to find the right person.  However, it’s ok because eventually you will find the right person, everything will click and that amazing feeling of playing together will come flooding through the room.  Last week I had a rehearsal with just the drummer.  I was dubious about how much we would get done without a bass player but I felt really inspired and developed some really interesting sounds and ideas.  Different takes on existing songs have made me feel there is so much more to do with some of my material and the electric sound is really going to open up some very interesting musical doors.  For the first time, I really feel like people will genuinely get what I’m doing.  I’ve always felt unsure of my acoustic set and the last time I played electric, it was fun but it didn’t really have that kick.  Ames electrically is really giving me a reason to be excited about what I’m writing and the more you get excited about what you’re writing, the more you will develop new songs to play with and it snowballs from there.  It’s been a long time since I’ve been excited about my writing but I feel like I’ve suddenly hit the right time for it to come out.

Next steps for 2011 are to get 10 of the electric songs set in stone.  We’ve found someone who is happy to stand in on bass until we can get someone in on a permanent basis so we should get a bit done.  I was hoping to be gigging by the end of March but at this point I would be picturing April before we’re ready.  I certainly don’t want to go out and play until I am really comfortable with the set and make sure there are no points where I feel like I’m just churning a tune out for the sake of it.  They all need to make me feel like I’ve just been Tango’d by a wall of sound otherwise they won’t have an impact on the listener.  I’m approaching my set differently to how I used to.  It used to be a case of “write the songs, get out and gig them”.  Now it’s more “write some songs, pick the strongest, work on them, give them the drive they deserve and get out and gig them.”  If you’re going to go out to grab an audience’s attention you may as well put some thought into it!

Albums I’ve Rated in 2010

No, it’s not another one of those “here are my albums of 2010″ compilations, but these are the albums I’ve listened to the most over 2010 and they’re also the ones that have inspired me the most over the year.

So with no messing, I’ll get straight in…..

Muse – The Resistance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although it’s a 2009 album, it’s still doing the rounds on my iPod regularly.  It’s leagues ahead of the previous Black Holes and Revelations album which, I feel, was a bit of a filler than a winner.  The Resistance has a whole swathe of gems on it.  A serious favourite for me has been Undisclosed Desires.  The whole feel of that song made me look at recording and use of sound in a different way.  It’s ultimately quite a basic pop song but it has this gorgeous dark undercurrent running throughout to give it a bit of purpose.  Then there’s the Exogenesis Part 1-3 which is one of the best things Muse have done in my opinion.  Get yourself your favourite set of expensive cans and sit with that on and let yourself go.  It’s a truly sonic journey and will have you sitting there at the end of part 3 wondering what the hell just happened!  Yes, I am a Muse fan but along with Absolution, this is my favourite Muse album and I think it deserves to be heard if you like monumental mixing and attention to detail.

Astronautalis – Pomegranate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You’re probably wondering who this is right?  I got introduced to Astronautalis after seeing Tegan & Sara in Edinburgh.  He made a profound impression on me and did a great job considering he was the opening act to a crowd who wouldn’t have heard of him.  Out he came with merely a Mic and an Apple laptop for company and he was stunning.  I thought it would be hard to keep the crowd interested but he really does have a genuine creative ability to pull you in and keep you there until he’s done.  I went out and bought this album shortly after.  If you’re wondering what he sounds like then I guess probably something like a Hip-Hop Tom Waits.  Pomegranate is heavy on the storytelling factor, all of which is done in a unique and interesting style.  This album was actually released in 2008 and it just goes to show how long small budget artists will go unnoticed.  Two years after the release of this album and I’ve heard it but most of the world probably hasn’t while certain other starlets get fame after prancing about on a TV show…. I digress.. ahem.  If you want to check Astronautalis out I would suggest starting with the songs The Wondersmith and His Sons, Secrets of the Undersea Bell and Two Years Before the Mast.  If you don’t get on with him after hearing those then it’s probably not going to be your thing.  But I’m glad I stumbled across him because he led me on to the next album…..

 

P.O.S. – Never Better

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Underground Hip-Hop at its very best.  P.O.S. is a rapper with a history of punk rock under his belt (note his namecheck to Fugazi on Savion Glover on this album).  I absolutely love this album.  According to his representatives “Most of P.O.S’ recent album was written in a moving car.  On it, he raps at full clip to ride rolling drums and revving distortion.  There’s an urgency that he keeps in careful check, and then unleashes for spring-loaded verses.” I couldn’t have put it better myself.  Stand out tracks for me are Purexed, Optimist (We Are Not For Them) and Let It Rattle but there’s so much to enjoy not only from a music listeners point of view, but also from a production one.  If you like your Hip-Hop with more brains than gun-toting, bitch-slapping brawn, then this is an excellent place to start.  You won’t find any hoes here!

 

The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls in America

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I actually only recently got given this for Christmas.  On seeing the cover I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it but as soon as I heard Stuck Between Stations I knew I was going to like it.  It’s pretty straightforward rock music with a little undertone of Springsteen which I will always appreciate!  The lyrics are interesting, the singer has an interesting voice and overall, an enjoyable album.  So enjoyable in fact that I went out and bought the newest album a couple of days after I got this (Heaven is Whenever)!  That’s also a good album that I could have reviewed here but I think it’s worth starting out with the Boys and Girls in America as it comes across as a stronger album on first listen.  That’s not to say that Heaven is Whenever isn’t good, it is but a good introduction to The Hold Steady would be this album.  If you like nice sounding guitars, good lyrics and an interesting view on life, then The Hold Steady are a good band to get into.

 

The Eels – Blinking Lights and Other Revelations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s knocking on in age now but I took a while to really get into The Eels.  I guess before they were never really relevant to what I was doing so I never really paid that much attention.  It’s only as I’ve gotten older that I’ve started liking lo-fi (pass me my pipe and slippers!).  But this double album is nothing short of beautiful.  Beautifully produced story, beautifully told.  With well over 30 tracks you’d think an album of this size would be a chore but it really isn’t.  Whichever disc I listen to, I always want to press play again when it’s finished.  Songs that really stand out for me are If You See Natalie, Railroad Man, Ugly Love and Hey Man (Now You’re Really Living).  Obviously this only really scrapes the surface of what this album has in store.  It’s a bit like the audio equivalent of sitting down with a nice cuppa and your Sunday papers.  Alternatively, get some candles going, a nice glass of wine and enjoy!

There are loads more albums that I’ve been touting throughout 2010 but if I keep this up I’ll be typing into the wee hours!  It’s far better to write about the ones that immediately jump into my memory and talk about them.  Which means I probably should have mentioned that I’ve also been enjoying DJ Shadow‘s Endtroducing and Private Press albums!

Well, these should keep you going and maybe open some new doors for you!

 

Ames – The Orchestra Girl EP

It’s finally in the latter stages of being ready for sale.

The Tracklisting for The Orchestra Girl EP is as follows:

1. White Coats
2. The Most Me
3. Orchestra Girl
4. The Midwest

It was recorded live in an afternoon with the exception of White Coats which is already available on SoundCloud as a full band track.  I decided to release an acoustic version of these songs for a couple of reasons.  The obvious one would be because I have been looking for extra band members which it now looks like I’ve found.  The other reason is that this showcases the songs in their rawest form and I always feel that if you can’t enjoy songs when they are stripped back to the bones then there’s something amiss!  Mainly because every song you’ve ever heard started out as the most basic idea before it came a fully fledged electrical number.  This way you can see my progress by having a raw acoustic release and then later on having the sonic boom of a full electrical recording with all the trimmings.  The Orchestra Girl EP is a very raw recording, you can hear all the croaks and cracks of my voice and if you listen closely, you can hear the distinct sound of a hangover!

I have to say a huge thank you to Gemma Randall for her excellent work on the cover for The Orchestra Girl EP.  She had an idea pretty early on and she’s done a fantastic job at getting the style and essence of what I want Ames to be.  I’m sure Gemma and I will be doing a lot of work with this stuff in the future – she’s my go-to-girl for any art related Ames stuff.  If you’re thinking of getting some similar work done I would highly recommend her!

The cover also has some thank you credits but I’m going to add them again here.  A massive thank you to Philip and Colleen from 80eight – without their input, inspiration and direction I would never have got to the point of realising my first proper release.  My good musical buddy Jason Kyrone who put up with my endless takes while my vocals were cracking up!  He knows what he’s doing but he also listens to input on how an artist wants to shape the sound and that sort of communication is important – all too often some sound engineers/producers just do what they want because they know best.  You’ve always got to put your own stamp on a recording, even in the mixing phase.  A good producer will listen to you and Jason is good at that.  Some other people I didn’t thank on the CD who really deserve a mention; my best friend who told me a story that her 5 year old came out with about a lonely and awkward girl she had met at school which led to me writing Orchestra Girl.  I also have to thank the real Orchestra Girl who had an impact on my musical and personal life with her passion for music and learning new things, without meeting her, Orchestra Girl wouldn’t have existed and I wouldn’t have gone on to do other musical ventures which are now turning out to be very exciting, so thanks K.

I’ll leave you with the artwork and look forward to updating you on when and where you can buy it.

Click to enlarge

 

Teeny Tiny Megatonic – The Korg Monotron

Yes, I’m back on a technical tip again.  Mainly because I was wandering around my favourite local music store yesterday (Red Dog Music).  I always go in to buy something then come away thinking of a million new boxes of fun that I can add to my tunes.  The current wishlist is standing fairly tall with items I would love to have and items I actually need.  Items I actually need are things like studio monitors and a controller keyboard.  However, the fun things, you know; the things that make your nerdy musical brain all twitchy for you to reach for that card and splash your cash on a new toy have been getting in the way.  So, let me introduce you to the Korg Monotron……

It’s just too much fun in the palm of your hand and all for £50!!  I’ve been hearing about this for so long and I finally got a chance to play about with it.  Plugged into a PA I couldn’t believe what I could do with such a tiny box.  It uses the same filter as the Korg MS-20 that was released in 1978.  It’s also face slappingly easy to use!  Get twiddling some knobs and you can start making some awesome little beats analogue style.  I’ve also been looking at the Kaossilator Pro for twiddle fun but it’s considerably more expensive though it does have some pretty green lights going for it along with a whole bunch of other excellent tricks!

After seeing these babies in action I can tell you’re already thinking of some bonkers way to get them involved in your music.  I know I have!  But for cost purposes at the moment, the nice to have musical toy I can afford right now is the Monotron so expect that to get involved in some more of my tunes later on!

I’ll leave you with this thought…

 

 

Ames – Progress

I’ve been a bit slack lately, I’m very sorry!  I always hate it when I follow someone’s website or blog and they don’t update anything for ages.  So, instead of blithering on about a bunch of technical stuff, I think it’s time for an update on Ames.

I spent a lot of time advertising for a drummer and bass player while I was also getting material prepared for a self-released EP.  The songs have now been recorded, artwork for the EP has been drafted and CD cases have been ordered.  I’ve only posted the artwork on my Facebook fanpage so far.  I don’t want too many people to see it and spoil the surprise!  I can tell you that it looks fantastic and was done by one of my Twitter mates down in Bristol.  Her name is Gemma Randall and I was very lucky to find her.  I gave her a list of album covers I like from artists ranging from Muse to Calexico and away she went to come up with something fantastic for The Orchestra Girl EP.  I’m still trying to work out the best way to sell it once I have some copies in my hand but I may get a Bandcamp account.

On the band front, I had a bit of a jam with a bass player called Rich last week.  He got in touch with me via an advert I had placed on the infamous Gumtree.  He really liked White Coats and eventually we got together and had a jam with some of the songs from my EP.  I gave him the tracks and he’s away at the moment working out his bass lines.  Drummers are always ridiculously hard to find for some reason.  I played drums for over 10 years but obviously I can’t do the job!  Oddly, I came to be in contact with a drummer following a conversation with a colleague at work who happened to know someone with some good experience and who would possibly be interested in playing a few gigs.  I phoned John this evening and the plan is to organise a rehearsal with the three of us.  Ideally, I’d quite like another guitarist to step in because I never really feel that confident playing guitar in a band by myself but we’ll see how it goes.  I’ve played in a three-piece before and it worked out ok.

A couple of months ago I was knocking about with recording some stuff on Cubase.  Now I’ve had some photos done, an EP is on the way and a potential gigging band for the new year!  How did I achieve this?  It could be because I’m an Aries who is completely single-minded once I’m focussed on something or it could be that I knew that giving up on what I wanted to do was not an option and knew that eventually it would pay off.  So fingers crossed that the rehearsal goes well and Ames starts gigging in the new year.  I definitely can’t wait to get out playing live again.

Hope to see some of you there.  I can guarantee you a great live gig and a good atmosphere.  Gigs will appear on the website once they start coming in.  In the meantime, it’s all about getting some more songs for an album to follow The Orchestra Girl EP and rehearsing with Rich and John to see if there’s some good chemistry to start cracking an electric sound.  The acoustic material I have done is still going to be available but I have always seen Ames as an electric act with various sounds and atmospherics.  However, I will always be ready to whip out the acoustic for intimate gigs.

Stills Gallery Edinburgh – Sound Recording and Editing for Artists and Filmmakers

I had been looking for an audio course to increase my skills and knowledge in the world of recording.  At first I had applied to do a 10-week course at Stevenson College in Edinburgh.  They have a fantastic facility called the Music Box.  I was lucky enough to blag a tour around the building when I was there with work.  It’s fantastic.  They’ve got a really good set up with rehearsal rooms, private recording booth rooms decked out with Macs and that jazz.  The recording studio is seriously impressive and best of all it’s not just for students and can be used for commercial purposes.  Sadly, the course I applied for had a lack of numbers so it got cancelled.  I was desperate to find a similar audio course in Edinburgh but for some reason, everything sound related was pointing towards full or part time study.  There doesn’t seem to be an evening course other than the one I chose at Stevenson.  But then I asked around and a friend told me that Stills Gallery in Edinburgh did an audio course.  It turned out it was an audio course aimed at artists and filmmakers but the course content still covered a lot of things I thought would be useful for learning more about sound editing and recording.  It was also massively cheaper than the course at Stevenson and I didn’t want to wait until January 2011 to see if I could get on the course again.

So, this weekend just passed I spent two days learning about sound.  I’m one of those students that can tend to phase in and out of a topic so I was worried I might do this here.  Thankfully not, I was completely focussed for two whole days – people who know me well will know that’s no mean feat!  Mind you, it’s probably because anything outside of the creative fields for me is like watching paint dry!

We went through the basics of Amplitude (dB) and Frequency (Hz).  As some of you may know, this also covered at what point us humans start to lose/damage our hearing – 90dB so ear plugs at gigs are really essential, no matter how cool you think you look without them!  Apparently, on average we lose 1dB of hearing A DAY!  That’s a heck of a lot so imagine how much you’re losing by gigging, listening to that iPod freaking loud so all the old ladies on the bus tut at you, going to gigs etc etc.  I’m sad to say some of my hearing has probably been battered by the fact that I played drums for a long time and for some of that time I did not wear ear plugs which is pretty stupid.  I also picked up little interesting facts that I hadn’t really thought about before.  For example, when discussing sound reflection it turns out that hearing is far more complex than vision because there are so many aspects of sound depending on distance and various other things like what’s around you.  Reflected sound bounces off everything so pretty much changes depending on the environment you are in.  Sure, that’s obvious but I don’t think many of us are really conscious of that because we get lost in the music so easily.

In terms of recording I discovered quite a few things (firstly that I prefer working with a Mac! ).  When setting levels to record in digital, you should really looking to get a peak between -6dB and -12dB, getting to 0 digitally sounds pretty horrid and clips pretty badly.  I also didn’t know that when recording audio files you should really use the highest quality possible – in this case a WAV file in 24 bit with a 44.1 sample rate.  If you are doing something for TV it should be a sample rate of 48.  If you’re confused about what the “bit” part is all about (I know I was), I shall explain.  Apparently, the bit rate is the amount of steps you can have a number pinned onto within the recording.  If you use 24 bit then you will get more space that you can use before you hit distortion and clipping.  In comparison to 16 bit, 24 gives you an extra 12dB before it breaks up.  Serious layman’s terms apply here!

Then we got down to some practical audio using some of these lovely portable audio recorders.  I was using the Zoom H2.  I didn’t expect much from it but the sound quality is brilliant.  Alright it’s not going to be as good as sitting in a studio and all that but, if you want to start messing with recording samples or even if you want to record something live, this is a really good idea.  You can connect external microphones to it – we tried it with a shotgun mic.  Even though a shotgun mic is more regularly used in TV, I have to say it would be something nice to play around with for any recording.  Going out and about we got some great sounds and it was even better learning about the polar patterns of different mics.  Whatever sound you’re going for, I’d recommend playing around with different mics, you might find something really interesting that you had never thought of before.  So, armed with several audio tracks we went back to hit the Pro Tools and sound editing part of the course.

Pro Tools I found a bit bland in terms of the interface but remarkably easy to use.  I’ve been messing around with Cubase SX for so long and not really understanding it, that it was nice to use something for the first time that was pretty easy to get to grips with.  Everything I wanted to do with the sound in terms of effects and editing were so easy to see.  I particularly liked the fact that you can drag an audio file in, start chopping it up and Pro Tools won’t touch the original file, so you always have it in the state you recorded it in.  Yes, I have also discovered that I do like working with a Mac.  It just feels more stable somehow.  Doing a lot of audio on a PC always results in the wait for an effect to be processed, seeing if you like it and then going back.  Pro Tools on the Mac was instant and it was so easy to apply the right sound without having to keep changing my mind until I found something I liked.  I also like the way Pro Tools will loop the part you want to put the effect on so you can instantly hear the change – although, if it’s quite a short clip it can start to feel a bit trippy!

Overall, I think this course was totally worthwhile for me.  I got to check out some skills that I probably wouldn’t have discovered on a totally music focussed course.  It also gave me the opportunity to find out about other creative areas of sound that I could get involved in.  I certainly never really thought about sound art before which engages with acoustics, psychoacoustics, electronic and all sorts of auditory wonders.  My introduction to sound art has given me a lot of ideas where my actual music is concerned.  There are so many avenues of sound to explore and I think too many of us aren’t really aware of what we can do with sound outside of just recording our songs and putting things on CD.  There really is a big opportunity for turning your material into something really original.  As with anything creative, the only limit is your imagination.

I’ve always had a second project in mind outside of Ames and this course has helped me to define what that will be.  I had an idea that I played around with but I didn’t really think about how I could make it different.  Now I’ve got a pretty good idea.  Hopefully, this blog post has given you an impetus to consider doing something differently, or maybe consider doing an audio related course to get yourself involved in what’s going on with sound – after all, that’s what we all work in and it’s not just about writing a good song, it’s how you relay that song to a few pairs of ears.

If you want to have a look at some examples of sound art, I’d recommend you check this site out – Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller.  Check out the “walks” section, plug your headphones in and give yourself a treat, I’d recommend trying Her Long Black Hair.  I’m so glad the course tutor gave us this tip-off.  In case you are wondering how she gets that feeling of directional sound and all that jazz, she uses Binaural microphones.

I think I’ve covered everything.  If there’s anything you want to know about this course that I might not have covered, just ask!